This is my go to fly when nothing else is working because it is so close to looking like the naturals.

It fishes well all year long in many conditions. Along with the Huck-bow Warrior cripple and it’s Perdigon brother this is a great winter fly. I recommend size 16.

This fly is built on a barbless competition style jig hook.  It’s wide gap provides a dramatically better hook set than a traditional hook.  You’ll find your land to hook ratio will be much better than in a traditional nymph hook.  I tie these with an oversized tungsten slotted bead.   Then I stuff the slot gap with lead.  Combined with it’s sleek epoxied body, this fly gets down in a hurry.  the tail is made of UV coated coq de leon feathers.  you can read all about the benefits of perdigon style flies in my article here.

Almost every river around the world has midges and they hatch year round.  Out in the eastern sierras on Crowley Lake in a float tube, where i cut my chops, i would watch the midges come up to the surface, sprout wings and fly away for hours on end.  but, more times than you’d think i’d watch a cripple fail to launch, ultimately sinking back to the depths to be consumed.