Buzzer Flies

When Trout Are Sipping Midges and Ignoring Everything Else.

You’re watching steady rise rings on flat water. A dry fly gets refused. An emerger gets ignored. A lot of the time, those fish are keyed on midge pupae hanging just below the surface film rather than anything riding on top. Buzzer flies are built to match that specific situation, and this assortment covers four sizes and five colors so you’re not guessing which one today’s fish want.

Why a Resin Bead

Most weighted nymphs use brass or tungsten to get down fast. A resin bead sinks more slowly, which suits buzzers well since real midge pupae don’t drop like a stone, they drift and hang in the water column as they work toward the surface to emerge. The slower sink keeps the fly in that zone longer instead of punching straight through it.

The body is stripped peacock quill with a clear lacquer coating, which gives a segmented, ribbed look similar to a real pupa and holds up better than an unlacquered quill body.

Why Five Colors

Pressured trout on heavily-fished stillwaters and tailwaters see a lot of natural-colored flies. A bright hot spot, whether red, pink, chartreuse, blue, or orange, gives the fish something different to key on, especially in deeper presentations or water with some color to it. Think of the hot spot as an attractor accent rather than an exact imitation of anything specific.

How and When to Fish It

Midges are active on stillwaters and tailwaters across most of the year, though the size and behavior shifts with the seasons.

Spring and summer: #12-14 tends to match what’s hatching. Suspend the fly under a strike indicator at a depth that puts it a foot or two below the surface, and use a mostly dead drift with an occasional short strip to add a little movement.

Fall and winter: #14-16 is often the better match as naturals get smaller. Fishing it as a dropper 12 to 18 inches below a dry fly works well, with the dry acting as your indicator.

Stillwater: A floating line with a long leader, greased to within a few feet of the fly, lets you cast to visible rises and let the buzzer hang nearly still in the water. Resist the urge to strip it much. Most takes happen on a long pause, so watch your leader for a twitch or a slow draw rather than expecting a hard pull.

Common Questions

What’s the difference between a buzzer and a midge? Same insect. “Buzzer” is the common British and European term, “midge” is more common in North America. Both describe the Chironomidae family, and these flies work under either name.

Why use bright colors instead of natural black or olive? On water that gets fished a lot, trout see plenty of natural-colored flies. A hot spot color can give the fish something different to notice, particularly in deeper water or when visibility is reduced. It’s worth carrying both natural and hot spot colors and letting the fish tell you which they want that day.

Can I fish these in rivers, or only stillwater? Both. On tailwaters, these work well as a dropper in a Euro-nymph rig, where the resin bead helps keep the drift natural rather than diving too fast. On freestone rivers, they’re particularly useful in low, clear water later in the season when midges make up more of what trout are eating.

How do I pick a size? If you can get a look at the naturals on the water, match size as closely as you can. If you’re not sure, #14 is a reasonable, versatile starting point.

Are these barbless? No, they come with a standard barb.

Specs