Nymphbeginner

Rocky Mountain West

Zebra Midge

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Available Sizes#16 - #24

Color Variations

Black/SilverRed/SilverOlive/CopperBrown/Gold

Pattern Ledger

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Exact source still under review

We have not published an exact product link for this pattern yet. The directory below can help locate a regional specialist, but it is not proof that the exact fly is currently listed.

Regional source directory

Specialist source

Rocky Mountain Fly Design

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, nymph flies, trout. Colorado tier and shop lead for Rocky Mountain trout, bass, and predator patterns.

Rocky Mountain Westnymph flies

Regional shop

Taos Fly Shop

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, nymph flies, trout. New Mexico/Southwest trout shop lead for Rio Grande, San Juan, Pecos, and high desert water.

Rocky Mountain Westnymph flies

Specialist source

Stillwater Fly Fishing Store

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, nymph flies, trout. Specialist stillwater source for balanced leeches, chironomids, and lake-trout logic.

Rocky Mountain Westnymph flies

Broad catalog

Fly Fish Food

Matched on nymph flies, trout, midge. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.

nymph fliestrout

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The Zebra Midge is what happens when you strip fly tying down to its absolute minimum and discover that the minimum is all you ever needed. Thread, wire, bead -- that is it. On winter tailwaters, when midges are the only insects hatching and every trout in the river is eating them, this pattern will catch fish while more elaborate offerings float past ignored. It is the haiku of fly patterns: constrained, precise, and containing more meaning than its size suggests.

Quick Facts

TypeNymph

Difficultybeginner

SeasonsFall, Winter, Spring

Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Mountain Whitefish

Sizes#16 - #24

Best LocationsSouth Platte River, CO; San Juan River, NM; Big Horn River, MT; Frying Pan River, CO

Where to Fish It

South Platte River

CO · Tailwater

San Juan River

NM · Tailwater

Big Horn River

MT · Tailwater

Frying Pan River

CO · Tailwater

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Related Reading

region guide

Rocky Mountain Trout: A River-by-River Guide

The Rocky Mountain West holds the finest trout rivers in North America. From the gin-clear tailwaters of Colorado to the sweeping freestone rivers of Montana, these waters offer everything from technical dry fly fishing to aggressive streamer hunting. This is your river-by-river guide to all of it.

seasonal playbook

The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send

Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.

hatch guide

Midge Fishing: The Tiny Flies That Save the Day

When every other hatch has shut down, midges keep trout feeding. From winter tailwaters to high-altitude stillwaters, Chironomidae are the most abundant insects in freshwater ecosystems. Learning to fish these tiny patterns unlocks twelve months of dry-fly and nymphing opportunities.

technique

Water Temperature: The Master Variable

Water temperature controls everything. Metabolism, feeding intensity, insect emergence, dissolved oxygen, where fish hold, and whether they'll eat your fly. Understanding thermal dynamics across freshwater and saltwater systems is the single most reliable way to predict fishing quality before you even leave the truck.

technique

Fly Selection: A Decision Tree for Every Situation

Most anglers open their fly box and stare at it like a menu in a foreign language. But fly selection isn't mystical — it's a decision tree. Start with what the fish are eating, narrow by presentation depth, match the profile and size, and you'll arrive at the right fly in under sixty seconds. Here's the system.

technique

Barometric Pressure and Fishing: Fact vs. Fiction

Every angler has heard it: 'The barometer's falling — the fish are gonna feed.' But how much of barometric pressure lore is actual science, and how much is confirmation bias wrapped in a fishing vest? The answer is more nuanced than either camp wants to admit.

technique

Nymph or Dry? The Decision That Changes Everything

Ninety percent of a trout's diet is consumed subsurface. Yet ninety percent of the magazine covers show a dry fly floating on calm water. The decision between nymphing and dry-fly fishing isn't about preference — it's about reading the situation and making the choice that puts your fly where the fish are actually feeding.

seasonal playbook

The Winter Guide: Cold Water, Warm Hands, Willing Fish

Winter separates the dedicated from the fair-weather crowd. The rivers are empty, the hatches are tiny, and the fish feed in slow motion. But they do feed — they have to. And the angler who understands cold-water metabolism, midge biology, and the art of slowing down will find winter fishing not just productive but deeply rewarding.