I fished Beda this weekend and watched a couple of chironomid guys sit in their pontoon boats in the howling wind watching their "strike indicaters". I still call it bobber fishing, remonds me of sitting watching a bobber with a worm under it. Finally gave I don't know if they caught anything but it sure looked boring to me. I have caught fish trolling along with a wooly bugger and didn't feel that I was really fly fishing. What is real fly fishing? Finally gave up and caught some fish with hardware.
chriominid fishing
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In my opinion, fly fishing is about using materials and techinques to imitate a food source. Chironomid fishing can be very effective if you have the technique, depth, and pattern dialed in. My technique is not that refined, but I have seen guys catch in the pall park of a hundred fish in a half a day. You wouldn't call that boring, would you? (I do not condone this. In my opinion, there is a point at which you need to limit your catch, but you get the idea.) If you don't make an attempt to figure out how it works, and don't put the effort into trying it. Then how can you nock it?
Now I am not trying to be insulting here, but once again, in my opinion, switching to hardware demonstrates a lack in confidence in your own fly fishing abilities. I rarely get outfished by hardware or bait unless the lake has been recently planted with fish that haven't figured out what thier real food looks like, and even in these cases, I can usually keep up with the best of the gear/bait slingers.
Remember, it is not that one way is better. It is all about catching fish the way you want to catch fish. For me, bait and hardware just doesn't provide me with much satisfaction. I am happy to catch fewer fish if I can catch them the way I want to catch them!
Chris Grieve
:HMMM
Now I am not trying to be insulting here, but once again, in my opinion, switching to hardware demonstrates a lack in confidence in your own fly fishing abilities. I rarely get outfished by hardware or bait unless the lake has been recently planted with fish that haven't figured out what thier real food looks like, and even in these cases, I can usually keep up with the best of the gear/bait slingers.
Remember, it is not that one way is better. It is all about catching fish the way you want to catch fish. For me, bait and hardware just doesn't provide me with much satisfaction. I am happy to catch fewer fish if I can catch them the way I want to catch them!
Chris Grieve
:HMMM
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Who cares what "real fly fishing" is? The only circumstance when you'd need to think about it is on waters regulated as fly fishing only by the state. Then, as long as you are within the legal definition, it is "real fly fishing."
I also believe if you abide by the fly fishing regs for the most part you are fly fishing exept for the 3/4" from point of hook to shank of the hook, of course you have to abide by this rule in fly fishing only water but out side of fly only water I might use a bigger hook for maybe salmon or bottom fish.IF you don't add any scent and are not using any thing that moves on the fly beside the materials tied into it like a spinner blade on the front of your fly and our using a fly rod, fly reel and a fly line I believe you are fly fishing.
Thats just my opinion.I also don't have any problems with adding weight to my leader if legal and within reason I wouldn't use more than a couple small split shot.Basicly I agree with CUPONOODLE. :THUMBSUP
Thats just my opinion.I also don't have any problems with adding weight to my leader if legal and within reason I wouldn't use more than a couple small split shot.Basicly I agree with CUPONOODLE. :THUMBSUP
I am not knocking those guys sitting there staring at bobbers, I do intend to use what it takes to catch fish with whatever is legal. I am an opponent of bait fishing. I switched all of my lures to single hooks for the abilty to catch and release as well as better hookups. I am new to fly fishing, and I don't see the difference in any artificial fishing, if you can fool the fish, you are doing something right. I have a problem with passive fishing, sitting there waiting for something to happen (staring at a strike indicater or bobber)If something isn't happening, do something different.
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I to am not much for “indicator fishing” but, when you figure out what the fish are eating and what depth they are feeding at you can catch a lot of fish. I know people who chironomid fish almost exclusively. Their fly boxes can contain hundreds of different patterns and sizes of chironomids. They will switch patterns, depth, location, etc. until they find the proper combination that produces. Some of these guys have spent years figuring out what hatches when on a particular lake and where these hatches occur. Different “mids” will hatch at different times in different places on the same lake. I guess what I am saying here is you can take chironomid fish as far as you want to. It isn’t just tying on a bug with an indicator and throwing it out there hoping to catch a fish.
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My two cents....
Fly fishing isn't just dry flies on rivers on sunny days. There is more to it. I feel fly fishing is just that. Fishing with flies. That can mean dry flies, nymphs or whatever. There are many ways to fly fish. Some like nymphing only, some like dries only, some like chironomid only, some like a litttle of each. Its all "fly" fishing.
Tight Loops,
Adam
Fly fishing isn't just dry flies on rivers on sunny days. There is more to it. I feel fly fishing is just that. Fishing with flies. That can mean dry flies, nymphs or whatever. There are many ways to fly fish. Some like nymphing only, some like dries only, some like chironomid only, some like a litttle of each. Its all "fly" fishing.
Tight Loops,
Adam
I just started chironomid fishing some this spring. I really struggled at first, then read a number of things on the different techniques (there are several techniques fishing chironomids that don't involve an indicator) and talked to some guys I observed that really had it "dialed in". In many waters in the norhtwest and BC midges represent a significant percentage of the biomass in particular waters, and stomach content studies showed incredible numbers of midges. To me, fishing midges or chironomids is simply a very effective way of presenting a major food source to the trout. I enjoy sitting out their on the water, sipping a cup of Joe and slowly ( and I mean slowly) retrieving my chironomid with or without an indicator. Matching a chironomid hatch (size and color), finding the location of the hatch, and the depth the fish are working is really the fishing part of it, that make it rewarding when everything clicks. And after all it's only flyfishing, it's not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that. Tight Lines, Steve :WINK
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Fish till ya drop.
Then suck it up
and fish the evening hatch.
Some people cast to fish. Some people fish to cast. Those who fish to cast and those who are too unsettled and unsure of their abilities to fish chironomids will be better off paddling around the lake dragging nymphs,changing flies,exercising themselves,and watching the changing scenery,while us chironomiders catch most of the fish.
Those who fish chronies fish them for a several good reasons.
First,the fish in most of our lakes feed on them for about 75% of all their forage base. There are exceptions, but the feed/bite is nearly always on for chironomids.
Second,when you discover the right pattern,size,color, and most of all DEPTH/LOCATION at which the smorgasboard is taking place the fishing is fast.
Third,if you are old and lazy you can anchor up,haul out your sandwiches and beer, and C&R fish till your arthritus acts up.
Fourth,if the bite is not on, it's nearly as challenging as any other type of flyfishing finding the "secret of the day".
NOT BORING!
Fishnfella
aka: The Chironomid Kid
Then suck it up
and fish the evening hatch.
Some people cast to fish. Some people fish to cast. Those who fish to cast and those who are too unsettled and unsure of their abilities to fish chironomids will be better off paddling around the lake dragging nymphs,changing flies,exercising themselves,and watching the changing scenery,while us chironomiders catch most of the fish.
Those who fish chronies fish them for a several good reasons.
First,the fish in most of our lakes feed on them for about 75% of all their forage base. There are exceptions, but the feed/bite is nearly always on for chironomids.
Second,when you discover the right pattern,size,color, and most of all DEPTH/LOCATION at which the smorgasboard is taking place the fishing is fast.
Third,if you are old and lazy you can anchor up,haul out your sandwiches and beer, and C&R fish till your arthritus acts up.
Fourth,if the bite is not on, it's nearly as challenging as any other type of flyfishing finding the "secret of the day".
NOT BORING!
Fishnfella
aka: The Chironomid Kid
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