Meet the Corixa – Tiny Bug, Big Takes

If you fish the margins, don’t overlook the Corixa (Corixa punctata)—a small aquatic bug with a big reputation for drawing in cruising trout.

These water boatmen live just under the surface, paddling through the shallows with their back legs like oars, and breathing through a silver air bubble they carry underneath. You’ll often find them in the margins of stillwaters, especially where there’s plenty of weed or structure.

That’s exactly why I reach for the Air Bubble Corixa by Fulling Mill—a deadly pattern that nails the look and movement of the natural.

How I fish it:

Tactic: Floating line, single fly, longish leader.

Location: Always the margins—especially calm, clear water near weed beds or reeds.

Retrieve: Slow figure-of-eight with plenty of pauses. I often let it sit for a few seconds before moving again—trout can’t resist that little glint from the “air bubble.”

It’s one of those flies that doesn’t need much help. When fish are patrolling close in, looking for easy snacks, this one just gets eaten.

The Corixa might be small and unassuming, but fish know what it is—and when they’re on it, you’ll know fast.

Grab a few Air Bubble Corixas from the N Roberts Signature Flies collection and try them in your favourite margin spots. It’s a proper game changer.