Dave Boyle
Life of the Party
Yeah, lone late May early June. Loadsa glassworms, those could do a job.
Dave
Most productive chironomid?
- Thread starter Scudley Do Right
- Start date
Dave
There's a few ways to do it. Let the debate begin.
I've seen guys tie the bottom leader to the eye of the balanced leech using a clinch knot. This would also usually mean main leader to leech is a clinch knot. Pretty straight-forward.
I've also seen guys do loop knot to leech and then use that loop to go loop to loop with bottom leader. I've actually done that a fair amount and it works better than expected, but I think you get too much wear on the loops that result in breakoffs. I did it with 6lb fluoro and didn't experience any breakoffs, but I did break off when using 4x for bottom leader on fish that weren't even monsters. So I don't do this any longer.
I usually tie the main leader (6lb fluoro or 3x), using a loop or clinch to the eye of the leech and then, using 4x (or 6lb fluoro if not worried about hangups), I'll just tie the bottom leader to the eye with a clinch knot or, when fishing is hot and I just need to get it back out there quick, I'll literally tie a clinch knot around the main body of the leech usually right in front of the eye post. Blasphemy, I know!!
I've never had the bottom leader "slip off" or anything and it actually rides very balanced. And it doesn't seem to get as twisted as it does when tying to the eye. Which makes sense, actually, since the bottom leader is exiting the bottom of the leech down to the bottom fly. It's never on top of the leech unless tangled. So never pulling on the eye, never somehow rolling the leech over during casting or retrieving. Just a straight line.
My decision on loop or clinch to the leech is determined by the waves. If there is a decent bobbing going on then I'll just do clinch. If it's really still and I want more movement I'll use a loop knot.
Now, if there's a hatch on then I usually put the leech on bottom and mid on top. And if the mid starts out-producing the leech then I'll replace the leech with a 2nd hot mid or a bloodworm as the bottom fly. It's hard for me to go completely away from the leech since I would say the larger fish I've caught were about 70/30 in favor of the leech. Less numbers, but bigger fish on the leech. That's just me.
Not sure how Phil Rowley or Brian Chan do it, but that's how I do it.Sorry, that got longer than you probably needed. Haha!
Firstly: thank you for sharing all this
Second: Wait...what? If you tie around the body right in front of the eye post aren't you tying around the extendo-pin? Seems like the pin would bend when fighting a fish.
Thnx again btw
Haha, we ain't fishing for sharks man.
And 3x isn't going to bend a 1/8" long pin no matter what's on the other end. Now, I guess it could possibly pull the pin out on a crappy tie job, but I've never experienced that.
I actually tie on the backside of the eye just as much. I'm usually not too picky if I've made the decision to "just lash that thing right in the middle?" as one of my buddies said. Haha! The main thing is to have it be close to the eye post so you don't lose the balanced effect.
The truth...I first did this because I forgot my readers in the truck. I now keep an extra pair in my gear box at all times.
It's so much faster that I just do it a lot now. My initial setups are usually tied to the actual eye, or the eye post, and then it degrades from there if the fishing is hot.
Now...see what you've done?Haha, we ain't fishing for sharks man.
Now, I guess it could possibly pull the pin out on a crappy tie job, but I've never experienced that.
I actually tie on the backside of the eye just as much. I'm usually not too picky if I've made the decision to "just lash that thing right in the middle?" as one of my buddies said. Haha! The main thing is to have it be close to the eye post so you don't lose the balanced effect.
The truth...I first did this because I forgot my readers in the truck. I now keep an extra pair in my gear box at all times.
Crazy thoughts or not...I don't know.
This thread is sweet, whether we are talking about balanced leeches or chironimids. Lots of great info in here!
My friend had a similar idea, instead of the pin and jig shank, balance the bead on a shank made from a straight eye or similar hook (just the straight shank and eye as the “pin”)
Tie the dropper off the eye of the new ”pin”.
I rarely tie or fish balanced leeches. I have a hack that creates the same effect without having to go through the extra steps balanced leeches require to tie.
I tie leeches on 60 degree jig hooks with a bead head and tie them on with a loop knot. Then I tie on a tungsten bead head chironomid also to the jig's eye. The weight of the chironomid ends up counterbalancing the leech causing it to ride horizontally. So now you have the leech on top moving freely in a balanced position, with the chironomid on the bottom, which is also imparting more movement to the jig/leech as it bobs up and down.
It is often a pretty effective combination and the jigs take way less time to tie than the balanced leeches, and you don't have to mess around with finding the balancing point as you tie.
Even easier hack is to tie your standard woolly bugger on like you would a drop shot rig. If your weighted chironomid is heavy enough, it will sit horizontal.
Drop Shot Rig - How to tie a Drop Shot Rig | Fishing Knots
How to tie a Drop Shot Rig expertly animated, illustrated and described
www.netknots.com
I'm intrigued by the Broke Back Copper Tiger* - I want to add a few of these to my midge box (of course I'm out of 3/32 copper beads) and it would seem like small is the way to go. Thanks for sharin'!!
*There's this one lake I hit two or three times while up in BC, when the mayflies start popping it's easy pickings but before they begin emerging the lake most often is rather stingy. A few locals have it pegged and it does seem "black with copper wire" might have been a choice pattern for one of the locals.
BTW, these actually work very well.
Scudley Do Right
Life of the Party
Even easier hack is to tie your standard woolly bugger on like you would a drop shot rig. If your weighted chironomid is heavy enough, it will sit horizontal.
Drop Shot Rig - How to tie a Drop Shot Rig | Fishing Knots
How to tie a Drop Shot Rig expertly animated, illustrated and described
I've also used these drop shot hooks before
Even easier hack is to tie your standard woolly bugger on like you would a drop shot rig. If your weighted chironomid is heavy enough, it will sit horizontal.
Drop Shot Rig - How to tie a Drop Shot Rig | Fishing Knots
How to tie a Drop Shot Rig expertly animated, illustrated and described
Good idea. Same effect, one less knot to tie. Except the woolly bugger/leech does not have as much free movement like it does with the loop knot.
I like them!
I gotta figure something out with this midge thing. I know there there, but I can't seem to do much with it recently, regardless of stage.
joefromchicago
Steelhead
Tied up a couple of these, see what you think. Chaoborus eventually turn an apple green and one time while fishing Dry Falls, myself and a guy I didn't know were staged in front of a weed bed where a hatch of these were going on. I had a small nymph tied with florescent green floss that was a good match and just went to town on them for half an hour or so.
One thing to remember with these is the pupa are very active, so don't hang them from an indicator, just keep them moving.
JoefromChicagoinVancouver - any chance you'd describe this fly? Material list/recipe? Damn glass worms! Thanks!
joefromchicago
Steelhead
Not a problem.
Hook: Scud hook sizes #8-#16
Tail: Taken from a Cortland slip-on leader loop and unraveled but a pinch of crinkely clear antron would work just as well.
Body: Clear monofilament tying thread with a slight taper.
Eyes: X-small plastic eyes with post cut out. Glue to the sides of the head. Post was just too wide.
I first covered the hookshank with white thread to conceal the hook but have now considered the substitution of pale green thread to be an interesting thing to experiment with.
Build up a clear head around the eyes with SHHAN or your favorite UV resin and down the shellback. I belive the eyes are an important trigger. I considered using clear cello as a shellback but am not sure that's necessary.
And that's all there is to it. Have not fished these yet as I have been off the water for two years but am looking to hit the water hard this year.
Not a great picture but eyes should look like this.
joefromchicago
Steelhead
Might add here that have used this technique to tie glass shrimp, but on a larger hook as a tying exercise.
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