Chronomide suggestions

[Bjay]

Here is something to try. This is how I do it. I have been fishing chronomides for 20 years and fly fishing and tying for 57 years.
I start off approx. 2 feet off the bottom. ( for a weight I use a 1/4 by 3/4 inch stainless bolt with 3 nuts on it and a small "O" ring in the centre between the nuts. Hook the fly in the "O" ring to find the bottom). Approx. the distance from the first eye to the reel. I let the fly sit at this depth only a short time. If there is a fish there it will grab it right away if you have the right fly on. I then very slowly lift the rod about a foot, stop for a few seconds, then lift another foot. I will do this for about 4 feet only then slowly move the rod down till the fly is again a couple of feet off the bottom. Stop. Waite a few seconds then drop it 1 more foot slowly. Wait a short while then back to the 2 ft. level. Wait a short while then start the process again. You need a "Sonar" to help determine the depth you want to fish, to be really successful.
My favorites are Black ice cream cones,with a red or grey wire wrap. Not white. I also tie these as doubles, 2 flies tied on a 3xlong # 8 hook, don't laugh it works like hot dam. Cromies and blood worms, Again 2 to a hook sometimes. I you want small doubles use a # 10 3x long hook. "O" yes also use a pheasent tail bead head with a small white mallard wing when the caddis hatch is on.
I also use 1 or 2 split shot above my flies about 2 or 3 feet up, not to close to the fly or the fish will hit the split shot and you will wonder how come you are missing all those strikes. In the spring I fish with a strike indicator down to about 20 or 25 ft. As the year progresses you have to fish deeper and deeper, down to as much a 60 feet. At this point I fish straight down off the boat with a sinking line. I drop my fly to the bottom, with my rod tip at the water, then reach up to the first eye and grab the line and bring it back to the reel and wind in the slack. You now have your depth with the rod tip at the water. Bring the fly line in by hand to take off the bolt. You now have the idea. This is called fishing the "Dark Side". You will need 2 anchors to hold you steady. You must have the boat steady or the boat movement will be constantly lifting and dropping the fly. have fun
blakejay, Columbia old guy

PS
be carefull what you eat while in the boat. Certain foods, like bananas, leave fish repelling scents on your hands. Keep your hands clean.

[Speckle55]

Nice tips from a Master

Pic please

Thanks for sharing

David

Originally Posted by Bjay

Here is something to try. This is how I do it. I have been fishing chronomides for 20 years and fly fishing and tying for 57 years.
I start off approx. 2 feet off the bottom. ( for a weight I use a 1/4 by 3/4 inch stainless bolt with 3 nuts on it and a small "O" ring in the centre between the nuts. Hook the fly in the "O" ring to find the bottom). Approx. the distance from the first eye to the reel. I let the fly sit at this depth only a short time. If there is a fish there it will grab it right away if you have the right fly on. I then very slowly lift the rod about a foot, stop for a few seconds, then lift another foot. I will do this for about 4 feet only then slowly move the rod down till the fly is again a couple of feet off the bottom. Stop. Waite a few seconds then drop it 1 more foot slowly. Wait a short while then back to the 2 ft. level. Wait a short while then start the process again. You need a "Sonar" to help determine the depth you want to fish, to be really successful.
My favorites are Black ice cream cones,with a red or grey wire wrap. Not white. I also tie these as doubles, 2 on a 3xlong # 8 hook, don't laugh it works like hot dam. Cromies and blood worms, Again 2 to a hook sometimes. I you want small doubles use a # 10 3x long hook. "O" yes also use a pheasent tail bead head with a small white mallard wing when the caddis hatch is on.
I also use 1 or 2 split shot above my flies about 2 or 3 feet up, not to close to the fly or the fish will hit the split shot and you will wonder how come you are missing all those strikes. In the spring I fish with a strike indicator down to about 20 or 25 ft. As the year progresses you have to fish deeper and deeper, down to as much a 60 feet. At this point I fish straight down off the boat with a sinking line. I drop my fly to the bottom, with my rod tip at the water, then reach up to the first eye and grab the line and bring it back to the reel and wind in the slack. You now have your depth with the rod tip at the water. Bring the fly line in by hand to take off the bolt. You now have the idea. This is called fishing the "Dark Side". You will need 2 anchors to hold you steady. You must have the boat steady or the boat movement will be constantly lifting and dropping the fly. have fun
blakejay, Columbia old guy

PS
be carefull what you eat while in the boat. Certain foods, like bananas, leave fish repelling scents on your hands. Keep your hands clean.

