Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: fishseeker on January 01, 2009, 10:28:55 AM
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I have done a lot of reading on Chironomid techniques but never actually used them. Since I started fly fishing two seasons back I have mostly used standard patterns like woolly buggers, halfbacks etc. because that was a good way to start. Since trout, apparently, get 40% of their diet from chironomids it would seem I am neglecting something very important and I have a desire to get some practice with this when the season starts up again.
Now for my questions:
a) Is chirinomid fishing worthwhile on stocked lakes like Mill/Lafarge/Buntzen etc. ?
Not sure if it is worth bothering with this technique on trout that have been raised on artificial feed.
Have any of you tried on Buntzen? I think the depth of that lake may lend itself better to sinking line techniques but I am not sure how productive it is.
b) I believe the floating setup is fly line, approx 20 feet of leader, strike indicator, small splitshot above tippet knot, tippet & fly. How do you deal with casting 20ft of leader?
Until I get a boat that will allow me to stand up I will be fishing in an inflatable that is not stable enough for standing. Is it even possible to cast that length of leader in a seated position? If it is possible how is it done? (In some previous posts I have read it can be done by a roll cast first then a bunch of false casts to get the line out).
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Geoff.
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I use chronies on Mike lake to practice for the bigger fish ;D . I am in a pontoon and have no problem casting and have even seen it done in float tubes. You do not need 20 feet of leader if you are not fishing that deep of a lake. Practice in shallower water first. I also do not use micro shot but I do use a shivel with flourocarbon as my tippet.
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I catch most of my fish on chironomids in our local lakes. stocked fish are lazy and like food that just hangs there suspended in thier faces LOL Buntzen is different though, i have done my best days there trolling a black spratley on a floating line with 13-14' leader. so i would imagine chironies would work there also. chronies are not a searching pattern so i would suggest while your learning how&when to use them. fool the first fish with a searching fly and pump its stomach, from there you will have a good idea of what colour and size of chironie to start with. another good thing for fishing these is to start about 1 to 2 feet off the bottom and keep moving up the water column until you find where the fish are feeding. (of course a fish finder helps to narrow this down as you can see the depth the fish are staging at)
in our local lakes i find black with red ribs works best for me most days but black with silver ribs also works very well. these can be tied with white, copper & silver beadheads ;) and in sizes 12 & 14 work best.
hope that helps a bit.
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I like the swivel idea because I am not great at tying tippets to leaders - too fat fingered :-[
I also know to use searching patterns and to pump the stomach contents to get an idea of size & color so I will be using that method. Thanks also for the tip about fly size and color. I got a selection of cronies on advice from Pacific Angler and I can see they have given me a few in a range of sizes that are black with red ribs so thats good.
One other thing:
I currently have the standard 4lb 9ft dragon fly leaders. If want to start using longer leaders (say to 16 feet) is it OK to add add an additional 8ft of tippet or should I be purchasing longer leaders ? (Not sure what it's like to cast with long lengths of tippet added).
Looking forward to when they start stocking again so I can put this all into practice and I guess a fishfinder would make things a lot easier too. (my next purchase I think)
Thanks both of you.
Geoff.
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here is a little reading about leaders and matching line sizes for ya.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&&mode=article&objectID=32635&catID=&subcatID=0
that will give you a good idea especially for adding new peices of tippet to pre-made leaders. If your leader says its a 7X(the size for 4lb) then you want to go with the same 7X or even an 8X off the end. best thing to do is read the article but more remember the chart of leader thicknesses & poundages ;) I dont go lighter then 6lb(5X) when fishing trout but will use 4or3lb(7or8X) for chironies ;D but never for a moving fly cause i hate having them snap off on the hookset. Oh and i use 3lb on small streams of course :D
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Fishseeker are those leaders you bought tapered leaders? If so you dont need tapered leaders for chronie fishing. Just used some 4lb flouro. I usually tie a 15 foot leader. That pretty much covers me for everything. If I want to deep water chronie fish I will use a full sinking line and go right below the boat. That means no indicator. It also means holding onto your rod. I use tapered leaders for my dry fly fishing and usually 12 foot leaders.
