Top Hat Buzzer is celebrated as a proven, innovative pattern that continues to deliver reliable results on Stillwaters around the world.
In the drawing above - Hopper means the stage of the adult midge hopping on the surface to dry its wings. Something we over look on dry fly fishing midge patterns.The Top Hat Buzzer (also widely known as the Suspender Top Hat Buzzer or Top Hat Dry Fly) is an innovative Stillwater fly fishing pattern designed to mimic a chironomid (midge) pupa trapped in or just beneath the surface film.
The history and development of this fly trace back to a breakthrough era in British reservoir trout fishing:
Here's an interesting story about the Top Hat Buzzer! It all began in the late 1970s with the talented British fly fisherman and author John Goddard. (Goddard Caddis originator) He came up with the Suspender Buzzer, also called the Suspender Midge Pupa. When midges hatch, they float up to the water's surface and hang straight down from the film before turning into adult flies. Trout love to feed on these easy targets as they emerge. Back then, traditional dry flies floated too high, and regular wet buzzers sank too deep, which made fishing a bit challenging for anglers.
Goddard wanted to design a fly that mimicked these midges more realistically—completely submerged with only the head and thorax floating on the surface. He drew on earlier American experiments, such as Charles Brooks' use of buoyant polypropylene balls and Neil Patterson's idea of placing foam inside a small nylon net. By combining these ideas, Goddard pioneered the innovative use of a tiny ball of closed-cell plastisol foam, snugly enclosed in fine stocking mesh at the fly's head. This breakthrough made the fly behave just like a real midge during emergence.
As fly-tying materials improved through the 1990s and 2000s, wrapping foam in nylon mesh became easier. Fly tiers began using high-density foam cylinders, also known as "Booby cord." By attaching a thick, perfectly round piece of foam directly to the hook's head and then clipping it flat across the top, tiers created a charming, tiny top-hat shape. This clever design led to the popular "Top Hat" variant of the classic suspender buzzer.
The design charmingly mirrors nature's own beauty. The Top Hat Buzzer draws inspiration from the intriguing physics of a hatching insect, adding a touch of wonder. Its body is typically crafted with delicate, ultra-slim materials such as thread, wire, or flexifloss, gracefully resembling the segmented, translucent abdomen of a natural midge pupa hanging gently in the water.
The "Top Hat" portion is a smooth foam head that serves as a friendly, buoyant stabilizer. It sits gently on the surface tension, echoing the dark, swollen thorax and trapped air bubbles of a midge emerging from the water, creating a captivating, realistic resemblance. Adding fly floatant to the top hat section of the fly pattern enhances its floatability.
Today, the Top Hat Buzzer remains a popular choice in both UK and worldwide Stillwater fisheries. It works well on its own as a dry fly, and its exceptional buoyancy also makes it a key part of the well-loved "Washing Line" technique. In this setup, the highly buoyant Top Hat Buzzer is tied to the very end of the leader, acting like a float that gently suspends a line of unweighted subsurface nymphs across the top water where trout are often seen cruising.
Whenever fellow anglers mention that fish are rising all over the lake but they're having difficulty catching any, I love to reach for one of my favourite Top Hat flies to help tackle that challenge. My go-to is the Top Hat Buzzer in the perfect colour scheme.
Fly Recipe
Hook: Hends BL 254N 310-16
Thread: Waxed 12/0 Thread - White, Black, Olive, Claret
Top Hat: 6mm Booby Tube Foam or Backer Cord
Body/Rib: Buzzer Flex - Olive, Black, White, Chartreuse, Light Olive, Cow Dung
Thorax: Metallic Dubbing - Silver or Hare's Mask - Natural
Key Advantages
Ideal Depth Regulation: The integrated foam cylinder or ball keeps the fly exactly in or slightly below the surface film. This keeps the fly in the prime feeding zone where trout seek vulnerable, emerging midges. Read "Rise Forms" to identify the fish behaviour and when to put a Top Hat Buzzer on the cast based on how the trout are taking at surface.
Imagine a lifelike profile: the buoyant foam gently stays at or above the water. At the same time, the sturdy hook and segmented body hang down naturally, creating the perfect look of a chironomid pupa gently breaking through the water's surface. It's designed to beautifully mimic how a real pupa struggles to emerge, making your fishing experience more authentic and exciting.
Versatility in Multi-Fly Rigs: It works wonderfully as the "point fly" in a washing line method. Here, the floating suspender buzzer serves as a helpful mini-anchor or support, gently holding your other unweighted droppers at a steady, shallow depth throughout the feeding column.
Exceptional Static Performance: Because the foam provides its own buoyancy, you don't need to strip or retrieve the line to keep it from sinking. You can fish it completely static, which is incredibly effective in flat, calm, or glassy conditions when trout tend to avoid unnatural movement. Customizable Buoyancy: Unlike CDC or deer-hair flies that depend solely on natural oils, the high-density foam on a suspender buzzer stays lightweight and won't waterlog. Anglers can easily trim the foam head with scissors right on the water to perfectly tune how high or low the fly sits in the surface film.
Targeting Wily Fish: This pattern has proven to be a true "dynamite" choice for catching large, selective, overwintered trout during early spring or on mild winter days, especially when these clever fish are focused on tiny subsurface midges.
In conclusion, the Top Hat Buzzer stands as a testament to the power of innovation in fly design. Its unique ability to imitate the delicate emergence of midges, combined with its versatility and customizable buoyancy, has secured its place as a favourite among Stillwater anglers. Whether fished solo or as part of a washing line rig, this fly continues to deliver success and excitement on the water, helping anglers confidently meet the challenges of selective trout.