Chironomid Patterns

 

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 Flies With a Story #78

 

Some Thoughts on the Development of Chironomid Patterns

Story and Flies by Paul DiNolo, Duxbury MA

Paul says he has been "learning" about fly fishing for the last forty years. My own experience fishing with Paul on the streams of New Hampshire and Vermont tells me otherwise. Though his article below is about stillwater trout fishing, I can tell you first-hand that if you give Paul a parachute Adams, EHC, Griffith's Gnat or foam beetle on a trout stream, then you will see a master at work! 

I first met Paul when he was president of our local branch of United Fly Tiers, when in 1995 my then 12 year old son and I wanted to learn to tie flies. Just over the past few years Paul and I have had a chance to fish together, and I now look forward to several annual "sorties" with Paul to some of his favorite haunts in the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Recently retired after thirty-five years of teaching mathematics at the high school level, Paul now divides his time with his family, his friends, his part-time position as an adjunct faculty member of Massasoit Community College, and his passion for angling and tying. Living near the ocean just north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, he even fishes for stripers and bluefish from time to time. But his first choice will always be trout.

I have been fly fishing the trout ponds of southeastern Massachusetts for well over thirty years.  During that time I have been working on the formulation of effective fly patterns that successfully imitate the prevalent chironomid species, which form a major part of the food chain. The trout, which are planted in these ponds, have come to depend on this abundant food supply for a large portion of their nourishment.

The ponds provide two major chironomid feeding periods each year. One of these periods is in the spring, from approximately the last week of March to the first week of June. The second yearly chironomid emergence occurs in the fall, from as early as the last week in September (in those years when the water temperature drops off quickly) to the first or second week in December.

Years ago, when little information was available on the chironomid life cycle, my fishing buddies and I used whatever flies in our boxes looked most like the prevailing hatch, with no particular regard for accuracy in form, size or behavior. Eventually we started to gain some insight through trial and error as well as from contact with a number of anglers who hailed from England, Scotland and Ireland. These fellows always seemed to be doing quite well on our local trout ponds, even when we were having a rough time negotiating with the trout. It turns out that the anglers from the United Kingdom have been light years ahead of us when it comes to still water trout fishing. Today, with the proliferation of many fine international angling publication and Web sites, much of this tedious trial and error can be circumvented.

Peter Frailey and I fish together frequently, and during one of our fishing conversations he asked if I would be willing to pull together a sample of some of the more recent patterns so that he might photograph them and add them to his Web site. As always, I am tremendously impressed with Peter’s photographic skills. I hope that my brief descriptions will complement his fine shots. The order in which Peter photographed these flies is not necessarily the order in which they were developed. I will present the information in the same order that Peter e-mailed me the images.

- Paul DiNolo

Chironomid #1: Foam Head Emerger


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: Standard wet fly hook #14 to #18
Thread: 6/0 or 8/0 nylon (black)
Body and Tail: 3 strands of dark turkey tail fibers
Rib: Tying thread wrapped and counter wrapped
Head/Wing Case: Small piece of closed cell foam (white or gray)


Background:

This pattern was designed to behave like the chironomid as it goes from the pupal stage to the emergent state. With careful observation of the natural you can actually see the gray wing pop up through the water’s surface and begin to unfurl. The bugs are very vulnerable at this particular time and the trout will take them in a very deliberate manner.

If properly tied, the fly will hang vertically in the water column and look very much like the natural insect.

 

Chironomid #2: The Loop Wing Adult


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Photo by Peter Frailey

Tying Sequence:

Hook: Standard dry fly hook #14 to #18
Thread: 6/0 to 8/0 nylon (black)
Thorax: Peacock herl
Wing: Floating yarn tied in a loop (medium blue dun)
Hackle: Dry fly quality grizzly tied through thorax


Background:

This fly was designed to simplify the representation of the newly hatched adult chironomid. My original attempts at imitating the adults resulted in a “delta-winged” pattern, which was difficult to tie, and did not have behavior characteristics that matched the natural's “skittering” pre-flight motion.

The “Loop Wing Adult” incorporates ease of construction with accurate surface behavior and durability. I now use it exclusively when the trout are taking the freshly hatched adults just before they become airborne.