Its not as difficult as some make it out to be. Actually its one of the easiest forms of fishing. Once you know where to fish its all about getting the right depth and thats it. Start from a foot off the bottom. Use a hand twist as well sometimes instead of leaving it static. I am a pretty lazy fisherman so most of the time I fish chronies after 11am as their well be a chop on the water most of the time and that well give the chronie some movement. I have found that 11am-3pm seems to be the best chronie fishing. When its not that time I am either casting or trolling.
If you are ever on the island I would be happy to take you out and show you as well as show you my still water rig.
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Although tapered leaders are not 100% mandatory when fishing chironomids, they sure do help!
Sometimes casting a 15-20 foot leader can be tough, a tapered leader will allow the fly to turn over easier creating less wind knots and tangles.
In most cases a 15 foot leader that ends in six pound test is ideal, just take a couple feet of appropriate flourocarbon and tie on for the tippet.
If I dont have any pre made leaders I simply tie 6 feet of 8lb to 6 feet of 6lb and around 3 feet of 4lb flouro.
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An awsome lake to learn to chronie on is rolley. It gets to about 35ft deep, and on sunny days you have to be at about 30 feet to catch anything over 12 inches. I fish with a number 6 sinking line to get nice and deep and about a 12foot leader. I find small twitches to your fly will trigger more strikes as you are giving the fish something to set apart your fly from the hundreds of chronies around it.
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Thanks again for all of the great answers. Half the fun of fishing is the opportunity to learn from others and this thread has been very helpful. Hopefully there will come a time when users on this forum can benefit from my experience but it sure takes a long time to learn.
Thanks Hook for the article on leaders - I have book marked it and I will make a point of reading it again before I head out on my next attempts. I think I could be fishing too light in the stocked lakes where water clarity is not much of an issue (I typically use 5X leader with 4lb tippet even when I am trolling). So far I have not been snapped off but the trout I got into where never that big.
The leaders I bought are tapered and it is also my understanding that it is easier to cast them because they roll out properly. I have never tried casting long lengths of non-tapered leader. Thanks Bbronkwyk for the tip on 4lb flouro. So far I have only used nylon mono but I see the article Hook sent me talks about about flouro leaders too. Something else I will need to play with.
All your answers bring to mind more questions and comments as usual. I hope you don't mind me asking so many questions. Here they are:
a) I fished on Rolley once and it is a very nice lake. (Just trolling so far) I have a fast sinking line that will get my fly down fast if I want to fish directly below the boat. I have also have a good source reference called 'The Gilly' - its a great little book that I keep reading again every time I head out. According to one article in that book on cronie sinking techniques 6ft of leader is used. (He does say that leader length makes no difference for him when working a sinking line). As far as I am concerned the less leader I need to work the better so sinking line techniques are appealing.
b) Lucky, do you tie flouro to mono? Is it OK to mix diffent types of line?
c) Should I consider tying a loop knot to the fly? (The cronie patterns I have are small and the loop knot may allow more natural movement when I attempt those short twitches and retrieves).
Thanks for the invite bbronswyk. I do go out to Victoria from time to time and I have tried fishing in Thetis lake once - got a very nice bass on the fly there. With luck I will get out there in the spring and it would be great to head out with you provided the timing works out. It would be very instructive to see your still water setup. If I am out there for a weekend I will let you know for sure.
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Do you tie flouro to mono? Is it OK to mix diffent types of line?
I like to connectthe mono leader and fluro tippet by using a small swivel, which also acts as additional weight to get the fly down to the fishing depth more quickly.
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b) Lucky, do you tie flouro to mono? Is it OK to mix diffent types of line?
c) Should I consider tying a loop knot to the fly? (The cronie patterns I have are small and the loop knot may allow more natural movement when I attempt those short twitches and retrieves).
It is perfectly acceptable to tie fluoro to mono. Use a blood knot or double/triple surgeon's knot. When Fluoro first came out it would cut the mono, but this is no longer the case.
With Fluoro of 6lb test or lighter a loop knot is not required. it is limp enough for the chironomid to sit right. Many good chironomiders (much more successful than me) don't want the added bulk of a loop knot above the fly.
