Tyin' The Vinyl KF Midge 21May18

Other than the Awesome Midge, the Vinyl KF (Flasher) is my most productive midge imitation. The vinyl body is shiny like a real midge and naturally segmented and it is much sturdier than the Awesome Midge. I tie it in #22 and #24 sizes and in 4 colors: olive, black, root beer and grey. I'll provide instructions using the olive for example but the other colors are tied exactly the same but just with alternate colored materials for thread, body and thorax - pearl Krystal Flash is always the same. Here are some soldiers ready to attack - color looks weird here, they are more olive than they look here in the flybox. All these images are a bit weak... deal with it.

Recipe/Ingredients are very simple...

• #22-#24 Tiemco 2487 hook
• 70 olive (or olive brown) UTC UltraThread
• Head: none
• Tail: none
• Body: UTC olive vinyl rib in size midge with XS copper wire overwrap
• Thorax: olive brown superfine
• Wing: 2 strands of pearl Krystal Flash

Here we go with typing instructions...

Put hook in vice and bind on thread to middle

1st tie in XS copper wire with 5 wraps (remember
to have wire extend full length of hook to eye);
next tie in vinyl rib stretching it as you wrap
thread to just beyond 50% of bend (leave a tag
end of vinyl half as long as distance to eye -
you'll wrap over this as you go forward)

Wrap thread forward over vinyl and wire -
vinyl will stretch naturally as you wrap forward -
rest the bobbin on thread holder arm

Wrap vinyl with adjacent wraps while stretching it
pretty tightly to get an even and shiny body -
binding this in and trimming is the tricky part:
without loosing tension on the vinyl, tightly wrap
twice over it with the thread and then once in front -
now without loosing tension on the thread, stretch
and trim the vinyl close.

Over-wrap the copper wire forward; bind it in
with 2 wraps of thread and helicopter off excess

Fold Krystal Flash in half and tie in wings with 2 wraps
then a locking wrap in front (not shown)

Trim KF strand off close, then add a thin tube
of dubbing to thread for thorax

Wrap dubbing for thorax and whip finish -
then trim KF wings to just short of bend - 
the Vinyl KF Midge is ready to fool fish

Here's the black Vinyl KF midge.