How To Tie Mike's Midge Pupa Fly Pattern

May 05, 2022 · 2 min read

Learn how to tie Mike's Midge Pupa fly pattern including step-by-step instructions, a video tutorial, pictures, and much more. Improve your fly tying skills here.

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Mike Heck first tied Mike’s Midge Pupa for ultra-selective fish on technical spring creeks in Pennsylvania, where fish routinely feed on midges right below the surface film. The fly benefits from a thoughtful design where the abdomen hangs vertically in the water, similar to how a midge pupa drifts downstream. Mike’s Midge Pupa uses simple materials and is quick to tie. Whip a few of these up for when you notice fish feeding at or near the surface, but traditional dry flies are getting refused.

Material List

Step One

Curved black midge pupa hook clamped in vise with thin black tying thread on neutral gray background, fly tying step

Begin the pattern by running a thread base from below the hook’s eye to the bend.

Step Two

Hand holding pale tan tubing over black-threaded small hook clamped in vise during midge pupa fly tying for fly fishing

Next, tie the turkey biot 70 percent up the shank, then cover the material with the thread leaving the rearward material passed the bend exposed.

Step Three

Olive-green midge pupa fly pattern with metallic rib on a curved hook held in tying vise, fly tying thread hanging

Wrap the turkey biot up the shank with tight, overlapping wraps that give the pattern‘s body its segmentation. Be sure to clip the forward-facing material off at the thorax.

Step Four

Hand cutting black closed-cell foam with scissors under a fly-tying vise for a midge pupa fly pattern

Prepare the midge pattern’s thorax by clipping a skinny section vertically along the edge of the foam sheet.

Step Five

Hand tying green-gold midge pupa fly on vise with black thread and dubbing tool, fly tying close-up

Tie the tip of the foam material in front of the turkey biot, then complete several securing wraps in front of the material.

Step Six

Gold-ribbed midge pupa fly with black dubbed thorax on small curved hook held in vise, fly tying close-up

Finish the foam thorax section by wrapping the foam several times around the shank to build up the thorax, then clip the forward-facing material.

Step Seven

Delicate midge pupa fly pattern with gold ribbed body and wispy white feather wing clamped in vise for fly fishing

We are now moving onto the fly’s gills. Figure-eight wrap a small piece of the CDC Oiler Puff material on top of the shank, then secure a half-hitch followed by a whip finish in front of the fibers.

Step Eight

Gold-ribbed midge pupa with dark bead head and white parachute hackle clamped in vise during fly tying

Mike’s Midge Pupa is ready to hit the water after trimming each side of the gills to fifty percent of its body length.

Written by

Jared Robbins

Jared Robbins is a fly fishing expert at Trident Fly Fishing, where he brings a deep passion for the sport and an encyclopedic knowledge of gear to everything he does. An accomplished fly tier, Jared has walked anglers through patterns ranging from delicate trout nymphs to aggressive saltwater streamers. Whether he's chasing carp on a warm river flat, swinging mouse patterns for big browns after dark, or targeting tarpon and snook in the salt, Jared's diverse fishing experience means he can speak to just about any situation you'll find yourself in on the water.

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