Midge / EmergersPartridge Pupa
Hans Weilenmann's Partridge Pupa pairs an olive Argentinian hare abdomen with a sparse brown partridge collar for a slender midge pupa profile that hangs naturally in the surface film. A pine squirrel thorax worked in split thread adds a rougher, buggier texture right where an emerging midge is most vulnerable.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
The abdomen is dubbed from olive Argentinian hare fur over a size 14 hook, kept slim to match a midge pupa's shape. Ahead of it, a thorax of brown-olive dyed pine squirrel guard hair is spun into a split thread for texture, and a sparse collar of brown partridge barbs stands in for emerging legs and breathes with the slightest current. The combination lets the fly hang just under or in the surface film rather than ride high, matching the moment when a midge pupa is shedding its shuck. It fits tailwaters and spring creeks where midges hatch through spring, summer, and fall and trout key on that stalled emergence.
Where to Buy This Fly
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Materials
- Hook:
- Grip 14723BL #14
- Thread:
- Benecchi 12/0, black
- Collar:
- Brown partridge barbs
- Abdomen:
- Argentinian hare, olive
- Thorax:
- Pine squirrel guard hair, dyed brown-olive - in split thread
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Midge pupae ascend slowly through the water column in a vulnerable vertical drift toward the surface film. Their gradual rise and inability to change direction make them easy targets for cruising fish who systematically work through these concentrations.
Where Trout Eat It: Trout sip this pattern in the surface film during morning and evening emergence periods in tailwaters and spring creeks. Fish target the suspended pupa in back eddies, soft seams, and glassy runs where midges collect and hang vertically in the film.
How to Fish It: Fish in the film with drag-free drifts, greasing your leader to within 6 inches of the fly so the sparse partridge hackle breathes in the current. Use as a dropper 18-24 inches behind a dry fly or fish alone with ultra-light 6X-7X tippet for selective trout.
Best Water: Most effective in tail-outs, back eddies, and slow seams of tailwaters and spring creeks where midges hatch year-round. Target foam lines and slicks in slow runs where emergers suspend and concentrate in European waters.
Strike Type: The indicator will hesitate or drift slightly upstream as trout gently mouth the suspended pupa. Set on any unnatural pause in the drift.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Use a 12-15 foot leader with 6X-7X tippet. Fish alone or as a dropper beneath a small dry fly.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during peak feeding periods at dawn and dusk. Water temperatures between 45-65°F typically produce best results.
Pro Tips: Sinks at a moderate rate depending on hook weight. The natural materials blend well with the aquatic environment.
Entomology
Midge pupae ascend slowly through the water column in a vulnerable vertical drift toward the surface film. Their gradual rise and inability to change direction make them easy targets for cruising fish who systematically work through these concentrations.
- Order
- Diptera
- Family
- Chironomidae
- Common Name
- Midge
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- general