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i personally use a loop knot on my chironies only just for the added knowingness that they are always sitting correctly. I use the DUNCAN LOOP knot for but you could also use the Perfection loop. I do use this on some other flies but not always. Now, if im changing chronies alot then i will just clinch knot the fly on until i find the one thats working then i pull it in (or after a fish) i will loop knot it on. Loop knots use up more line to tie.
you can make your own tapered leaders also which is I find better then buying tapered leaders.
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The Loop knot is way over rated. I personally tested it last year on purpose. I used both. I caught just as many or more not using the loop knot. If its a confidence thing by all means use it but after testing it several times last year at different lakes it made no difference. Like typhoon said using 4-6lb line you dont need it. Any of the lower mainland lakes you will never need more than 4lb fluoro as the fish dont get any size to them.
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The Loop knot is way over rated. I personally tested it last year on purpose. I used both. I caught just as many or more not using the loop knot. If its a confidence thing by all means use it but after testing it several times last year at different lakes it made no difference.
Just my opinion but you are way off base with this one.
Loop knots allow your fly to hang perfectly vertically. Maybe small stupid fish don't care about this but the big boys sure do know the difference.
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The Loop knot is way over rated. I personally tested it last year on purpose. I used both. I caught just as many or more not using the loop knot. If its a confidence thing by all means use it but after testing it several times last year at different lakes it made no difference.
Just my opinion but you are way off base with this one.
Loop knots allow your fly to hang perfectly vertically. Maybe small stupid fish don't care about this but the big boys sure do know the difference.
Nope not way off base at all. Maybe the fish you catch are small. ;)
Here are a few chronie caught fish from last year NOT using a loop knot. How about a 40 fish day on a lake in the Kamloops region ( have witnesses if you need the proof ) all not using the loop knot and not one fish under 16 inches. Sorry but not off base at all.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/bbronswyk2000/Fishing/Fly%20Fishing/Boys%20Trips/IMGP1062.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/bbronswyk2000/Fishing/Fly%20Fishing/Boys%20Trips/IMGP1027.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/bbronswyk2000/Fishing/Fly%20Fishing/Boys%20Trips/IMGP1024.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/bbronswyk2000/Fishing/Fly%20Fishing/jackpinetrout.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/bbronswyk2000/Fishing/Fly%20Fishing/IMGP0498.jpg)
Need more?
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If you don't want to listen to what I have to say then don't but to everyone else participating in this discussion please do not discount how important using a loop knot is.
If you caught 40 fish in a day then I would say that you were fishing a pretty easy lake where presentation isn't as important. I've fished lakes like that before, gets boring fast.
Some of the lakes I like to fish, subtle differences in presentation can mean the difference between one or two 16 inchers a day vs 10-12 fish averaging over 6lbs.
Just like any other type of fishing its always important to never overlook details. You always want to have as much going for you as possible.
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If you don't want to listen to what I have to say then don't but to everyone else participating in this discussion please do not discount how important using a loop knot is.
If you caught 40 fish in a day then I would say that you were fishing a pretty easy lake where presentation isn't as important. I've fished lakes like that before, gets boring fast.
Some of the lakes I like to fish, subtle differences in presentation can mean the difference between one or two 16 inchers a day vs 10-12 fish averaging over 6lbs.
Just like any other type of fishing its always important to never overlook details. You always want to have as much going for you as possible.
Unless you have an underwater camera where you see the same fish pass by the presentation without the loop knot and than take the one with the loop knot you cannot say either way.
You are also saying your way is right and my way is wrong. Its not the case and the proof is in the pudding. The loop knot works but it works no better with it than without it IMO. Your theory is also an opinion and not fact just as mine is. Although I did do a serious testing of both methods on purpose.
Its not an easy lake. Their are days where your lucky to catch one or two. I just had a magical day. My buddies beside me where not catching half the fish I did.
Also if you go back I did mention something.I said if it gives you confidence than by all means use it.
