Chironomid fishing
 

Anyone else doing some tying and dreaming about spring ? I went chironomid fishing for the first time in the Kootenays last spring and I'm hooked !! Can anyone help me with any lakes that have decent chironomid fishing within a couple hours of Calgary. Would love to try some that are day trips. Thanks for any help

Chronomids
 

All trout lakes are chronomid lakes. REALLY. The color and size of the chronomids change from season to season, but black with a white rib, or ,my prefered color rib is grey, with a white bead works almost all year round in different sizes. I sometimes add 2 short tails of micro chrystal flash. I actually add the tails to almost all of my chronomids. My other favorite pattern is a chromie. Most of my patterns are tied on scud hooks. Size 16 to 10. I use them from ice off to ice on.
The wire worms the guys use for white fish are actually imitating chronomids.
In the spring there are lots of chronomids coming off in shallow water.

One thing to remember---chronomids are SKINNY.
I have been fishing chronomids for over 40 years. Those who don't fish chronomids are missing out and are doing me a big favor as it leaves more fish for me to catch.
Bjay

What's a chronomid?

haha

As said. Any lake with trout has chirnomids.

I’ve caught 100 trout in a day at Sundance on a chironomid. Caught trout at Chain Lake on chironomids. Caught grayling in the southern stocked lakes on choronomids.

Trick is to have a range tied. From size 18-10. With and without beads. Bead colour I prefer is white tungsten. Green, black, orange and red beads also.

Colour of body from red, clear, greens, black, gray, wine and two tone and stripped. Body wrap from none to white, red, silver, gold.

Mix it up with a feather or peacock hurl throat. Also a white Tuff out the top.

Lots of fun to tie.

My go too is the Epoxy buzzer
And a few others that dont have an official name. But as mentioned red, black are good. With a white dead head or white tuff.

Good point. I epoxy some also.

These will work under any conditions.

https://i.imgur.com/QmKQuv6.jpg

Doubt it, the're too small!

More on chronomid fishing
 

Hi guys
A tip for finding bottom and setting your line depth. A lot of guys use their forcepts for finding bottom. This is not a good thing. First they are pretty heavy and second they are pretty slim. If you have a soft bottom they could easily sink into the bottom a foot or two before you realize it, and if you set your fly to be 2 feet off the bottom you could easily be on the bottom or just a few inches off the bottom.
My method, not perfect but I think better. I use a stainless steel 1/4 inch bolt , 3/4 inch long with 3 stainless nuts on the bolt and a skinny "O" ring in the center. Put your hook through the "O"ring and drop it over the side. Works good. Being fatter and lighter than the forcepts it doesn't sink into the mud as easily but is still heavy enough to touch bottom quite fast.
I use it down to 50 feet with no problem.
I drop it down till I can feel bottom then crank my line in till my rod tip touches the water then I reach up to the first guide and pull the line back to the reel and wind up the slack I just created, and my depth is set. I sit with the tip a couple of inches off the water and watch it like a hawk.If you can't sit with the line close to the water adjust your length accordingly.

Now-- sometimes the fish want that fly dead still. Other times ,say when there is a chronomid hatch going on they will want it moving, so I lift the rod slowly about a foot, stop, count to 3 or 5 then lift again. I normally don't go up any more than 3 feet ,then I drop it back down and start again.
When chronomids are hatching I use a chromie up to 3x long #12's. Be carefull, never just put your rod down unless it is in a rod holder, when a chronomid hatch is on as the strikes can be very hard.
When I first did the bolt thing I dropped the bolt over the side, found bottom, pulled up the line, took off the bolt,and promptly threw it over the side instead of the fly. Get two bolts just in case!!!!!
Cheers
Bjay
Ps a 5/16 or 3/8 inch bolt is too heavy.