Naked Leader Chromies

Is it common for the tip of your floating line, 2-3ft, to submerge while retrieving your fly using this technique.?
I tried it out today, picking up three trout. The fish I caught struck hard, but I was late on a lot of other, more subtle strikes.
Something new to work on.
I also had some good action on the floating leech. I’m liking this way of fishing a lot.

Best of all in the year ahead.!
 
Wetswinger said:
Is it common for the tip of your floating line, 2-3ft, to submerge while retrieving your fly using this technique.?
I tried it out today, picking up three trout. The fish I caught struck hard, but I was late on a lot of other, more subtle strikes.
Something new to work on.
I also had some good action on the floating leech. I’m liking this way of fishing a lot.

Best of all in the year ahead.!
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My floating heads stop floating after a time... I've put white Marks on a line to make sighters when the tip dips. If you can see one you're good to go
 
I understand the dedicated naked line devotees, use an intermediate tip line, so I’m not too worried if mine dips a little bit. I just wonder if using two flies is too heavy or if I’m scraping bottom..
 
troutpocket said:
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.
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This is the way I learned to fish TDC's at Lenice in the 70's, loooong leader on a floating. I fished that way until I joined this forum and learned about indicators. I like the improved depth control with the bobber.
 
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Just another observation.. yesterday was sunny and calm and the fish were spooked. They were planters but being picky and wary of my sinking lines. No action at all.
I have been using a floating line with long leaders lately, learning this naked line technique. I must admit, I really enjoy it. I thought a delicate cast and the floating line may not spook them. I chose a #14 size grey soft hackle trying to match the midge that were flying all around. I’d cast, straighten the line and slowly bring the line in. It worked great. So now a whole new world of possibility’s has opened..
 
I use a floating line and long leader with no indicator and fish two chironomids. Took the leader from Mark Hume's book Trout School. 6' of 10lb floro, 6' of 8lb floro, 6' of 4-6 lb floro. I tie sections together with a blood knot and leave one end about 6 inches too long to be able to fish a second chironomid 6' up the leader as a dropper. Very slow retrieve (a finger at a time). Bead head chironomid on trail, unweighted chironomid 6' up from tail. Just enough retrieve to keep line straight. Worked like a charm on this shoal in eastern washington a few weeks a ago.
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Bambooflyguy said:
I did the same thing at that lake the last week of March Dave. But I use a 9’ tapered leader to 5x, tie a small unweighted chironomid then another with 6x or 7x to the bottom chironomid. Barely moving it, basically keeping the line straight and tight….then watching the fly line start moving!I
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You must be better than I am on detecting strikes and lifting gently. I worry that if I went to 6X or 7X I'd break fish off before I could lift the rod. Incidently, a bamboo rod is a great tool to fish chironomids. It's lithe and more forgiving when detecting strikes and mitigating strikes.
 
Wetswinger said:
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..
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So I have been fishing chronomets naked style with my midge tip line and having incredible success, much more so than with an indicator but the water I'm fishing is crystal clear and at the deepest point at 6 ft. I'm running two unweighted chironomids on a total of a 6 ft tapered leader, then three or four feet of 3x fluoro. The takes doing this technique are savage and it was red hot today. I have a retrieve that they seem to like with this technique. The hits came hard and fast. The midge tip keeps me in touch more so with my line, I've tried this with just a floater and it feels like nothing, and break offs were common for me.
 
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