I have already discredited your theory about only small stupid fish taking this presentation so your not doing a very good job in this argument. Let me tell you something. Fish are STUPID!!! They have a brain the size of a pea. The day I stopped over analyzing fishing is the day I started catching more fish. Just find the fish and if you have any knowledge at all you will catch them.....
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Unless you have an underwater camera where you see the same fish pass by the presentation without the loop knot and than take the one with the loop knot you cannot say either way.
Sorry, don't own an underwater camera. I don't have money to waste on expensive toys ;)
...But I have seen enough evidence to convince me of my beliefs. I'll get to this later in my post.
You are also saying your way is right and my way is wrong. Its not the case and the proof is in the pudding. The loop knot works but it works no better with it than without it IMO. Your theory is also an opinion and not fact just as mine is. Although I did do a serious testing of both methods on purpose.
Serious testing? Please elaborate...and try not to over embellish :-*
How is this for proof: I've fished chronies for several year. In the past I always enjoyed good success. Particularly on the easier lakes. Lots of high number day and with quite a few large fish mixed in (6-9lbs). This was all using a standard clinch knot (read I'm acknowledging a clinch knot will work). However, there was one trophy lake that was notoriously hard. I fished this lake about 6 times in the past and every time I'm only able to catch at most 5 fish with only one or two over 5lbs (smaller than average for this lake). A while back I was at this lake and was skunked on my first day of the trip. I talked to one of the other anglers on the lake who was enjoying good success and he recocmended I switch to a loop knot. Next three days I fished the lake and every day brought 10 to 12 fish to hand. Average fish was 5-7lbs, running up to 9lbs. None under 3lbs. We were rocking the lake so bad that people were following us around the lake. Only difference between day 1 and days 2-4 was switch knots.
Its not an easy lake. Their are days where your lucky to catch one or two. I just had a magical day. My buddies beside me where not catching half the fish I did.
If those fish aren't from an easy lake then your getting ripped off, cause they aren't really that impressive to me.
Also if you go back I did mention something.I said if it gives you confidence than by all means use it.
Agreed, confidence is everything.
I have already discredited your theory about only small stupid fish taking this presentation so your not doing a very good job in this argument. Let me tell you something. Fish are STUPID!!! They have a brain the size of a pea. The day I stopped over analyzing fishing is the day I started catching more fish. Just find the fish and if you have any knowledge at all you will catch them.....
You didn't disprove anything cause in my books those still count as small stupid fish.
If it was as easy as you are saying then everyone would get fish every time they went out. There is a good reason that 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish.
If your ego won't allow you to listen to what I have to say then go over to flybc and talk to a guy like Tom Lamb who teaches chronie courses and see what he has to say on the matter.
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Tom Lam has taught me lots about chronie fishing.......I have fished right beside him and spoken to him on numerous occasions.
Those fish pics I posted are not from the 40 fish outing. They are all from different lakes. Also take in fact my hands are twice the size of yours ;) None of those fish are under 20 inches. I wouldnt post some small fish.
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how many times have you brought in a chironie after a small strike or something and had it sitting crooked?? and be honest!!!
I started using the loop knots after getting frustrated having to bring in my fly after missed strikes to make sure it was sitting correctly, with a loop knot if they strike and miss then the fly just goes back to sitting perfectly the way it should be. NOW ! doesnt that mean more fishing and less screwing around?? I think so! ;)
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how many times have you brought in a chironie after a small strike or something and had it sitting crooked?? and be honest!!!
I started using the loop knots after getting frustrated having to bring in my fly after missed strikes to make sure it was sitting correctly, with a loop knot if they strike and miss then the fly just goes back to sitting perfectly the way it should be. NOW ! doesnt that mean more fishing and less screwing around?? I think so! ;)
It happens if I miss a strike and than I straighten it out.
How many times in the fall when its freezing cold has it been a pain in the butt tying that knot? And be honest ;)
I am a lazy fisherman and I have already said this. I am also just getting Sterling going lol C'mon Biff you should know me by now why are you biting so hard on my posts LOL I do use the loop knot from time to time still but when lazy I dont use it and still catch fish. I am just saying that its not the most important thing when chronie fishing. Remember the original post is about lower mainland lakes. They are all stupid pellet fish.
