Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Small Midge=Big Bow

About as pretty as I have caught in a while. Caught her on a #16 midge over the weekend. I can't decided if I'm more excited about the fish or the fact that most of the ice is gone on the lake.

Great shot.

Thank you.

Nicely done, Big Sky.

Nice! Have a couple nearby lakes where on has to go to size 22's or 24's to get a tug in the evenings. It's hard though to put a serious tug on some twenty four inch fish with a hook gap that small.
Our still waters are just starting to move out the dry matter mode.
Envious,

Great Photo Big Sky!

Where I fish in NM in the Quality Waters below the Navajo Dam on the San Juan River, a size 16 midge is about as big as you can use. Usually we are fishing mostly with size 22 to 24 midges and nymphs.

It’s pretty tough to land a 24” rainbow on that small of a hook. Especially with no barb. I’ve done it, but it takes about 15 minutes to land one on a 4 or 5 wgt fly rod.

Absolutely gorgeous photo.

My two best trout were caught quite a few years back, two weeks apart. A 26 1/2" Rainbow and a 26 1/2" Brown, both caught on the same barbless #20 Griffiths Gnat. 7' 4wt. Orvis One Ounce.

I won't argue one bit with you guys. It's super hard to land fish on flies sized in the 20's. Heck, 18 is about as low as I go and I'm not real happy with that. Between it being hard to get a good hook set, those big trout trash those little hooks, often straightening them right out.

Great Photo, Awesome fish.

Great shot of a beautiful fish! Thanks for sharing.

Certainly want to use the best hooks you can find. Not a good time to scrimp or try to save a dime.

Beautiful

16 is pretty big for a midge!

griffith's gnat is my money fly or a zebra midge

ribka, I think it's relative to where you fish. On this particular lake nearly everyone uses midges in size 14 to 12. I love it when the fish are hitting readily on a size 12 zebra midge. Hook sets become less of a problem as do issues with the hooks. However, sometimes they just want something smaller and that is when it definitely becomes more challenging.

It is. thanks. When I fish the lakes in England with my brother. We used size 8 and 10 midge bomber patterns. I thought they would be way too big but they were the ticket.

I like size 12 blood worm patterns in the spring. Congrats on nice fish

chlinstructor:

Have fished below the Navajo a few times, and it's an interesting place. Challenging and educated fish, often with no lips remaining, and one can hear 5 languages in just a few minutes.

Yep, size 20 and smaller is where I start using premium hooks, usually use Mustad from 16 on up unless they are a specialty shape.

Beautiful fish. Congratulations.

Ive caught a ton of 19-20 inch trout on size 18s and 20s on the Missouri ( I'm sure you know where...) and you're right...it ain't easy. Being in river current helps cause you can at least try to place your casts quartering upstream so as to hook them in the fleshy corner of the mouth, but even then you've got a good hook set on a nice fish you are fighting on a 6X tippet.It ain't easy.

What part of Montana do you live? What is the snow pack like? I plan on coming out and fishing the second week of July. Would love to catch some salmon fly action. I always seem to be a week early or late. This year is my year. 🤞

Gorgeous bow! Great colors!!

That's a stud of a rainbow. Im sure it put up a great fight

Beautiful shot.

Nice bow and photo.

Hanak Competition hooks for the win, nothing better.

That’s a great picture, have never caught a trout with that much color. It is...well...like a rainbow. 👍👍