Pat Dorsey's South Platte staple, named for the silver-lined glass bead that glints like the gas bubble of an emerging midge. White thread and a copper rib — that's the entire fly, and on technical tailwaters it is quietly devastating.
1. Bead — Slide an extra-small silver-lined glass bead to the eye of a curved hook.
2. Thread base — Attach white thread behind the bead and wrap a smooth base to the bend.
3. Rib — Tie in small copper wire at the bend.
4. Body — Build a slim, even white thread body up to the bead. Reverse-wrap the copper rib in open turns. Tie off.
5. Finish — Whip finish behind the bead. A coat of thin cement keeps the white body clean.
hook
bead
thread
rib
Chironomidae spp.