[goldscud]

My fish love bananas

[davesilva]

I like your ideas my friend good to imitate a emerging pupa

I usually fish my chironomids static (still) under an indicator on lakes on windy days, when there's less wind I use the occasional strip to attract the fish

But I like your idea better it seems it s better on figuring out what depth the fish are bitting at by raising the rod up


Because my way of figuring is cast out 2 feet from bottom if that doesn't work go 3 feet from bottom (by adjusting indicator) and up till I get a bite if not change chironomid

[RavYak]

How do you guys determine how long to wait before changing spots and/or flies if you aren't getting any hits? Also what do you usually find to be the most important factor in catching fish with chironomids(depth, location, chironomid colour, chironomid size)?

I have only caught a small handful of trout on chironomid, I don't know if it is because the ones I have aren't appealing to the trout or if I am just fishing them wrong. I am leaning towards them just not being the right colour/size as I have sat close to other guys catching fish and not caught anything myself.

[BeeGuy]

I'm a dirty bounce nympher in moving water. Various chironomids work always.

Rock and roll.

[Don Andersen]

But Bee......

This thread has nothing to do with flowing water!


And to be a tad contrarian, I enjoy fishing with just a leader w/o a bobber. I adjust the leader length to water depth I want to fish.

And further, a lot of lakes in Alberta layer. Lower layer toxic. Fish containing layer maybe as thin as 9'. Fishing deep works early and late in the season.

Don

[Bjay]

Hi RavYak
Depth and location run hand in hand. That's the reason you need a sonar. My favorite chronomid is a Chromie with a black bead and red or black wire wrap. My next favorite is a black ice cream cone. Black body, white bead, red or grey( not white) wire wrap. Size 16 to 12, 200R hook. Size 16 to 12 94840 Mustad or equivalent. Tied skinny. And, of course, lots of experience. I use thread for all my bodies and a couple if coats of head cement to finish. When you finely get it figured out you will be able to get 50 fish days. When I'm chronomid fishing a 25 fish day is a poor day.
Remember, don't keep your limit all of the time as a few good chronomid fisherman can devastate a lake. What you take out today you can't catch tomorrow.
Bjay

[Bjay]

Hi Don
I agree on the water being toxic down deep in some lakes. I don't experience that here much in B.C. as most of the deeper lakes get super clear by the middle of July. I often fish down to 60 ft.. Now this is just my thought, when the water gets supper clear the sun can penetrate farther down into the water and along with water temperature can drive the trout into deeper water. When I'm fishing really deep, to 60 ft., I seldom get small fish. There is one small lake I fish that is only 20 ft. deep. You would think it would go dead in the summer but it has 5 or 6 small streams flowing into it making it cold on the bottom 4 or 5 ft. It fishes very well all summer long. Sorry guys I can't tell you where the lake is as it is small and can't stand too much fishing pressure but I had use it as an example.
Bjay

[goldscud]

Thanks for sharing your experience Bjay. It is a very effective technique...like summer ice-fishing with a long pole.
I think the fly color/size is pretty important. Seen lots of people in the same area, but certain folks get way more fish than others.
The chance to get big fish is very good using your plan.

Don, why do you fish without a bobber? More challenge? Hoping the wind lifts your line and fly up off the bottom at times. Don't you think you would be missing some bites? Interested in your thinking

[RavYak]

I figured you were in BC when you mentioned fishing down to 60 feet. We don't have many lakes(aka ponds) that deep here. Been catching most fish in around 11-14 feet right now and was catching them in 8 feet in the spring.

[Fishhunter]

Hey bjay,Just got back from bc and tried what you told me on chronimid fishing and I did fairly well.we fished west of Brisco and whitetail biggest was 22" and also my personal best on a fly rod.thank-you so much for the info my wife and I had a blast.we want to try a fall trip too.

