Long Lining Chironomids!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Courtesy of www.flyguys.net ..........a top BC trout blog.


"This is an exceptional article on deep water chironomid fishing witten by By Jason Majoskey (AKA Mr Rainbow). It was edited by Al Horne (horneblower) & Illustrated by Dale Sharp (Sharpy). It’s a fairly long read but well worth your while to go through it all - it will improve your fishing! Thanks guys for sharing this valuable information and allowing us to post it on our site! "

http://flyguys.net/blog/fishing-information/still-water-fly-fishing/long-lining-chironomids

[SHigSpeed]

This is such a confidence game. I'd LOVE to hang out and learn the chironomid ropes from a guru in waters where it is effective.

I've tried a few times and have only done well a couple of times. Generally if it doesn't work out within a half an hour I go back to stripping or kick trolling.

Maybe this is the year? :)

_SHig

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Stillwater Seminar in July @ Davis Lake with Rhil Rowley and Bill Forward

http://www.flyfishstillwater.com/

[SHigSpeed]

Stillwater Seminar in July @ Davis Lake with Rhil Rowley and Bill Forward

http://www.flyfishstillwater.com/

Yes! Couldn't make it last year - maybe this time. :)

_SHig

[Bull_Dog]

This is such a confidence game. I'd LOVE to hang out and learn the chironomid ropes from a guru in waters where it is effective.

I've tried a few times and have only done well a couple of times. Generally if it doesn't work out within a half an hour I go back to stripping or kick trolling.

Maybe this is the year? :)

_SHig

Shig, Doug Ouellette has spent a ton of time mastering this technique. First you have to be in a spot that has deep enough water. Davis is really not that type of lake. Last year I fished with Doug at Frenchman's. We were anchored in 50 feet of water fshing to suspended fish in 30 feet. We caught almost 40 fish using midges fished vertically right under the boat. There are 3 or 4 ways to access deeper water fish using this type of method. We cover all of them in our 5-Dot Ranch clinic. I would put Doug up against anyone in a stillwater situation, especially in deeper water.

Rob

[SHigSpeed]

Shig, Doug Ouellette has spent a ton of time mastering this technique. First you have to be in a spot that has deep enough water. Davis is really not that type of lake. Last year I fished with Doug at Frenchman's. We were anchored in 50 feet of water fshing to suspended fish in 30 feet. We caught almost 40 fish using midges fished vertically right under the boat. There are 3 or 4 ways to access deeper water fish using this type of method. We cover all of them in our 5-Dot Ranch clinic. I would put Doug up against anyone in a stillwater situation, especially in deeper water.

Rob

Cool! Did you use sonar to mark depth first or is it more trial and error?

Still can't imagine casting a 30 - 40 foot leader...

_SHig

[jbird]

Shig,

Ive done a bunch of the deep midging and having electronics is a +. But Ive done well without them too. Find a place where you suspect fish to be, look for hatching chironomids or shucks on the water. Cast out about the amount of line that matches the depth youre in. (you can find the depth easily by clipping your forceps on your fly and let it down to the bottom)

Cast out and let it settle straight down. Do a painfully slow retrieve. Note the depth in your retrieve where your getting bit. Super effective!

[Bull_Dog]

Dang Jay, You got it.

Anyway, electronics are a huge asset. I also will use break away indicators to try to narrow down the depth of the fish. I actually have a fly line for this technique where there is no fly line. Mono on the reel down to flourocarbon. You can use knots to measure depth in the system. I also tie my flies heavy so they do not take so long to sink.

We teach all these techniques in our advanced weekend at the Dot. Worth its weight in gold for anyone wanting to spend less time back trolling in no man's land.

Rob

[catch&release]

Dang Jay, You got it.

Anyway, electronics are a huge asset. I also will use break away indicators to try to narrow down the depth of the fish. I actually have a fly line for this technique where there is no fly line. Mono on the reel down to flourocarbon. You can use knots to measure depth in the system. I also tie my flies heavy so they do not take so long to sink.

