Black Beauty Emerger

The Black Beauty Emerger is a variation of the original Black Beauty midge, also developed by Pat Dorsey for Colorado's South Platte River. While the standard version imitates midge larvae or early pupae, the emerger pattern was tied to target trout feeding just below the surface during active midge hatches. It maintains the slender, minimal profile of the larval version but adds a touch of soft hackle or dubbing to imitate the transitional stage between pupa and adult. This fly excels when trout are sipping in the film or visibly rising but rejecting adult dries.

Drop the emerger behind a Griffith’s Gnat or CDC adult midge to offer two feeding stages—trout often target emergers first, then switch to adults as the hatch matures.