Fishing Chironomid Patterns with a Floating Line.
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This technique is excellent in the spring due to the huge chironomid hatches. At this time of year, chironomids can compose over 50% of a trout's diet. When you get this technique down, and use it when the trout are keyed in on chironomids, you will catch more fish in a short amount of time than you ever have in the past!
For this technique you will need a floating line and a long leader. I use a 9 foot 5wt rod with a 5wt floating line. However, a 4wt or 6wt rod with a matching line will work just as well. You will also need a long leader because your fly will be hanging just above the bottom. I prefer a 14 foot leader tapered to 3X or 4X plus a couple feet of 4X tippet. If the bottom is deeper, you can increase the length of the leader by adding more tippet. You will also need some type of boat with an anchor, some floatant, a strike indicator (I like small circular corkies with a toothpick to hold the line.), an inch of pensil lead with a half inch of surgical tubing on the end (For setting the depth of the fly.), and a weighted chironomid.
Start by finding an area on the lake where the bottom is relatively flat and free of weeds. Drop your anchor to hold your spot and face downwind. Select a weighted chironomid pattern that resembles the size and color of what is hatching and tie it on the tippet. Slide the hook point through the surgical tubing on the end of the pensil lead and, holding on to the leader, lower the fly to the bottom of the lake. When the fly hits bottom, grab the leader at the surface of the water, pick it up, and slide your hand one foot down the leader. Place the strike indicator here. (If you have trouble getting the strike indicator on line, just attach it where the leader is thinner, and slide it up the leader to where you want it.) Apply floatant to the last ten feet of your fly line and to the leader down to the strike indicator. (Do not apply floatant the the leader section between the strike indicator and the fly....you want this part to sink!) You are finally ready to start fishing. The set-up can take a lot of time, but it can be well worth it!
Strip out some line and cast downwind about 40 feet. (You should always cast downwind with this technique so you can keep your line tight. It will help you see the indicator go down when the fly is taken.) Your leader should roll out flat on the water with the fly at the end. When your fly hits the water, count to about 20 to let the fly sink, then start a very slow pinch retrieve. The rod should be pointed directly at the fly and line and the rod tip should be in the water. The line should be under one finger of the hand that is holding the rod. With the other hand, pinch the fly line between the thumb and index finger and pull it toward you about two inches by moving only the two fingers. Continue the pinch retrieve until you see your leader at the end of the rod. Recast and do another retrieve. If you stop catching fish, or you don't hook any fish after a couple casts and you think you have the right size fly on, pull the anchor, and move over five feet.
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For this technique I use an intermediate or full sinking line. I prefer a 6wt rod with a 6wt, type II full sinking line. I also add a little weight to the front of the fly (When tieing the fly.) to increase the action when it is stripped in.
I strip out a bunch of line and shake some out of the rod close to me. I start casting and stripping out more line while I'm casting. A full sinking line can be somewhat difficult to cast, so I stop when I have about 40 feet of line out. You start counting when you have completed your final cast, and when you get to twenty, you start stripping line in. If you don't hook any weeds in the first couple strips, then you count to thirty the next time you make a cast. You increase or decrease the count time until you are either just above bottom and not hooking weeds, or you have found the water depth the fish are feeding at.