I use the loop knot more on leeches under an indicator. The leech really needs the action even more so than the chronie. If you have a good chop on the water than its not needed as much. That chop will move any fly under the water.
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Wool gloves keep the hands warm ;) even when my hands are frozen i can still tie any knot that i need, it does make some a little trickier though but not impossible or really much more time consuming. And not all lower mainland lakes are full of stupid pellet fish ya know ;) there is a few trophy lakes within an hours drive of Vancouver.
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Wool gloves keep the hands warm ;) even when my hands are frozen i can still tie any knot that i need, it does make some a little trickier though but not impossible or really much more time consuming. And not all lower mainland lakes are full of stupid pellet fish ya know ;) there is a few trophy lakes within an hours drive of Vancouver.
Lucky you. I have enough trouble tying knots in the comfort of my own room let alone outside, in the wind and on a boat :) . If the knot is easy, that is the one I am most likely to tie even if it is not the strongest.
The Loop knot is way over rated. I personally tested it last year on purpose. I used both. I caught just as many or more not using the loop knot. If its a confidence thing by all means use it but after testing it several times last year at different lakes it made no difference.
Just my opinion but you are way off base with this one.
Loop knots allow your fly to hang perfectly vertically. Maybe small stupid fish don't care about this but the big boys sure do know the difference.
Bear in mind that I am talking about stocked lakes where the fish may not be that discriminating. I will try the loop knot provided I can tie it just in case it increases my odds. If I have any success I will try it both ways just to see if there is a difference. I don't want to tie more complex knots than I have to.
It is perfectly acceptable to tie fluoro to mono. Use a blood knot or double/triple surgeon's knot. When Fluoro first came out it would cut the mono, but this is no longer the case.
With Fluoro of 6lb test or lighter a loop knot is not required. it is limp enough for the chironomid to sit right. Many good chironomiders (much more successful than me) don't want the added bulk of a loop knot above the fly.
Thanks Typhoon. Good to know.
I like to connect the mono leader and fluro tippet by using a small swivel, which also acts as additional weight to get the fly down to the fishing depth more quickly.
Thanks Rodney, I really like that idea because I have never been great at tying lines together.
Thanks a lot guys I think I have all the answers I need. Now I am just itching to get out on those lakes so I can put all this into practice - nothing is more satisfying than trying something new and seeing it work.
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:) I am suffering fly fishing for trout withdrawl just like all of you.But at least this thread was a good read.
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:) I am suffering fly fishing for trout withdrawl just like all of you.But at least this thread was a good read.
YUP big time!!!!
The little lake down the road from me is covered in a thin layer of ice. It will be a few weeks before I am back out there.
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All I do is chironomid fish...usually to the tune of 60 or so times a year. Can't remember using a sinking line in still water in the last 5 years. You can find chironmids and/or blood worms in the water all season long. Actually, I believe a fish's diet is comprised of more than 40% chronies but the exact figure will probably differ from lake to lake and area to area. I don't trout fish on the coast so I have no idea of what the per centage is.
Last year I got the "loop smoop"line so I too decided to test it for myself. BTW, until I went back to trying the clinch not for testing purposes the knot I use is the duncan loop...in fact, I use it for all sub surface applications. Once you've tied it numerous times you can tie it just as fast as any knot and as stated earlier the only draw back is using more leader material in the end because you need to cut off the tags. But the knot has to be done properly...I don't like the loop any bigger than an 1/8th of an inch in diameter but that's just me.
I FULLY agree with Biffchan...smaller fish are a dime a dozen...if you want to fool larger fish (over 4 lbs.) the better the presentation the better your chances are. To test the theory I went to a lake that I'm really dialed into. I anchored up in 3 different spots that I like. For the two days I tested I set EVERYTHING up exactly the same way right down to using the same fly. Over that two day period I hooked over 30 fish each day. When the bite was really on where it seemed you couldn't do anything wrong my looped fly still out fished the other 3 to 1. When the fishing slowed that number was closer to 4 to 1 which to me is the really proof in the putting. After every half dozen fish hooked on the looped fly I would bring in both rods and switch flies with each other. After every dozen I would put on 2 new flies. There was one period where I hooked 11 in a row on the looped fly.
