Chironomid Starting Lineup

Wetswinger

Wetswinger

Beneath the surface of the mud, there’s more mud.
Forum Supporter
I’m having indecision on what to start the day with. With too many patterns to chose from and with lack of experience, I can’t decide. I don’t have any confidence in my choices and without instant gratification I’m lost. So what would you start with in Westside, lowland lakes.? How long do you stick with them before you’d switch out to another.? Crap, I’m having an anxiety attack.! (lol).:eek:
 
Though I rarely fish lakes any longer, my starting line-up is always a Chromie on top and a light pink body, silver wire with a white bead on the bottom. The pink gets a bit darker when wet and many south sound lakes have pink lady hatches.
SF
 
Black then red then chrome. Then brown, then olive. Then a long rant at the gods and a stern lecture to myself about the hubris of thinking I knew how to stillwater fish. Then switch to a sinking line and start stripping leeches.
 
Wetswinger said:
I’m having indecision on what to start the day with. With too many patterns to chose from and with lack of experience, I can’t decide. I don’t have any confidence in my choices and without instant gratification I’m lost. So what would you start with in Westside, lowland lakes.? How long do you stick with them before you’d switch out to another.? Crap, I’m having an anxiety attack.! (lol).:eek:
Click to expand...
I always use a dropper or two when I fish chironomids so I can try two or three different flies. Usually put a black bead head chironomid on the tail and an unweighted quill bodied chironomid or olive bodied chironomid on the dropper so they fish a little higher in the water column. 9' flouro to first fly. 3' to next fly. 3' to tail fly.

IMG_2687.JPG
 
like @Mossback. Chromie, black, red, damsel. Early spring I usually go with a simple pine Squirrel gloater style leech a foot off the bottom. Been playing around with a green/red butt for a few season that's showed good promise. Blood worms move up the depth chart quickly when I see red in a throat sample. Starting indicator lineup so far this year:

Chromie ASB or siver flash with black wire, green/red butt, pine squire leech. All jig style hooks off surgeons knot tag ends.

PS.png
 
After the humiliating day I had today I don't feel like any suggestions I might offer would have any merit. And wouldn't you know it that I finally get a good hard take on zucchini midge and lose the fly to the fish (upon close examination of the tippet, the knot failed: GROAN, my bad). But I sure do like zucchini midges.
 
Last edited:
Wetswinger said:
I’m having indecision on what to start the day with. With too many patterns to chose from and with lack of experience, I can’t decide. I don’t have any confidence in my choices and without instant gratification I’m lost. So what would you start with in Westside, lowland lakes.? How long do you stick with them before you’d switch out to another.? Crap, I’m having an anxiety attack.! (lol).:eek:
Click to expand...
I have never fished a western Washington lake, but I have only lived in the state for 45 years.

That said, east of the ridgeline, it is a Bleeding Elvis. First choice, second choice, and my friend sticks with it until he catches a fish. I keep catching fish on my green thing, until he starts catching fish on the Bleeding Elvis.

At this point, I switch to bobber fishing.
 
509 said:
I have never fished a western Washington lake, but I have only lived in the state for 45 years.

That said, east of the ridgeline, it is a Bleeding Elvis. First choice, second choice, and my friend sticks with it until he catches a fish. I keep catching fish on my green thing, until he starts catching fish on the Bleeding Elvis.

At this point, I switch to bobber fishing.
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with the Bleeding Elvis; drifting a bit here - I was looking through my two chironomid boxes after I got home tonight - putting the midges back in order (okay, sort of order). I realize after reading your post that I have a few dozen midges in my boxes that came from some suggestion, point of interest, a rumor - whatever - I can't remember where any of these inspirations came from except for the zucchini midge. The Rusty Nail (another John Kent fly?), Summer Duck (from Keith?). I do know where the Jim Beam came from and it still is a producer (sometimes). I don't remember the names of 90% of them (does it really matter?). Oh yeah, I just remembered: The "static bag" as a Canadian guide called it. Maybe I should have tried an ASB static bag today?
 
509 said:
I have never fished a western Washington lake, but I have only lived in the state for 45 years.

That said, east of the ridgeline, it is a Bleeding Elvis. First choice, second choice, and my friend sticks with it until he catches a fish. I keep catching fish on my green thing, until he starts catching fish on the Bleeding Elvis.

At this point, I switch to bobber fishing.
Click to expand...
I want to see a Bleeding Elvis fly!
 
Black with silver wire and a white bead. Chromie with red wire over black thread and a white bead. Those two are good to start with. After that I like ASB with silver or red wire over black thread and a white bead. Tan with silver wire used to work pretty decent at Pass Lake.

You can also experiment with dual colors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top