Rusty red micro leech, black & burgundy micro leech, black and red AP jig nymph, stillwater jig nymph. If I see shucks and birds then I will open my chironomid box.
Chironomid Starting Lineup
- Thread starter Wetswinger
- Start date
my first change when chrom's not getting bit
I would start with two rods (2 rod endorsement) and two flies on each rod. The first rod would have a siz16 black with red rib and a white bead on the bottom and a size 14 ASB chromie with a black rib 18 inches above the bottom fly. The other rod (likely fished naked -without an indicator) with a size 14 wood duck body with double black and gold ribs and the other would also be a size 14 brown body with gold wire and copper bead. Other flies to consider would be a BOB (black on black), a bloodworm (often larger than the other flies) and smaller versions of the other flies (may go as small as a size 20 but tying those smaller bugs has become more difficult for these 78 year old eyes)
I would expect to spend up to an hour at the start of the day rowing around the lake looking for emerging bugs, working birds, rising fish and watch the depth finder to find depths the fish are holding and where there is a concentration of fish. For some reason I seem to catch more fish when fishing over the fish. Depending on what I find on my lake survey I might tweak my approach. I'm a fly changer so will change one or more fly and hanging depth at least every 20 minutes and at the end of the day may make a dozen more changes a day.
If I am fishing a new lake it becomes a 4-rod day and I'll start by trolling with an intermediate line and a deeper line with some sort of buggy soft hackle or maybe a leech to get a feel for the lake structure with and potential fish concertation areas. I would return to the most promising areas for some serious chironomid fishing.
Curt
I would expect to spend up to an hour at the start of the day rowing around the lake looking for emerging bugs, working birds, rising fish and watch the depth finder to find depths the fish are holding and where there is a concentration of fish. For some reason I seem to catch more fish when fishing over the fish. Depending on what I find on my lake survey I might tweak my approach. I'm a fly changer so will change one or more fly and hanging depth at least every 20 minutes and at the end of the day may make a dozen more changes a day.
If I am fishing a new lake it becomes a 4-rod day and I'll start by trolling with an intermediate line and a deeper line with some sort of buggy soft hackle or maybe a leech to get a feel for the lake structure with and potential fish concertation areas. I would return to the most promising areas for some serious chironomid fishing.
Curt
Chronomus maximus...
This time of year definitely a snow cone on bottom and then a chromie on top. If there's buzzer activity, but no fish hitting the surface I'll chop it all off, chromie becomes the bottom fly and I'll put some sort of #16 or 14 gray boy or black & white thing on.
This has all been on the old IMX 5wt.
If fish do start hitting the surface then the 3wt comes out for a little dry/dropper action. Dry is a greased up #12 or 14 mosquito, Griffiths, etc...whatever looks like the buzzers) that's bushy enough to float an unweighted #16 black midge about 16" below. Usually give that a slow hand twist. I've had some fun days this year doing this on westside planters. Almost all the fish hit the midge. Sometimes so light I think the dry just got wet and sunk, but then there's the hookup. Planters can be notoriously soft biters at times.
But if they keep attacking your bright yellow indicator??? Throw on a #8 Borden Special and slay the idiots.
This has all been on the old IMX 5wt.
If fish do start hitting the surface then the 3wt comes out for a little dry/dropper action. Dry is a greased up #12 or 14 mosquito, Griffiths, etc...whatever looks like the buzzers) that's bushy enough to float an unweighted #16 black midge about 16" below. Usually give that a slow hand twist. I've had some fun days this year doing this on westside planters. Almost all the fish hit the midge. Sometimes so light I think the dry just got wet and sunk, but then there's the hookup. Planters can be notoriously soft biters at times.
But if they keep attacking your bright yellow indicator??? Throw on a #8 Borden Special and slay the idiots.