Chironomid Fishing!!

Most of us have heard about Chironomid fishing or the term "Chirono bobbin" from a fellow fly fisherman, or over heard the buzz in the local fly shop. So what is every body so worked up about?

Well here are just a few things I've learned about chironomids.

1. They exist all over the world!
2. They are found in any aquatic environment.
3. They hatch from ice off to ice on.
4. A trout relies on them for a at least 50% (maybe more) of their diet year round.


With these four things in mind this why I fish them.

When a chironomid is ready to head for the surface it wriggles its way out of the mud and makes its journey to the surface very slowly becoming an easy target. It will rest many times before it reaches surface. This is why we "Chirono Bob". Putting on an indicator and suspending your fly is the best way to imitate this process.
Big trout are lazy!! They spend their day slowly swimming around slurping up this easy and abundant food source.
Once they reach the surface they are still an easy target. This is the time when the lake is like glass and most of us can get so frustrated trying to figure out what that those trout are lazily sipping on. Take the indicator off, put on a non bead head or hatching midge pattern and try your best to get that fly a few feet in front of the feeding fish.

Finally, when they are an adult they are not much of a target for the trout. But don't rule it out!

There are many different sizes and color variations that you should carry in your box. This is due to many factors, water clarity, oxygen levels, temp, and makeup of the lake your fishing.

Needless to say I have a whole box devoted to just chironomid patterns for a reason!