1st attempt at tying a custom chronomid

[ReconWilly]

1st time venturing off script and this is what i came up with...having a little trouble keeping the ass end tight...i don't like big butts i wont lie hahaha....

Daichi 1760 2 x heavy wire curved nymph hook size 12
3/32 white grit bead
Ultra thread 70 black
copper/blue 1/16" mylar (blue side up)
Lime green super stretch floss
Small gold ultra wire
Sally Hansens finish 2 coats

Please correct, critique and shame me into a better tier.

Thanks.

[3blade]

The hook is upside down looks good though.

Only thing I can think of is I've had trouble hooking trout that hit hard-finished chronomids. The seem to spit it much faster than a soft bodied version, tied with various rubber/flex type materials. YMMV.

[ReconWilly]

Originally Posted by 3blade

The hook is upside down looks good though.

Only thing I can think of is I've had trouble hooking trout that hit hard-finished chronomids. The seem to spit it much faster than a soft bodied version, tied with various rubber/flex type materials. YMMV.

Ya i finally figured out how to post a picture...i am uploading them correctly rotated I'm not sure why ao is rotating them or how to fix it...

[Mr Flyguy]

Proportions look good all round but, ya know, I'm not so sure about the blue color that dominates here. I've seen almost all colors of the the spectrum for chiros in books and the internet but not blue or indigo.

But who knows, maybe when the trout are bored with gorging on the regulars something different might be a trigger!

[professori]

There are a few lakes in BC where the second chironomid I will tie on is a blue snow cone. Have scored a few 4lb plus rainbows with them too.

ReconWilly, a couple suggestions for you:
First, start your tie in point for the wire right behind the bead. Wrap down to the bend of the hook then back up to the bead. Then tie in your mylar at the bead and wrap down to the bend and back up. Make all your wraps touching if possible. Now build your tapered body with thread wraps, fatter at the bead and slimming down smoothly to a point to no more than 1/2 way down the hook. In other words, don't add any more thread wraps past the 1/2 way point on the hook. Now wrap the mylar and then the wire (use the smallest wire you can) and tie all off behind the hook. That will give you the slender butt you are so enamored of. That fly as it is will catch lots of trout.

[professori]

Double post. Mods please delete this one.

[ReconWilly]

Originally Posted by professori

There are a few lakes in BC where the second chironomid I will tie on is a blue snow cone. Have scored a few 4lb plus rainbows with them too.

ReconWilly, a couple suggestions for you:
First, start your tie in point for the wire right behind the bead. Wrap down to the bend of the hook then back up to the bead. Then tie in your mylar at the bead and wrap down to the bend and back up. Make all your wraps touching if possible. Now build your tapered body with thread wraps, fatter at the bead and slimming down smoothly to a point to no more than 1/2 way down the hook. In other words, don't add any more thread wraps past the 1/2 way point on the hook. Now wrap the mylar and then the wire (use the smallest wire you can) and tie all off behind the hook. That will give you the slender butt you are so enamored of. That fly as it is will catch lots of trout.

Thanks, i was struggling with this, i will try this method when i get back at it!

[professori]

BTW, if you stretch that blue mylar it becomes a really iridescent green. Try it.

[Kingfisher]

Professori had some really good tips for you. The other thing I would add is to use thin thread. 8/0 Danville is a good one. Benecchi 10/0 or 12/0 is nice and thin. Also Nano Silk from Semperfli is beyond thin and the strongest thread on the market.

I have tie lots of chironomids and sometimes it is way easier and more effective to just use your tying thread for the whole body. I really like the dark olive Danville 8/0 with a black UTC fine wire rib. (As Professori said tie it in just behind the bead all the way to the bend of the hook). I like to stop just opposite the barb. Be sure to make a nice taper from the bottom of the fly just being one wrap of thread and start tapering the thread about the top 2/3 of the fly up to the the width of the bead. I usually tie mine on a size 14 to 18 hook with a black bead head. It is one killer chironomid.

I've caught some nice rainbows on a blue chironomid on Roche and Tunkwa lakes out by Kamloops. In fact when I tied my first blue one's was about 20 years ago. I didn't have any blue thread with me so I just used a white thread and coloured it with a blue sharpy. They were deadly. Since that day I always have had a couple blue chironi's in my box.

Your first flies are about 500% better than my first one's that I tied back in 1979 when I started tying. I would be happy if mine were as nice at that one you tied.

Keep up the good work.

[ReconWilly]

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

Professori had some really good tips for you. The other thing I would add is to use thin thread. 8/0 Danville is a good one. Benecchi 10/0 or 12/0 is nice and thin. Also Nano Silk from Semperfli is beyond thin and the strongest thread on the market.

I have tie lots of chironomids and sometimes it is way easier and more effective to just use your tying thread for the whole body. I really like the dark olive Danville 8/0 with a black UTC fine wire rib. (As Professori said tie it in just behind the bead all the way to the bend of the hook). I like to stop just opposite the barb. Be sure to make a nice taper from the bottom of the fly just being one wrap of thread and start tapering the thread about the top 2/3 of the fly up to the the width of the bead. I usually tie mine on a size 14 to 18 hook with a black bead head. It is one killer chironomid.

I've caught some nice rainbows on a blue chironomid on Roche and Tunkwa lakes out by Kamloops. In fact when I tied my first blue one's was about 20 years ago. I didn't have any blue thread with me so I just used a white thread and coloured it with a blue sharpy. They were deadly. Since that day I always have had a couple blue chironi's in my box.

Your first flies are about 500% better than my first one's that I tied back in 1979 when I started tying. I would be happy if mine were as nice at that one you tied.

Keep up the good work.

Thank you sir for the tips and kind words, i am going to try the pattern that you shared!

[32-40win]

Have a look at John Kent's chronies on You Tube, gets a nice taper with multiple materials and a skinny butt. What you have there looks quite fishable.