Overview

The Trident Tube Midge from Umpqua is a stillwater chironomid built to imitate the two brightest bloodworm stages of the chironomid life cycle. Chironomids are the single most important food for trout in many lakes.

Chironomid larvae live in deep water over muddy bottoms, where they gather in large balls for up to three days. Their red or green color comes from how much hemoglobin they carry, which is why bright red and green patterns work so well. The newest version adds a wing and leg shuck below the thorax, often in orange, which trout find hard to ignore.

How to Fish It

• Under an indicator: set the fly about a foot off the bottom over mud and fish it with little or no movement.
• Find the depth: measure the depth first, then adjust the indicator until you are just above the bottom.
• Slow retrieve: on an intermediate or sinking line, use a very slow hand-twist retrieve near the bottom.
• Seasons: chironomids hatch from ice-off through fall; spring is often the peak.

Choosing Color and Size

Red / Copper matches the classic bloodworm. Green / Blue covers the green larvae, and Silver / Black is a high-contrast choice that suggests a pupa as it heads to the surface.

Size 14 matches larger chironomids, and size 16 suits mid-sized midges and pickier fish.