Superfloss Chironomid
Jan
1
Written by:
1/1/2012 12:15 PM
SUPERFLOSS CHIRONOMID
Printable PDF copy of patternBy Bob Bates
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Comments:
There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of chironomid patterns available. Here is one that Jim Maus of Lakewood, WA uses to catch a lot of fish. He was tying it at the 2011 International Fly Fishing Fair in West Yellowstone, MT.
Some people look down on chironomid fishing, and call it bobber fishin’. Even if for the dry fly purest this isn’t their preferred technique it is an effective way to fish. Chironomids live in the oxygen poor environment of lake or stream bottom mud. To compensate they have extra hemoglobin in their blood. For that reason the naturals and imitations of them are red or at least partially red. Also, chironomids hatch anytime there is open water, even in the middle of winter.
For most anglers the first technique is to use a floating line and suspend the fly under a strike indicator (bobber) so it is a foot or so above the bottom or weeds. The original instructions called for casting the fly directly downwind from a boat anchored at both ends. Any waves or ripples on the water surface move the bobber and fly up and down. Retrieve the fly very slowly. Fish don’t always feed at the bottom, so a fish finder will help find them if they are higher in the water column. Watch the strike indicator and wait for a fish to pull it under or move it in a strange direction. Usually it will go under when you are pouring a cup of coffee or watching a bird fly by. Casting crosswind or even upwind sometimes works.
If strike indicator fishing is not your cup of tea then dredging might work for you. Use a full sinking line, cast as far as you can, count the line down to near the bottom and retrieve the line very slowly. If there are weeds on the fly when it comes in shorten the count and if no weeds lengthen the count. Vary the retrieve also.
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Materials & Equipment:
Hook: Straight eye hook, 2487 Scud, Tiemco 200R depending on the desired body length, #18 or 22
Bead: Clear
Thread: 70 denier, white
Gills: Flurofiber, white
Rib: Silver wire, 0.006-inch
Body: Super floss, red
Thorax: Peacock herl
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Step 1: Debarb hook, slide bead on, put hook in vise and push bead to back. Start thread at eye.
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Step 2: Tie on gills with as few wraps as possible right behind the eye. The gills are a very fine clear sparkly material.
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Step 3: Whip finish and trim thread. Slide bead forward to eye.
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Step 4: Reattach thread behind bead. Color of thread depends on color of Super floss going to use. Sometimes Jim will use white thread to accent the color of the Super floss. Secure rib wire and Super floss behind bead, stretch Super floss wind thread rearward over Super floss and wire to just around the bend. Keep everything on top of hook. Then move thread forward to back of bead.
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Step 5: Wrap Super floss forward, stretching it at first then easing up to build a little bit of a taper. Secure and trim excess behind bead.
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Step 6: Spiral rib forward to bead, secure and trim.
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Step 7:
Tie one strand of peacock herl in behind the bead. Put it in a dubbing loop. Catch the peacock herl with a dubbing tool, and spin the tool to capture the herl and thread. Then three or four wraps of herl is enough. Trim the gills.
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Step 8: Whip finish between the bead and the herl. It helps to put a little head cement on the thread just before the last turn of the whip finish.
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Closing Comments:
This pattern can be altered in many ways. Using black thread under the red Super floss will change the color to burgundy. The white thread can be spotted with a felt pen. The fly can be given a hot butt by leaving the thread white at the very back and darkening the rest of it. It is an easy pattern to tie and it is effective in many lakes on both sides of the Washington Cascades. Over the years I have used chironomids to catch a variety of trout in both lakes and streams. Sometimes the action is fast, but other times enjoy the scenery or move to another spot. For the smallest patterns use the herl from the peacock sword feather.
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