Chrinomide fishing

[MBM1969]

I am looking to expand my stillwater fishing skills and want to learn more about fishind chrinomides. What set ups do you use to fish them? I have heard of people using slip bobbers as a strike indicator, where do you find them and how are the rigged?
[signature]

[flygoddess]

Slip indicators was an idea my hubby and I came across many years ago while fishing a lake.
When Chironomiding, we are fishing sometimes 30' deep. While on this lake there were two locals that had this down to a science, but every time a fish was on, they struggled trying to get the indicator off so they could reel in.

My hubby found this indicator somewhere, I think a Canadian site and we asked a local store owner about his ability to get them. He found someone that could indeed make them and the rest was history.

They are styrofoam balls or eggs with a plastic peg. You use floating line and attach straight fishing line (your choice of which) to the fly line as the leader. Slide the indy and the peg (your choice which direction) onto you leader. Using sonar you find the depth, then you measure out the leader making it one foot or more from the bottom. Set the indy and let it suspend the Chironomid off the bottom.
You can run three chironomids on this leader spreading them 2 to 3 feet apart as well.

Most fishing stores (and myself) sell these indicators and I have a video on my blog demoing how to use them.
One of my favorite ways to fish.

Note: this can also be done with a fast sinking line like a Type VII and marking the line for different feet. Cast out only what the depth is, let it sit, then slow retrieve.
[signature]

[TylerKunz]

Do you strip them in or just let them drift?
[signature]

[MBM1969]

Thanks Flygoddess, I will check out your site and possible buy some form you.

Mark
[signature]

[flygoddess]

You bet, just give a pm on where to send them,

Tyler, No on the stripping. With that long of leader, you will be reeling it in too. Don't try stripping the leader. More chop on the water the better, but an occasional twitch helps. It is basically worm and bobber.
[signature]

[TylerKunz]

Got it, thanks!
[signature]

[TylerKunz]

[quote MBM1969]Thanks Flygoddess, I will check out your site and possible buy some form you.

Mark[/quote] grab a couple of her furled leaders too... They are the best I have used. Plus she adds a little metal ring at the end so you dont have to do a perfection loop every time... Genius!
[signature]

[OldTroller]

I wrote about chironomid fishing in my book "Success On Stillwater" you can get it on amazon but I will cover how I do the sinking line version here because FG did a good job on the indicator type.

I tie on a couple 'mids about two feet apart. To the bottom fly I clip on a pair of hemostats. I lower that set up right off the tip of my rod down into the water. On my reel is a type 7 sink rate line then the leader then the two flies.

When the hemostats hit the bottom put the rest of your line on your reel and bring up the flies and take off the hemos. Lower your flies back into the water. From there you can kick backwards, drift with the wind or slow hand twist retrieve the fly all the way up.

If you bring up moss/weeds then you drifted over some shallower section and either need to get back over deeper water or readjust your depth.

I do both indicator chironomid fishing and deep line chironomid fishing and they both have their place. I limit using an indicator to 8' deep or shallower. If it's 8' and deeper i use the sinking line method.

Good luck, maybe we can meet up and I'll show you my set up. AND I can second the furled leader Joni sells get a couple of them. They work great.
[signature]

[MBM1969]

What size indicator? I am guesing the small ones are easier to cast but harder to see on the water.
[signature]

[flygoddess]

True. I use 1" indicators. Water is usually choppy and they are not only easier to see, many times they aid in setting the hook.
Calm days I due use smaller ones. Most the people that have bought them from me for stillwater ended up preferring the large and XLarge.
[signature]