Chronomid question

[spinN'flyfish]

Hey guys, as I'm fairly new to fly fishing, there's one thing I'm yet to try: Chronomid fishing. I've got a few dark ones and also some colourful, more light coloured ones. So the question is, are there midges (chironomids) in pretty much all bodies of water or are there specific types of water that they inhabit in?
Thanks

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by spinN'flyfish

Hey guys, as I'm fairly new to fly fishing, there's one thing I'm yet to try: Chronomid fishing. I've got a few dark ones and also some colourful, more light coloured ones. So the question is, are there midges (chironomids) in pretty much all bodies of water or are there specific types of water that they inhabit in?
Thanks

I dont think I have been to a lake where I have not seen chironomids. You will also find them in rivers and even if I have not found evidence of them in a river, the patterns have worked well.

[Fenix_84]

Originally Posted by spinN'flyfish

Hey guys, as I'm fairly new to fly fishing, there's one thing I'm yet to try: Chronomid fishing. I've got a few dark ones and also some colourful, more light coloured ones. So the question is, are there midges (chironomids) in pretty much all bodies of water or are there specific types of water that they inhabit in?
Thanks

Yeah they are everywhere, fish them just above the weeds. You need a good selection of colors cause throughout the day the hatches change.

[Don Andersen]

Chironomids are one of the most prolific insects in the world. The larva, which is the stage of the insect most often imitated by FF's, will vary in length from <1/4">7/8" plus the colours will vary widely from near clear to Browns, blacks, olives and on and on.
My chironomid boxes contain <> 2500 flies. Other friends may carry up to 8,000 flies.


Don

[ÜberFly]

I can attest! Don travels with suitcases full of chironomids!!

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

My chironomid boxes contain <> 2500 flies. Other friends may carry up to 8,000 flies.


Don

[Speckle55]

here is a video of pumping the stomach
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B1AC813AE7C72F

then match the hatch in each different lakes/river

hope this helps

David

ps look at the different video's on Chronamids

[davesilva]

Good thread, I only fish chironomids on lakes

Never tried them on river any of you guys use them on streams?

[davesilva]

Blood worm Chironomid every spring is what I use on still water works almost everytime!

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by davesilva

Blood worm Chironomid every spring is what I use on still water works almost everytime!

Blood Worm is the second stage of the Chironomid lifecycle. If fishing on the lake is ever slow I fish one right above the bottom of the lake and normally hook up.

[badger]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

Chironomids are one of the most prolific insects in the world. The larva, which is the stage of the insect most often imitated by FF's, will vary in length from <1/4">7/8" plus the colours will vary widely from near clear to Browns, blacks, olives and on and on.
My chironomid boxes contain <> 2500 flies. Other friends may carry up to 8,000 flies.


Don

The pupa stage is more available to the trout, and the larvae does not vary as much in colour. Larva are red, green, or olive. I rarely use the larva imitation, you would be better off using pupa imitations for chironomids. These are larvae (bloodworms).

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by davesilva

Good thread, I only fish chironomids on lakes

Never tried them on river any of you guys use them on streams?

Dave,

If you have fished the Bow downstream of Calgary, you have walked on billions of midge husks. There was typically a strip of "midge scum" located along each bank. These midges form are an important and available food source. The scum appears in high productivity waters. The Crow used to bave an extensive hatch that has disappeared as the nutrient load from sewage was shifted to the Frank plant. Other rivers like Stauffer have decent hatches.
The imitation I have used with success was dead simple.
A #20 Partridge Capt. Hamilton hook
Two turns of peacock heel for a head.
A black thread body and 1 turn of 0.015" lead wire under the herl.
A CFF # 16 worked as an indicator. The nymph trailed " behind the dry.


Don

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

here is a video of pumping the stomach
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B1AC813AE7C72F

then match the hatch in each different lakes/river

hope this helps

David

ps look at the different video's on Chronamids

David,

The video you linked showed a guy using a pump
Several things are of concern.
1) there is. O need to pump water into the fish. It could destroy the stomach.
2) the fish he pumps is really too small for the pump. Most of us use a 14" cut-off point.
3) turning the fish upside down tends to relax the fish making handling easier.
4) removing from the water is not necessary.

The best technique I've seen was demonstrated by Brian Chan and shown here.
.http://youtu.be/Ub3vTH-mnoc

Don

[spinN'flyfish]

Thanks guys, I think I'll try a stocked water and see how it goes. Definately going with the darker ones to start with. One more question , not related but wondering if scuds work dead drifting in a stream. A pump seems to be a good investment, a good way to match the hatch

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

David,

The video you linked showed a guy using a pump
Several things are of concern.
1) there is. O need to pump water into the fish. It could destroy the stomach.
2) the fish he pumps is really too small for the pump. Most of us use a 14" cut-off point.
3) turning the fish upside down tends to relax the fish making handling easier.
4) removing from the water is not necessary.

The best technique I've seen was demonstrated by Brian Chan and shown here.
.http://youtu.be/Ub3vTH-mnoc

Don

Don is spot on

[bobalong]

I believe Chironomids are one of the few food sources that are in a body of water year round, so became the staple for many fish. Check out Phil Rowley vids, one of the masters with Chironomids.

[2alarmfishing]

had a 15 fish day on Muir this spring using static bag bombers!!