[Don Andersen]

Goldscud,

I fish with a bobber as well. Just not all the time. Some days the bobber guys do a lot better and I switch. Some days, some of the bobber guys switch as well.
Why do it - the strikes are generally solid and readily felt. As this technique is all about feel, I can gaze around watching the goings on around me whereas bobber fishermen must pay attention to be successful.
In the past while , I've done about as well as the bobber guys.
I have fished leaders as short as 9' and as long as 35'. Casts are generally long and downwind. Retrieval speed is critical and must be experimented with to figure out what works. For the past while I've used 8 lb. Vanish as a leader with a Rio 3X floro as tippet. I'm presently playing with multiple fly rigs.
There is one place where bobbers must be used - shallow water from 2>8' deep.
I also don't use beads except for plastic or glass. The fly sinks too fast with a bead. I do use heavy wire hooks with Mustad C068 generally used for chironomids.

And maybe this derail should be placed into it's own thread.


Don

[Bjay]

Hi Don
Good post, not a derail. I fish with a strike indicator down to about 25 feet max as it gets to dam hard to get the fly line up and casting over about 20 feet. I can do it but O BOY what a mess I get sometimes. Enough to make you want to throw the whole damn works in the lake. But the rewards are worth it I guess. When using a strike indicator I use 10 pound leader to within about 5 feet of the fly as I can turn it over better when casting a long leader and there is no knots to catch your leader when you make a tailing loop due to the long leader. I use Maxima or Berkley spin cast line for those long 10 pound leaders. I try to use flurocarbon as it sinks better but it is not nessesery as I use a couple of split shot above the fly to help get the line down when casting long leaders. I have to admit that those split shot lead to some of those throw the whole damn works in the lake tangles though.
I use metal beads on almost all my chronomids, brass or tungston, as I want my flies to sink rapidly.It is a matter of preference with each guy or gal.

For those guys that want to throw long leaders with a strike indicator you need to get quite a bit of fly line out of the tip of the rod to get enough weight to lift the strike indicator and long leader off the water when you make your cast. And you have to slow down on your casts.
Make sure everyone in the boat including yourself has on all the safty gear you can think off including glasses and hard hat, or some kind of hat, to protect you from flying hooks when you first start trying those long leaders. You might even take bets on who gets a hook in them first. It can be a absolute riot when you first try a 20 or 25 foot leader with a strike indicator on it. Make sure you pinch your barbs or you will be sorry.
Have fun
Bjay

[goldscud]

Thanks for your response Don. After watching how some fish take the fly with an indicator....barely move it/rotate it/vibrate it...not pull it under...I have a concern about missing fish when fishing right along the bottom. I haven't tried fishing "naked" too much. It would probably be better when the fish are very active and moving across the depth layers a bit. Another issue is that the biggest food choice where I fish tends to be scuds not chironomids. However, I found a new pond this year where I will have to try out this bobberless retrieve. Will give me the chance to watch the clouds some more
Cheers, Rob

[RavYak]

If I was going to fish a long leader with indicator I don't think I would even try to cast it. Just throw everything over the side of the boat lol.

[Don Andersen]

Guys,
On heavily fished waters "fishing different" maybe the difference between a good and bad day. Long leaders do it different than the constant depth/static presentation of bobbers.
There is no "right" way to fish chironomids. Some guys even troll them.
100% agree that leaders over 20' c/w bobbers can be dangerous. One thing that helps, is reducing the distance between the line and the bobber. This will aid in moving the energy placed into the fly line to be transmitted better to the bobber.

Don

[Bjay]

OK you guys
Lets get our terminology right here. Bobbers are used by spin fisherman and strike indicators are used by fly fisherman.
Don hit the strike indicator bit on the head. When I cast 20 ft or more with a strike indicator the indicator is as close to the fly line as possible.
Goldscud is right as you do miss a lot of strikes on long leaders under a strike indicator. Can't be helped. I put shrimp patterns and small leaches under an indicator also.
Bjay

[goldscud]

Sage bobber fisherman with Dipteran bait