Next time out I want to dabble in “naked line “ technique. Watched a man clean-up last week, using that technique, when others were struggling. Any tips would be appreciated. Most the areas I fish are about 12ft deep. Thanks..
Naked Leader Chromies
- Thread starter Wetswinger
- Start date
12 feet should be easily doable. I usually use a midge-tip line with a short intermediate section but a floating line is traditional. Build a 15-16’ leader to account for an angle down from the surface and add a couple beadhead chironomids of the flavor of the day. If there’s a breeze, cast across and downwind. Let everything settle and then give it a hand twist retrieve. If fish are aggressive it shouldn’t take long to get a response. Fun way to fish, if that’s the presentation they want.
Bambooflyguy
Legend
Typically “naked chironomiding” uses a full sink line, mainly in deeper water. Set the length of line needed with hemostats on the fly, then cast out and wait until the line is vertical…then figure eight or hand twist slowly…..I prefer watching the bobber!
I always called that fishing the dangle…but whatever you call it, fun stuff.
Bambooflyguy
Legend
Not my naming……a couple of other lake guys…..Chan and Rowley!
I use it for sight fishing. If the lake is shallow with no wind the fish can be spooked by a bobber. A long light leader and a single small chironny make for a real fun challenge.
This is the technique I’m after, naked line. Floating line, long leader, chrome, leeches, etc.
Do you use a tapered leader?
Sure, a factory tapered leader would work. Something like a 9’ 3x tapered leader with enough extra tippet would work fine.
I build my own out of Maxima UG and fluorocarbon. 3’ butt section with 12 or 15lb UG, long middle section of 6 or 8lb UG, then 3’ of 3x fluoro. All sections are joined by triple surgeons knots.
@Wetswinger,
Afternoon. If you have time watch Phil Rowleys' and Tom Rosenbauers' video entitled Advanced Stillwater Fly Fishing. Its on You Tube now and it is a fantastic resource.. At the 23:45 minute mark, Phil discusses the Naked Leader Technique including how to formulate the leader and how to fish it.
Bob
Afternoon. If you have time watch Phil Rowleys' and Tom Rosenbauers' video entitled Advanced Stillwater Fly Fishing. Its on You Tube now and it is a fantastic resource.. At the 23:45 minute mark, Phil discusses the Naked Leader Technique including how to formulate the leader and how to fish it.
Bob
That's what I thought Steve, but this is different. "Straight lining" or vertical chironomid fishing is with a sinking line. I learned to do that a few years ago, and at certain times it's the ticket. Naked leader chironomiding is different. I saw this last spring at Chopaka where a fellow was putting on a clinic as the rest of us were either using an indicator or straight lining and getting only a few fish.
Wetswinger saw my buddy the other day most likely. He called me today to say he had been over to the local lake where the regulars were getting zero action on chironomids under an indicator. Feeling he had nothing to lose, he recalled what we had seen this spring and tied on a chironomid with no indicator, let it sink, and then tried various retrieves and got immediate responses from the same trout that were ignoring all the flies hanging below indicators. Next week, who knows what the taking method will be?
This is why the
“do nothing approach” to indicator fishing is only a small part of my game plan. I progress through a series of retrieve techniques to discover what the fish want.
I rarely ever fish the naked approach, not because it doesn’t work better, but more because I want to watch the indicator.
Now 20+ feet I’m ok with fishing straight up and down vertical with a full sink.
I love watching the indicator too. But ..... last year I was fishing the indicator on a fairly steep dropoff and just couldn't seem to buy a fish no matter what bug, no matter what retrieve; I tried pegging a different depths. I ended up fouling bottom and broke off. Since I'm old and need fairly frequent shore breaks, I kicked ashore for the needed shore break and to repair my leader. I pulled a dumb a$$ move: Tied on a midge but forgot to slide the peg and indicator on the new leader first. I thought what the heck and decided to fish Naked. I was a bit taken when it worked, the takes were sometimes subtle and sometimes my fly line would just start zipping out. I have no idea why that technique worked and I couldn't buy a fish with the indicator. Just one of those days? Tried it again this fall on that same dropoff with no luck whatsoever. ;-)
I do think a long leader without a bobber is a good way to fish shoals.
As I said, I know it works and in some cases even better than the indicator, it is just rare that I do it with mids. Now, do I use this method with an intermediate line and leeches… maybe start trailing a mid more often…
There's one hike in lake that has a big shallow shoal, I often clip off the fly, pull the indicator off and fish naked. I fished a boatman on that 18' leader and had a blast.
This is how chironomid fishing started, before indicators. Usually with two or three flies on droppers, unweighted and fished really, really, really slowly. A lot of people just can’t manage to retrieve slow enough to make it work.
Yes, and before electronic fish finders!
As others have mentioned, sight casting to fish in the shallows is great fun with this technique. An unweighted chironomid can be very effective.
In weedy shallows (real shallow) I’ll often use a wool type indicator just a foot or so above the fly. Seems to work by keeping the fly out of the weeds and with a light touch doesn’t seem to spook shallow fish. The wool indicators will also detect very light takes since there is basically no resistance from the surface tension.
I’ll sight cast to feeding fish. Had some great sessions using this technique. I say sessions because there seems to be only short periods where the fish are willing to play this way.
I’ll sight cast to feeding fish. Had some great sessions using this technique. I say sessions because there seems to be only short periods where the fish are willing to play this way.
I’ve fished mids an inch or two under an indicator in less than a foot of water. I’ve seen some situations where fish are initially spooked by the indicator landing, but within minutes, sometimes seconds they are back. In many other cases, the splash brings them over to investigate.
As for sensitive indicators, I highly recommend two toned pear shaped indicators that somewhat lay on their sides when fished. They pick up on fish swimming by your bug!