Fishing Forum

Looking for the best all around pattern and size, starting to tie them to hit the lakes but looking for a good all around color and size that I should start with, thanks.

Tied this one on a a 16 hook.
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I typically fish a weighted pattern and use snowcone type patterns. Thread bodies, wire ribbing, and a white bead. Phil Rowley and Brian Chan have a lot of good patterns if you google them.
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The mid you tied is close. I use a clear glass bead or silver metal bead for the head and white antron or CDC for the gills. Also use half a dozen wraps for body segmentation.
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The simple black and red ice cream cone chironomid always seems to work best for me. The universal chironomid from flyfishfood is also a killer.
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Ya, have seen those on Flyfishfood, they use a stripped peacock eye, I have none...this is closest I could get, tan body, black thread wraps.
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Most patterns are black, olive, or brown with red ribbing (and red "butt" in some cases) to simulate the excess hemoglobin that they store in their bodies. These are some of the patterns that I fish regularly... partial to 1-strand of Sparkle Yarn for the gills as the bead slips over it easily after tie-in.

#14 "scud" hooks are the sizes that produce the best for me, but good to carry a variety in hook's #10 to #16.

Olive stretch-floss over red thread


Pheasant Tail fibres w/ Mirage tinsel shellback


Red stretch-floss over olive thread


Rowley's "Chromie"


Copper wire over green Flashabou


Chan's Black Sally (red Flashabou over black floss, coated w/ Sally Hanson's)


All have their moments... I usually start out with a 2-fly combo with a #12 Black Sally trailed by a smaller Chironomid (different color) and go from there.

If you want to see the masters at work, Chan and Rowley put together a fantastic video called Conquering Chironomids: [url "http://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Chironomids-Volume-Brian-Rowley/dp/B00ENT54HS"]http://www.amazon.com/...Rowley/dp/B00ENT54HS[/url]
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If you are talking stillwater, I tie most mine in a #12 and #14. I have been deep nymphing for about 25 years (long before I heard of Chan or Rowely) Chan has some killer patterns for sure.
I basically fill my box with maybe 8 different patterns. Blood midge being very important. and I do fish 2 or 3 in line.

The IRISH SPRING is a go to with a red tag butt, copper bead and wire and Kelly green mylar. The gills are very important.

And as mentioned the Ice Cream cone or Barber pole

The other go to is the black with white or red wire...again I find the gills very important


There are a bunch out there but as I said I have maybe 8 that I use on a regular basis.
Do not forget a Shammy with red wire rib for Strawberry.
Also BUZZERS.
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Thanks for the pics!
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Thanks FG! Back in the day I used to fish Buzzer's on the LoPro and would kill em'.
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Here is a pic of my Stillwater box (the 2 bottom rows are usually full of black and red Zebra Midges, I hadn't tied any yet for this year). We usually do really well with chironomids but in the last few years we've actually had our most productive days with Zebras and SOS's. Last week it was completely lights out on big black Zebras. (like size 10 or 12) I've attached a picture of one of the browns. I'm not much of a picture taker. Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help you get into stillwater fishing.
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Great, thanks! I need to get some 12 and 14 hooks...I am used to tying small for rivers and bigger buggers, need some mid size hooks!
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Also, I tie most of mine on Scud hooks. I'm not sure why we do that but it seems to work great. The straight shank on other hooks just looks too unnatural. you'll never pull a straight chironomid from a lake. Good luck.
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FishMids,

Do you get a lot of action on those damselfly nymphs? They look pretty sweet from where I'm sitting... but I'm no trout. []
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Yes, They are my go to fly in June. I usually tie them in tandem and use an extremely slow retrieve in the shallow midges flats of just about any lake. We've actually hammered the bass and crappie at a few warm water lakes already with them (earlie[reply][/reply]r than ever)
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Right when Jordanelle 1st opened we used to kill the trout in the Eock Cliff arm with Damsels, have a bunch tied now []
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Good to know. I carry a few that I tied... but pretty much just window dressing in my fly box thus far.
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I tie a Damsel nyymph on a scud hook as well as my mids. If anyone gets a chance to see a damsel nymph in the water they really wiggle! It was good enough to get published in the Flies For The Greater Yellowstone Area book...[]
I have always used flies a little bigger than normal, but don't forget I also tie #32's.
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[quote flygoddess]

I have always used flies a little bigger than normal, but don't forget I also tie #32's.

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#32... ugh... I'm out! [cool]

I draw the line these days at #22... in fact I haven't tied down to #24 or #26 since my Trico days on the limestoners back in PA.
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