It was a pain in the butt switchin' back and forth for those two days but I did it for my own sake to finally find out for sure what I thought I had known..... and in so doing I DEFINITELY will stick with the duncan loop.
On another note I find the full sink line technique too boring for my liking.... just sitting there with a rod in each hand. So unless I fish in water over 30 feet I'll continue to use a floating line with an extra long leader. Like the loop knot...once you done it enough casting a long leader becomes less and less difficult. The more you "get out" the easier it gets...pretty much like everything that involves learning a skill.
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Mastercaster, thanks for the clarification on the loop knot. It would appear that using it IS a good idea, and it WILL increase catch rates despite what some of our internet "experts" have to say. ::)
In the past all Ive used is the clinch knot, but if there is something that will increase my odds of catching fish I will use it! I could see the loop being really helpful when fishing tiny chironimids in sizes 14 and smaller.
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Mastercaster, thanks for the clarification on the loop knot. It would appear that using it IS a good idea, and it WILL increase catch rates despite what some of our internet "experts" have to say. ::)
In the past all Ive used is the clinch knot, but if there is something that will increase my odds of catching fish I will use it! I could see the loop being really helpful when fishing tiny chironimids in sizes 14 and smaller.
Who said I was an "expert" I never claim to be one. If you ask anyone that fishes with me I call everything "luck" I have always been the "lucky" fisherman. I would always out fish all my friends and family. It has nothing to do with skill. Some guys just have "luck" and for some strange reason I always had it. I am the "lucky lazy " fisherman. All my fishing buddies know this. I really dont care how many fish I catch because if I did I would listen to the REAL experts who have given me advice over the years. Dont get me wrong their are times I do get serious and challenge myself and at that time I use what the "experts" have taught me.
Cheers
The " Lazy Lucky " Fisherman ;)
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I guess I am lazy but not that lucky so I am always having to think what I need to do to increase my odds. Thats why I put so many questions on this forum.
Its all good info and I since fishing is not much of an option right now I will be practicing those Duncan knots some more. ;)
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Thanks for backing me on this one mastercaster. I guess I got a little carried away, but its just something that I truly believe in. 8)
You seem like a pretty knowledgeable lake fisherman. I would be more than happy to spend an afternoon on a lake with you should our paths ever cross.
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Alittle off topic of the loop knot but, what type of chironomid would you guys suggest for Roche lake in May?
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Alittle off topic of the loop knot but, what type of chironomid would you guys suggest for Roche lake in May?
Bring lots. The best thing to do is go there and see whats coming off. Do a throat pump of the first fish you catch. I was there in may of last year and you will never guess what I was nailing them on. Blue chironomids. Yes BLUE!!! I only had two in my box. The first day I was there I pumped my first fish and they were blue. So I went immediately to the blue and was getting fish every few minutes. That night we went back to the cabin and tied like crazy.
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cool, Last year the guy camping next to us was using a blue chironi now that I think about it. Thanks bud ;D
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Chromie, nothing but the Chromie!!!!!!!
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how would you tie a blue chironimid?
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you tie your blue chronie with Blue flashabou or do you use acetate floss? I use flashabou for most of the bodies on my chironies.
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how would you tie a blue chironimid?
Look into using some 'blue steel' flashibou. Combined with an anti-static bag and you should be good to go. ;)
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looks like I'll have to tie up a couple of blue ones then!!!
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Couldn't find blue steel but the electric blue looks like a winner
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anyone use larva lace for chronies? Saw some pics on a website and they looked unreal.
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Wow this thread was a fun read, I actually followed every page. I've never fished Chironomids but it sounds like I'm going to have to get out and give er a go! Thanks for all the helpful pointers.
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cant beat chromie
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anyone use larva lace for chronies? Saw some pics on a website and they looked unreal.
I tie some of my bloodworm patterns with larva lace.
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A quick lesson on how to tie chronimids.
