I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF MY NEW PRESENTATION, “CHIRONOMIDS TOP TO BOTTOM” THIS HAS BEEN A VERY WELL RECEIVED NEW PRESENTATION AND I HAVE ENJOYED SHARING IT WITH FLY FISHING SHOWS, FLY FISHING CLUBS, ANGLERS AND FRIENDS. I WANT TO TOUCH JUST A LITTLE ON HOW IMPORTANT CHIRONOMIDS ARE IN A TROUTS DIET AND HOW TO FISH THE DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE LIFE OF THE CHIRONOMID. MY SLIDE BELOW, SHOWS THAT IN A YEAR ROUND DIET OF TROUT, CHIRONOMIDS ARE ABOUT 40% OF WHAT A TROUT WILL EAT! THIS BLOG ENTRY WILL ONLY COVER THE FIRST STAGE OF THE CHIRONOMID, THE LARVA STAGE, HOWEVER IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I WILL BE SHARING A FEW MORE STAGES AND MY TACTICS FOR FLY FISHING WITH CHIRONOMIDS, TOP TO BOTTOM!
IN THE SPRING TIME, A TROUTS DIET WILL INCREASE TO 50%, HOWEVER IN PROLIFIC FISHERIES LIKE CROWLEY LAKE, THIS PERCENTAGE OF INTAKE COULD BE AS HIGH AS 85% OF THE TROUTS DIET!
IN THE LIFE CYCLE BELOW OF THE CHIRONOMID, WE WILL FOCUS ONLY ON THE LARVA STAGE OF THE LIFE CYCLE!
AS YOU CAN SEE, TROUT WILL FOCUS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE FLOOR, SEEKING OUT THE LARVA BEFORE THE PUPA HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO BECOME ACTIVE. THIS IS THE TIME TO FISH YOUR PATTERNS CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM, 2″ TO 6″ ALONG THE LAKE FLOOR BECAUSE AGAIN THE TROUT HAVE THEIR NOSE’S IN THE MUD, LOOKING FOR ALL OF THE LARVA IN THE LAKE FLOOR! THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL EATERS, JUST LIKE US, THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR FOOD IS AT ALL TIMES.
THIS IS WHAT THE LARVA LIVE IN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE FLOOR. THEY BUILD LITTLE MUD TUBES AS THEIR HOMES! THIS AGAIN IS WHY WE AS ANGLERS NEED TO FISH OUR PATTERNS AS CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE FLOOR AS POSSIBLE. EXPERIMENT WITH DEPTH AND MOVE THEM UP AND DOWN IN THAT 2″ TO 6″ RANGE.
HERE IS A PHOTO OF THE REAL LARVA. NOTICE HOW SLIM AND LONG THEY ARE IN THIS STAGE. ALSO NOTICE THAT THEY STILL HAVE A DISTINCT RIBBING OR SEGMENTATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN TRY TO IMITATE WHEN WE TIE OUR PATTERNS TO IMITATE THE LARVA IN THIS STAGE.
IF YOU DON’T THINK THE TROUT LIKE TO SEEK OUT AND EAT THE LARVA, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THROAT SAMPLE FROM A 16″ FISH. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I THINK THIS STAGE OF THE CHIRONOMID IS THE MOST UNDER FISHED IN ALL OF THE STILLWATERS. EVEN THOUGH THEY FEED A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE EARLY MORNINGS, BEFORE THE PUPA START TO EMERGE, THIS CAN BE SOME OF THE BEST FISHING AND WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF ANGLERS AROUND OUT ON THE WATER THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING.
HERE IS JUST ONE SAMPLE OF MY BLOOD MIDGE LARVA PATTERNS. I FEEL YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 6 DIFFERENT COLORS SO YOU CAN DIAL IN YOUR PATTERNS. IF YOU SWITCH UP YOUR COLORS “DIALING IT IN” AS I CALL IT, YOU CAN TRIGGER THE TROUT TO TAKE YOUR FLY AT A MUCH FASTER PACE! REDS, BLOOD REDS, BROWNS, PURPLES, MAROONS AND SOMETIMES OLIVE OR GREENS WORK VERY WELL!
I HOPE IN SOME WAY THIS GETS YOUR JUICES FLOWING AND HELPS PREPARE YOU FOR A FANTASTIC SPRING TIME IN WHATEVER STILLWATER YOU FISH THIS NEW YEAR. I WILL BE GUIDING CROWLEY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OUT ON THE WATER THIS SPRING.
I WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT STAGE OF THE CHIRONOMID LIFE CYCLE NEXT WEEK SO STAY TUNED!
I do love me some “Stillwater” fly fish……Ernie
I HOP