Charlie Craven found an epiphany in a mistake. While tying a saltwater lure, a filament went astray, twisting itself around the hook.
It looked almost exactly like a freshwater midge fly pupa. Craven, a former fishing guide who now runs Charlie’s Fly Box in Arvada, stopped working on saltwater flies and started tinkering.
The result: the Jujubee Midge, a deceptively simple-looking fly.
Today, the Jujubee Midge is produced and distributed nationally and is as successful on the humid Maryland lowlands as it is in Colorado’s high country. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Jujubee Midge packs, each containing a dozen flies, sell annually in the U.S.
“It’s a general midge, so anywhere there’s midges, that fly will work,” Craven said.
His Jujubee Midge looks considerably more like a genuine midge pupa than conventional versions, which are opaque. Does the realism trick fish? He says no.
“Fish aren’t that smart,” Craven said.
“But they like looking at something slightly different.”