We teach all these techniques in our advanced weekend at the Dot. Worth its weight in gold for anyone wanting to spend less time back trolling in no man's land.

Rob

Rob, I have heard many good things about Doug O. and I cant wait to be able to fish with him. If you want to learn in more detail about this technique or stillwater fishing I would take Rob and Doug up on there stillwater class at 5 dot. You could learn more in that class in a short period of time instead of trying to figure out everthing your self over years of fly fishing. Would be worth every penny to attend there stillwater course.

Unless you have fished a certain lake year after year and know where the fish are in the deeper water you must have electronics. You dont want to be blind fishing in 25 to 50 feet of water and trying to guess the depth they are cruising.

Long lining has to be the most fun way to take fish in deeper water because of the way the fish will take the fly. The takes can be as aggresive as stripping a perch fry pattern so you have to have some soft hands at times especialy if the fly is straight down under the boat.

I like to use a special leader made up of spectra (spectra has no stretch in it whatsoever) around 15 to 20 feet and the rest of the depth in florocarbon leader material. I prefer to use a indicator for this application but use the same slow retrieve technique you use in long lining. As Rob says you must use flys that are weighted or with tungston. I prefer to put the weight in the fly and not use split shot. Using split in my opinion only weakens the leader. These long leaders are a bear to cast if you dont use the roll cast to bring them up out of the depths and straighten then out before you cast. Because I have been doing this forever I think this is the reason I am a good roll caster.

You must also work on your hook setting technique because when you have floating fly line up on the water and a 25 to 30 foot leader down below you can't just swing away on the fish as hard as you can. You must concentrate on picking the floating line up off the water just as you would when picking line up in a cast and this will get the tension down to the fly much faster than just trying to set the hook like when you are bass fishing.

I dont think I will be doing any deep water midge fishing at Crowley this year. The ice came off Crowley in early January and this is going to make everything happen much faster than normal. The lake is going to turn over much, much earlier than normal and by the time they open the gates at the end of April we may find fish in 15 feet of water or less. I for one am looking forward to this if it happens.

Ernie Gulley

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

When we were float tubing for trout on lakes over 40 years ago fly fishers did not have that any different ways to fish.

If there was a hatch or bugs on the top we fished dries. We also cast nymphs to rising fish.

Otherwise we used a full sinking weight forward type 2 sinking line with a nymph,
wooley worm or streamer.

After that in the 1970s ? came along the new leech patterns and the famous Wooley Bugger.

Fish locators were new back then too.


Back then in BC people would row a small boat with a fly rod or two out the back pulling flies around a lake.

Lots of the new lake techneques were developed up in BC by the locals there.

Some years back we sold a new book on different types of lake fishing from BC, "The Gilly".

http://www.amazon.ca/Gilly-flyfishers-guide-Alfred-Davy/dp/0889256381

.

[jbird]

Ive always used a full sinking, type IV line for this technique. I use a shortish flouro leader with a big heavy bugger on the point for my "anchor". This system drops like a rock! Then about 16" above the bugger, I tie a blood knot leaving a long tag end which I tie my chironomid to. 16 more inches up, tie on another (if youre allowed 3 flies (Canada only allows a single fly)). Leave your tag ends long enough to tie the flies on using a loop knot for optimum action. But the final knot should keep the fly close to your leader or it will be more prone to tangle.

Pulling only enough line off the reel for the depth, cast out and keep tension on your line while it sinks. getting bit on the drop happens a lot on the bugger. Fishing the drop is a deadly presentation, even when just casting and stripping for trout. So many guys miss bites on the drop because they dont "fish" the drop in lakes. Its subtle, you have to learn to feel it.

I have never used a shooting head system for deep midging, but always thought it might be a good deal. Using the right length of t8 or t11 for your rod and a mono running line would probably be a dynamite way to do it.

