Modern Midges

Modern Midges (Headwater Books, 2009)
Rick Takahashi & Jerry Hubka

A book review is long overdue on this blog - there's some simply fantastic small tying and fishing books out there, especially from the States. Publishers to look out for are Stackpole Books and Headwater Books.

This is a timely review with Modern Midges hitting the shelves very recently. Notice of this book's publication came via an article in Fly Fisherman earlier this year, and a gentle reminder from Roy Christie (whose patterns feature in the book) last month that I really should order a copy.

There are numerous branches to our sport - each evolving over time as technique and approach are developed and refined by specialists and passed on. This is very much the case with midge fishing and tying. The simple, generic patterns developed in the States during the 1970's were the precursor to a fantastically diverse scene today. Modern Midges very much captures the state-of-the-art in contemporary midge tying and fishing.

Firstly, this is a big book at 288 pages measuring 8.5" x 11" in hardback. It delivers a lot of bang for your buck! The first section makes the case for midge fishing and describes the midge lifecycle. This is a brilliantly judged introduction - concise and complete. It sets the scene perfectly before we get to the (main) tying section. This is organised in to the key developmental stages of midges: larva, pupa, emerger and adult. Each section opens with a handful of proven patterns presented in step-by-step sequence. These are trusted and effective patterns tied by the authors, and photographed extremely clearly.

What follows in each section is at first a little overwhelming... this is a compendium of patterns, tied and supplied from a global congregation of fly fisherman. The book features over a thousand patterns, with a clear photograph and menu included for every fly. You may not fully appreciate just how good this book is at first, the depth and scale of what has been put together here is vast. I've had the book for seven weeks now, and I'm still discovering jaw-dropping patterns.

The final section covers midge fishing technique - and the approach here is as unique and effective as elsewhere. Rather than write extended pieces on midge fishing, the authors invited articles from recognised experts covering a broad range of subjects. Each piece is concise, yet highly focused and rewards the reader with insight and knowledge.

There is an assumed simplicity to tying midges. Certainly, there are brilliantly simple patterns comprising nothing more than hook and thread - and these provide a good place to start. But in time, you may want experiment a little more, widen your prespectives, the posibilities are endless as evidenced in Modern Midges. Some of what is presented here is breathtaking.

And there's some simply wonderful #32's for the hardcore midge-heads.

This is an absolutely essential book if you dig small flies.