Realistic CDC Micro Midge Fly (Extended Body)

For the Days Trout Are Sipping and Refusing Everything

When trout are gently sipping in the surface film and ignoring your usual patterns, it’s often because the fly is too big or too obviously fake. Going smaller and more precise is usually the answer.

This CDC Micro Midge is built for exactly that moment. Instead of a messy cluster of materials, it offers a clean, realistic footprint that holds up to a close look from educated fish in clear tailwaters and spring creeks.

Why the Extended Body Design

Most micro midges crowd the hook gap with material. This one uses a woven body that extends backward past the bend, mimicking the natural abdomen of a midge or BWO while leaving the hook gap fully open. That open gap usually means a cleaner hookset on the subtle takes you get at this size.

A flash tinsel rib wraps the body for a bit of reflective shimmer in the water, on top of the realistic profile.

Why CDC for the Wing

The wing uses high-grade CDC, Cul de Canard, which naturally traps tiny air bubbles in its structure. That gives the fly buoyancy without needing heavy floatant gel, and the upright white or grey wing doubles as a sighter, making a size #20 fly easier to track against dark water than you’d expect.

How to Fish It

This is a specialist pattern for #20 situations. Use a long leader with 6X or 7X Tippet. It works well as a single dry fly during a hatch, or as a trailer behind a larger indicator fly like a Parachute Adams.

This pattern’s realistic silhouette is worth trying specifically on sippers, trout that inspect a fly closely before eating, since the extended body and clean profile hold up better to that kind of scrutiny than a bulkier pattern.

Common Questions

Is this for midge or BWO hatches? Both. The profile passes for Blue Winged Olives and Baetis as well as midges. Think of it as a general “small dark insect” imitation.

How do I see such a small fly on the water? The upright white or grey CDC wing acts as a sighter, making it more visible against dark water than you’d expect for a size #20.

Do I need floatant? Use a powder desiccant, like Frog’s Fanny, instead of gel floatant. Gel will mat down the delicate CDC fibers and kill the buoyancy.

Is the hook barbed or barbless? Barbless. It penetrates with less resistance on light tippet and makes for an easier release.

Specs