 

Chironomid #3:  The Extended Body “Wiggle” Pupa


photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: Standard wet fly hook #14 to #18
Thread: 6/0 to 8/0 nylon (black)
Thorax: Peacock herl
Body: woven nylon “tassel” material (olive or gray) with the tip glued


Background:

Most department stores have a crafts section, and many of them carry woven tassels in a variety of colors. When short sections of this material are attached to the hook and extended to the rear of the fly, an effective undulating motion is built into the fly.

This particular pupa pattern is very easy to tie, and you can crank out many color and size variations in very short order. Just be sure to fuse the tip of the extended body with a good waterproof adhesive so that the tassel material won’t unravel when you cast the fly. This fly is best fished with a short deliberate stripping motion, which allows the body extension to wiggle seductively.

 

Chironomid #4: The Woody


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: Ring eye hook (either wet fly or dry fly) #14 to #18
Thread:
6/0 or 8/0 nylon (black)
Tail: Wood duck flank fibers
Body: Peacock herl
Rib: Krystal Flash (pearlescent)
Wing: Wood duck fibers


Background:

It is my understanding that this is a venerable old pattern, which has enjoyed a fair amount of success on the trout ponds of southeastern Massachusetts. It was shown to me many years ago, and I remember that it caught some fish when nothing else seemed to be working.

Looking at the pattern now in the light of my research on chironomids, I can find very little about it to indicate that it tries to imitate any type of midge. Still, it does incorporate peacock herl, a proven trout-catching ingredient, and I’ve never been one to argue with success, so I still use it. I have added one minor material update by using Krystal Flash in place of the more traditional tinsel or wire ribbing. The Woody is best fished just beneath the surface with a steady retrieve. You should try to make your casts to areas where the trout have been rising.

 

Chironomid #5:  Midge Pupa


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: Standard wet fly hook #14 to #18
Thread: 6/0 to 8/0 nylon (white)
Body: Floss, dubbed fur, stripped peacock herl, or stripped hackle stem.  To add flash, try a single strand of pearlescent Krystal Flash
Thorax: Peacock herl
Wing Case / Gills: Clear antron fibers (pulled forward)


Background:

I have used a variety of body materials in this pupa recipe: floss, dubbed fur, stripped peacock herl and stripped hackle stems. . All of these have worked well for me, depending on the situation.  But there are instances when the trout seem to want a pupa whose body displays just a bit more flash. So, more recently I have experimented with single strands of Krystal Flash.  Pearlescent is effective, but try other colors, too

All my pupal imitations work best when fished on a long fine leader with little or no imparted action. If you keep a fairly tight line, the natural motion of the wind acting on the surface of the water will provide just enough movement to draw strikes. As usual, the best results come from casting to areas where fish are actively feeding.

 

Chironomid # 6: Dark Dun Emerger


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: 2-X long nymph hook #14 to #18
Thread: 6/0 or 8/0 nylon (black)
Gills (anal): clear antron fibers
Body: fur dubbing (dark dun)
Wing Case/Gills: (cephalic) clear antron fibers (pulled forward)


Background:

This pattern is a favorite of my good friend and constant fishing companion Dennis Fitzgerald. We have been using it for many years and find it especially effective on dark days when the trout want a pattern that is a bit more subdued in tone. Fish this like any other emerger or pupa.

 

Chironomid #7: The Plastic Pupa


Photo by Peter Frailey

 

Tying Sequence:

Hook: standard wet fly hook #14 to # 18
Thread:
6/0 or 8/0 nylon (black)
Gills:
(anal and cephalic) clear antron fibers
Body:
any plastic material like Larva-Lace or V-Rib (choice of colors)

Thorax:
peacock herl


Background:

This is yet another variation on the same pupa theme. Its main advantages are increased durability and a slightly better sink rate. This is fished just like all the other pupa patterns. Since they are not difficult to produce, it is easy enough to carry a good supply of each pattern so you can go to some alternatives when the action is slow. Or, if the fishing is very good, I will sometimes keep switching flies to see if there is any pattern that isn’t working (this doesn’t happen nearly often enough).


Some Final Comments:

These seven patterns represent only the current stage of development of my midge fly evolution. They are by no means an end point. I look forward to each spring so that I can continue to tinker with these fly designs.

By the way, if you wanted to simplify the whole fly selection process for this type of fishing, you could do no better than to choose the Griffith’s Gnat. There is no doubt in my mind that it has been the single most effective chironomid imitator that I have ever used, and I am never without it when I’m fishing. Still, I do enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I tie a new fly that shows some promise, and I hope I always will.

 

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