Frostbite Chironomid Pupa
By Dave Sloan
This is one of my favorite midge imitations for the Upper Sacramento River from the end of July into October. During this time of year almost every rock in each riffle is enveloped with black fly larvae that the fish gorge themselves on. Small, dark patterns are often the top producers this time of year and this fits that description perfectly. I tie it bead headed and non-bead headed, although the beaded version tends to produce more fish, and I tie it in a variety of sizes. The actual pattern calls for a material called Frostbite but Krystal Flash is a good substitute and more readily available. It is fished best on the dead drift and is a fairly good searching pattern when nothing else seems to be producing. Tie this pattern in sizes 12-20.
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