For the particular fly shown here I've used a size 16 nymph hook (don't know the number, threw away the package :-\), 5/64th tungsten bead ( I personally use a swivel whenever I chronimid fish and have found zero difference in my success rates when using a tungsten bead Vs. glass bead I just happen to have a bunch of tungstens lying around still), black 8/0 uni thread, red 8/0 uni thread, blue steel flashibou, scud back, extra fine silver wire ribbing and some white fluffy stuff I stole off a tinsel rope (most people use ostrich hurl).
Start by debarbing the hook, and placing it in the vice with the beads open end facing the eye of the hook. Next tie in your gill material.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_004.sized.jpg)
Now, start wrapping your thread behind the bead so it snugs the bead up against the eye of the hook and the gill material. Trim your gills.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_005.sized.jpg)
Next, tie in your flashibou, red thread, scud back and extra fine wire.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_006.sized.jpg)
Tie down the added materials all the way to the start of the bend in the hook. Try to wrap them down as tightly as possible. We want to have a slim profile.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_007.sized.jpg)
Next, wrap the flashibou around the body until you have returned it to the front of the hook. Make sure there are no gaps. Trim the excess.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_008.sized.jpg)
Now, wrap the red thread around the body in the same fashion you would as if it were ribbing. Trim the excess. The point of the red here is to mimic the hemoglobin which can be seen on many chronimids.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_009.sized.jpg)
Next, its time to wrap the body with the scud back. Make sure to put as much tension on the scud back as you can to stretch it thin. As you wrap towards the eye of the hook use the scud back to taper the body of the fly. When tying your own chronimids, profile is everything. Notice how tight my materials are to the size 16 hook I'm using.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_010.sized.jpg)
Finally, rib the body with the extra fine wire. Trim the excess and whip finish your fly. Coat your entire fly with a thin layer of locktight for durability.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album839/Chromie_012.sized.jpg)
Remember that there are a lot of other materials out there. Play around with them and see what works best for you.
Last but not least, hold on tight ;D
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album794/Spring_Trip_2008_050.jpg)
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Looks good i will tie some of those!!
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For roche snowcone black with red rib.
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Since this thread appears to have generated so much enthusiasm I can only assume all of you are as keen to get out as I am. :(
I do have another question though:
How well do these tiny Chronie patterns work when the water clarity is not too good? Stocked lakes like Mill and Lafarge are hardly pristine and Chrystal clear.
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Real dumb question here but if I were afraid of looking stupid I'd never leave the house. How do you use a loop knot how big a loop do you use how do you hang the fly on it, I've just never done it and never seen anyone else doing it? btw this has been a very interesting thread for me so far, some of the best days I've had with my fly rod have been chironomid fishing.
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Here's a good video on how to tie a 'duncan loop'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8wEM8iWPzo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8wEM8iWPzo)
I try to get my loops as small as possible.
Fishseeker, chronimids can still be very effective even when the water clarity isn't the best. You would be amazed at how bright a properly tied fly will shine in the water.
That said, most of the better chronimid fishing does occur in the spring time when the hatches are going strong and the lakes are still quite clear.
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I also make the loop as small as possible ( when I tie them ;) )
Chronies all spring and summer long!!! Even with bad clarity. Chronies make up most of the trouts diet so they are always feeding on them. If you find the fish they will come. I usually start out with a chromie and well switch if I know its in the fishes face and they are not taking it. Dont forget a hand twist it can be the difference between getting fish and being skunked. Leaving it static does not always work.
Anyways any of those that are truly serious about this type of fishing should get some on the water lessons. I myself have had the lessons on the water and they took me from hitting fish periodically to constantly producing fish. All the words in the world could not help you a much as being taught hands on by an experienced chronie fisherman.
BC Outdoors is putting on a fly fishing weekend called " Learning with the Pros " in May on Salmon Lake. I seriously suggest trying to see if their are any openings left as this well take you to the next level. If I had that weekend free I would be doing it.
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Thanks. It's good to know I can fish this even if the water clarity is not great.
If I can find the time and the willingness to cough up the cash I am sure I would have a lot to learn from that "Learn from the Pros" course. Thanks for the heads up on that bbronswyk - its definitely something I will consider doing.