Fly fishing with chironomids is one of the most effective techniques for stillwater fly fishing. This type of fly fishing often doesn’t evoke images of high testosterone hundred-yard casts and ripping giant seven-inch streamers into the mouth of a toothy brown trout. Don’t be fooled though. The fish that are willing to eat these millions of aquatic insects are almost always no less mean and toothy. Sometimes big trout want a large steak, while at other times they prefer popcorn or M&Ms. It’s up to you to be skilled enough to adapt to their moods and food opportunities. The tactics used to fish these smallish stillwater patterns require skill and patience, but they will pay off with not only trout, but other species. In this first of a two-part series, we discuss the fundamentals and fine-tuning of chironomid fly fishing. In part 2, we discuss some of the more advanced techniques with chironomids. The information in these podcasts will help you in any stillwater situation, including warm-water environments, and are a hugely important arrow in your fly fishing quiver.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: FLY FISHING WITH CHIRONOMIDS

• Midge/Chironomids are everywhere within most fisheries.


• They make up a huge portion of the biomass.


• Always look for active fish near the surface because active fish are very often feeding fish.


• Spend around 15-30 minutes in one place before moving.


• When fish feed on chironomids, they often congregate.


• Phil believes that the response to chironomids is Pavlovian, meaning that the fish will take midge/chironomid imitations even when the naturals are not present.

CHIRONOMID LIFE CYCLE: LARVA

• Chironomids have a complete metamorphosis: larva, pupa, and adult.


• The larva is often called the bloodworm because many retain hemoglobin which turns them red.


• The larva can be 100 to 200 feet down and in oxygen-depleted areas where detritus is present.


• Many larvae are free-living, but many also construct tubes along the mud-water interface along the bottom.


• You find the larvae in muddy bottoms as well as over weedbeds.


• To begin with, start near the bottom when imitating the larval stage or concentrate near the weedbeds that they may be using.


• Think about currents and wind and how they may be pushing dislodged larva toward the surface.


• Time of season and day are important for the larval form: low-light periods, early in the season, early in the morning, summer when fish have moved into deeper water, and late fall when other food sources are less available.

CHIRONOMID LIFE CYCLE: PUPA

• The pupa is exposed during its entire stage, so it becomes particularly important for trout and other fish.


• Apolysis is the separation of the shuck, which traps gas between the shuck and adult inside causing the pupa to be very shiny.


• Pupa often stage for days, suspending just above the bottom in dense clouds. As the pupa elevate toward the surface trout will follow them through the different levels of the water column.

CHIRONOMID LIFE CYCLE: ADULT

• Mornings and evenings are normally the best times to experiment with adult patterns.

TARGETING SPECIFIC WATER LEVELS

• Identify major areas that are likely habitat.


• Identify areas that are active with chironomids through signs. This is “the Field of Dreams” idea; if the conditions are right, the fish will eventually be there.
  
  
  
  • Moving fish
  
  
  • Other anglers having success
  
  
  • Pupal shucks
  
  
  • Adults flying around
  
  
  
  


• Begin to experiment with various depths through different presentations.
  
  
  
  • Indicators have two advantages: depth control and variable speeds on retrieve.