If you’re like me, any pattern that calls for a size 24 hook is a pattern best left to the experts. Tim Flagler’s Zelon Musk Midge is a prime example.
This might be the simplest midge pattern I’ve ever seen. It consists of two ingredients in addition to the thread, as indicated in its name: Zelon and muskrat dubbing.
Here in Idaho, it’s full-on winter, with snow lining the banks of our storied trout rivers, like the South Fork of the Snake and the Henry’s Fork. And that means it’s midge season—the famous “snow flies” of the Henry’s Fork start popping when the weather turns sour, and fishing can be really good. A pattern like the Zelon Musk would be ideal, although I’d tie it a big bigger—perhaps even in a size 18 or 20.
Either way, this is a simple pattern to tie, and it’s a great match for winter midge fishing.
— Chris Hunt