Chironomid patterns

[SBW]

I finally have some time to sit down and tie some flies. I am needed to tie up a bunch of chironomids. I always have fun tying these flies as the color combinations are endless.

What are everyone's favorites chironomid patterns to tie and use?
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[FOD]

I like using glass bead heads. I think they give off an attractive shimmer. I only have used them on still waters though.
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[flygoddess]

MY KINDA GUY!!! Wahoo.

My favorite pattern is this



What I mean, is the wing case and gills (same idea as on a Pheasant tail)
I like the gills out the side cause it wiggles more.
I use scud hooks and straight.
Black Floss with white wire and a black tungsten bead if probably my favorite, and the one above called the Irish Spring.
Also: Black/red wire, Black, blue wire, Brown, copper wire, Brown and yellow wire.
And of course the specialties of silver tinsel and holographic rib mixed with wire.
So many choices.
Oh and here is a double off a swim hook:



And lets not forget the BUZZERS:



And my newest...the TRANSFORMER:



PINK FLOYD can be a softhackle or a Chironomid:




I could just go on and on.....LOL
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[FOD]

those patterns are sweet FG I really liked the double, never seen that one before NICE[]. Any of those good for carp?
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[flygoddess]

I am going to find out..LOL
I bet you do use Chironomids on the river.

Appearance:
The larva have segmented bodies, are worm-like and look much like a long skinny grub or maggot. This appearance gradually changes as they develop into a pupa. The pupa develop an eye-spot and wing casing and most notably have feathery white gills near the head. The head and wing casing are usually one quarter to one third of the body length and the abdoman has 7 or 8 body seqments. Adults look like a mosquito with feathery antenna.

Allot of river flies fit that description.
And thank you!
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[SBW]

Great looking flies!!

I got into still water fishing them last year and have had a blast coming up with different patterns and color combinations.

What do you coat the buzzers with?
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[flygoddess]

Sally Hansen's Hard as nails. Several coats and I do have a drying wheel.
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[gstott]

I'm really liking the double pattern. I never thought of that, it's genius.
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[flygoddess]

To be honest, I got the idea from a magazine several years ago except it was a pair nymphs. The light went on in my head to make Chironomid twins.
Partridge "Swim Hook" #12.
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[gstott]

Well, in any case I really like the idea. Having to use such tiny hooks has been one thing that makes me shy away from fishing chironomids. Now I don't have to. I'll be tying some up shortyly for those southeastern Idaho waters. Was it at 24 Mile I remember you doing well with them? It's on my list of waters to try this year.
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[flygoddess]

They work great the MAJORITY of the year for sure, just like scuds and sows.
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[Leaky33]

Ok, I've got to ask a question that is bugging me. I've been catching some nice trout and whities on the Weeb (below Echo), and the few I have opened up I find them full of stuff that I sure would like to identify. Tried to describe it to a fly shop and they said it was midge larva. Well, I googel imaged it and doesn't look like the stuff. So I did some searching on my own and the closest thing I can find is that they are full of the tubes/cases of cased caddis. I've attached some pics. that seem to be real close to the tube/cases that I find. The size of these cases are about 1/4 in. and black and smother than the pics. but maybe that's because they were in the stomach and partially digested? What I'm, asking is am I right that what I'm finding are cased caddis and is it worth finding a fly to mimick?

Leaky



[inline "cased caddis.jpg"]


[inline Caddis_larve_in_case.jpg]
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[flygoddess]

Absolutely cased caddis and most definitely worth duplicating.

I came up with a simple pattern way back.



The caddis is foam and the eye of the hook has a tungsten bead so the hook floats bend up.

This has been a secret weapon for me that I don't talk much about, but on another forum, several have found the beauty in this fly.

Another really cool pattern is;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNaEQTNIC...re=related
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[Leaky33]

I guess now I have 2 more questions. #1 Is this just a winter fly and if so how long does it las? #2, when I can come up with a few nickles, where can I pick up a reasonable replica of the cased caddis for our area? Boy,thefish I've been catching in this area for the last couple of months have been full of em. I would assume they need to be fished slow, bouncing along the bottom or just sitting on the bottom of deep holes. [][]
P.S. is size 18 about right?
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[gstott]

They've been really effective for me as well. One trick that I learned that seems to work well with this pattern is to use a white paint pen and paint maybe six to twelve inches of your tippet above the fly. Cased caddis will travel downstream on strings of silk, so it makes sense. It sounds weird, but I've had good success with it. As for where to pick up the patterns, I'm not sure, I tye my own. I'm sure some of the online shops would have some.
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[FOD]

Leaky,
a while back I fished the weeb and wasnt catching much of anything. I then hooked into a submerged stick, pulled it in and it was covered with those little bug casings. popped one open and just like the ones in you pics they were little green caddis. Couldnt find any n my box so I butchered up some bwo down to just the body so it looked just like that little green larva that are inside the casings. Threw it under a couple of splitshot and and indicator and started popping fish left and right. That is what I used to catch my hog a while ago. I think the fish in the like the color green no matter what the pattern is. This might not help answer your Q but I thought you might be interested.
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[flygoddess]

I have only fished them in the winter, but I would think toward the end of June, beginning of July, try them again. Maybe at the beginning of a caddis hatch.
As far a size, I tie them in 12 to 16 streamer (long shank) You want them a little big as it is the case and the larva.
Who sells them? I have no idea, I tie my own.
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[Leaky33]

Thanks gstott, FOD, flygoddess and anyone else that tries to help this old geezer:
Now that I've kidnapped the subject a bit, some more questions. I've also wondered about helgrammites (sp?)? Any suggestions on flies, sources, etc. rather than rolling some rocks and putting em on a #14hook? After all thereare sectiones of many rivers that are artificial lure or fly only restrictiones.
SBW - any comment on tying your flies for these?
Any way - thanks, this has been informative. Still looking for a source, ain't got no fly tying equip.
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[riverdog]

Cabelas sells cased caddis flies but I've never used them as they don't look good to me. I have a friend that picks ups some nice ones for me occasionally but he gets them a store in Butte MT.
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[lunkerhunter2]

I have a box full of them i never use. Maybe we could trade some huh? I don't like this particular fly. Never caught anything off it.[frown]
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