Suspender Buzzer              

Hook:  Dry Fly  TMC 100 # 16 - 22

Thread: Thread to Match Natural 8/0

Breathers:    White Foam

Rib: Copper Wire

Thorax: Peacock Herl 

1/ Lay a base of thread for the fly. Start just behind the hook eye and wind back to a point on the shank level with the hook barb. Keep all turns tight and each successive one just to the front of the previous turn. Leave none of the hook showing through. When you have done this move to Step 2 of the tying instructions.
2/ Cut a rectangular piece of foam from your foam block/patch/strip. It should be between 2-5mm wide when viewed from above depending on the hook size. Cut the length back so that it allows only a little overhang on each end of the hook shank. Wind in using loose wraps of thread to get it in place. See the photo for specifics and move on to the next step.
3/  Now being very careful not to break the thread (remember 8/0 is pretty fragile) wind back towards the rear of the fly as tight as you can pushing the foam flat against the shank as you go. Don't worry if you can still see some of the foam at this point because you still have to wind the thread forward again to the front of the hook.
4/ Take your copper wire or gold wire and break a section off. Tie in at the rear of the fly with the wire extending out to the back of the pattern. This keeps it out of the way when completing the following steps. Once this has been accomplished remove the excess wire and cover with thread.
5/ Now use your thread to finish the body of the fly. You must be careful not to break it but also conscious of getting as much tension as possible on the foam. An important characteristic of this fly is that you create  a narrow profile. Midge are tiny and imitation of the natural requires a skinny body. Wind forward trying to cover up as much of the white underneath as possible while getting the foam packed down too.
6/ Now select one piece of peacock herl and tie in. Remove the excess stubbs of the herl and bind over with a few turns of thread. Wind the thread forward to the hook eye over which the foam will extend. We are now ready to complete the fly, it's all downwind from here!
7/ Gently grab hold of your herl and begin winding the short thorax section. Wind clockwise around the hook shank with each successive turn in front of the last one. When you are happy with the appearance catch the herl with the thread, tie off and trim the excess. Add a half hitch for added strength and to stop it unravelling at this late stage.
8/ Take the copper wire and rib the body of the fly winding forward. Use between 5 - 7 even turns to reach the thread and then trim the excess. This segmentation is a very important aspect of midge patterns and in combination with a narrow profile is what makes these patterns so deadly. This rib should go right through the peacock herl head and will help to strengthen it as well as make it look right.
9/ Now add two half hitches to finish. Take your scissors and remove any excess foam from the fore and aft of the pattern. You can see I removed some of it's bulk. You just need enough to float this tiny pattern and to give he correct look. Another way to make this pattern is to paint the body the appropriate colour with a waterproof marker. Instead of using the thread to build the body.

The Pattern

Simple Buzzer pattern that has caught a lot of fish over the past twelve months for us. Great when fish are on varying stages of the midge hatch and the angler is not quite sure about which actual imitator to fish. It sits flat in the film of the water using the foam to float it although it has very little negative buoyancy anyway. This makes it highly visible to fish cruising just below the surface looking for emerging midge.

 Fished in conjunction with a small Goulburn Griffith's it is pretty hard to beat and should be carried in Tans, Greys, Olives and Blacks especially in the smaller sizes. Many people lament the midge hatches we get right across the trout holding areas of Australia, even us at times, but it really need not be that bad armed with some appropriate flies and techniques. With a selection of Pondage Pupa styled flies for the underwater pupa stage and this one for the emerger with the Goulburn Griffith's cutting across two stages of the lifecycle you really have a good show. Remember the most important thing about matching the hatch; colour, shape and  profile. These patterns all use this set of principles to create a set of flies that will work! We will bring you a bloodworm (midge larva) pattern in the not too distant future to complete the lifecycle.

Good fishing!

Antony, David and Geoff.