I like the short leader for easy casting and also you want to strip your flies all the way to the surface. once your leader knot comes above the water, finish your retrieve by slowly lifting the rod. I have had fish come rocketing out of the depths and nail my fly right near the surface like a mack truck. Pretty cool way to fish.

[Adam Grace]

I realize that this can be effective but I never have electronics and this method of fishing is just to slow and boring for my tastes. I bought Rowley and Forwards book, and I tied lots of midges patterns that I found in their book and they have been sitting around going basically unused for years now. I tried their techniques after I got the book and I didn't find much luck when I used them but I also couldn't take the slow and boring technique. It seemed to muh like bait fishing, and I switched over to fly fishing for the constant adjustments and movement that was lacking when I grew up bait fishing.

I realize that it can be very effective and more power to the fly fishers that can be that slow and methodical :)

[Troutstalker55B]

Well Adam, I agree with your perspective of long lining being slow and boring. I also think it should be a part of a still water angler’s skill, the more tools on the belt the better. I’m not that sold on the Canadian way of approaching still waters here in Northern California. We have many special lakes that can be fished from shore where true trout stalking skills are required – You’re hunting a wild animal by sight with a dry fly! I do like Phil’s simple midge patterns though and if you’re a numbers guy than long lining and fishing indicators is the way to go.
Jon.

[gene goss]

The lake itself will tell you what technique, or fly to use for that time you are going to fish the stillwater lake. Fly fishing stillwater require's many technique to fish it through the whole season....BUT....you need to know which ones to use when you start your fishing day.
I like to watch for nervous water and stalk the trout during the damsel fly hatch, so i pick the right date and time to do this technique.

[catch&release]

The lake itself will tell you what technique, or fly to use for that time you are going to fish the stillwater lake. Fly fishing stillwater require's many technique to fish it through the whole season....BUT....you need to know which ones to use when you start your fishing day.
I like to watch for nervous water and stalk the trout during the damsel fly hatch, so i pick the right date and time to do this technique.

I agree with you. I love to cast to nervous water, riseforms etc. I prefer not to see the fish swimming but I love the anticipation of making that cast to the fish and not knowing when you are going to get the rod pulled out of your hand.

The other thing about stillwater techniques is that when you are working on a specific technique or tactic and there are guys around you are using a different technique and slaying fish, it takes allot of discipline to stay with your offering. It is much easier when anglers are not around to distract you from your task.

Ernie Gulley

[Cmcculloch]

What is the purpose of these super long leaders? I've seen references to 12 - 18 feet of leader.

[jbird]

What is the purpose of these super long leaders? I've seen references to 12 - 18 feet of leader.

You need super long leaders if youre fishing deep water with a floating line, like described in the article.

[krazy]

Hi guys,

krazy here from flyguys.net. Great site you have here!

I see you found Jason's article on long lining chironomids. It's really a great read ... he really knows his stuff! He just submitted another article on sight fishing if any of you guys are interested you can check it out on the site.



This is such a confidence game. I'd LOVE to hang out and learn the chironomid ropes from a guru in waters where it is effective.

I've tried a few times and have only done well a couple of times. Generally if it doesn't work out within a half an hour I go back to stripping or kick trolling.

Maybe this is the year? :)

_SHig

Keep trying SHigSpeed ... once you figure it out you will have a hard time going back to kicking!



Dang Jay, You got it.

Anyway, electronics are a huge asset....

They are but this method is totally doable without. Generally where the chronies are coming off the fish will be. I typically start at the bottom and slowly work my way up until I hit the feeding zone.



.... this method of fishing is just to slow and boring for my tastes. ... I realize that it can be very effective and more power to the fly fishers that can be that slow and methodical :)

Trust me, once you figure this out the action is fast and furious! ;)

Take care ....... K

[Troutstalker55B]

Sight Fishing? Now You got my attention Krazy, and thanks for your input here. Some day I'll have to check out those BC stillwaters.

Jon.