Chironomids - Part 1 of 5

I've just finished compiling the master list of the world of chironomids. 'Master' as far as the notes and posts on internet forums and Phil Rowley's site will provide at least. I did this as a short "book" on Chironomids for our guests at Fortress Lake to gain a comprehension of this hatch at the lake. We'll compile the other insects over time as well, this is just the first. Again, this is a compilation of various sources, with lots of different thoughts and ideas behind it. I did my best to edit and sort the ideas and concepts in the time allocated. There is some repetition, but the repetition is for the effect of driving home the points.
Again, this is 95% material you can find on various forums, websites, articles, etc on the web. It is not my material, rather, my organization. You can do your own search and compile your own set of tips and how-to, I'm simply sharing my set here. I take no credit on this, whatsoever. I'm also learning how to be as effective as possible with chironomid fishing, and feel that I've finally gotten a good grasp on being successful. Hopefully one or two people out there that read this will feel the same after reading this.
For Phil, yes, we used your articles on your website as the foundation of this and simply added points that I came across. http://www.flycraftangling.com/ When you need information, you go the best source of information and use it. Phil's site is excellent for lake information. And Phil, if you're mad at me for re-hashing your stuff, you can knock me out of the boat when we get together in June/July. Let's face it, being river fishermen, we had a lot to learn to be successful at Fortress Lake. We've definitely had lots of success, then it came to honing in on specific hatches, presentations, etc. Now it's time to properly communicate that to our guests and having this really works well.
So, with shameless "thank you" to Phil Rowley and the various fly fishing forums of western Canada, comes the "almost" complete guide to chironomids and how to fish them:

Part 1 of 5
The mere mention of chironomids leaves many questioning the rationale of such an offering. After all, the thought of tossing a tiny stick of a pattern into the vast expanse of a lake borders on the insane. The belief that trout would be able to track down such an offering poses the ultimate paradox. Thankfully reality is far different than perception when it comes to chironomids, pupa and larva in particular. Trout are more than capable of tracking down this calorie rich food source, often in alarming numbers.

Once on the lake and anchored into correct position the angler must choose presentation technique based upon the conditions at hand while answering the challenge of what pattern to choose.

Importance to Fly Fishing: After freshwater shrimp, Chironomid are the next most important food source for the trout. Throughout the fly fishing season, daytime feeding samples show that 27% of the trout's daytime feeding consists of Chironomid. This drops to 14% for those fish feeding in the evening or at night. Of importance is the fact that Chironomid are much more significant as a daytime food source.

Hatches: Various species of Chironomids hatch whenever there is water free of ice. Seasonal peaks occur from the third week in May to the second week in June and then steadily decline into the fall months. However, very large hatches of individual species can occur at most any time of the year. Chironomid larva on the lake bottom will sometimes exceed 50,000 individuals per square metre and thus form 'major' hatches. If you are fishing in a 'major' hatch, use a fly that is slightly larger than the actual size of the pupa. For the fly fisher, minor hatches often result in more fish than a major hatch. Hatches usually occur during the daylight hours but various species will hatch at night.

Life Cycle
As with all food sources success, for the fly fisher depends upon an intimate knowledge of their life cycle. Over the course of the season trout see enough chironomids that they react in a conditioned, almost Pavlovian response, regardless if there is a hatch or not.

Chironomids belong to the insect order Diptera and are characterized by a four-stage life cycle or complete metamorphosis. The female lays eggs during the early morning or evening hours when the waters surface tends to be calm and the risk of predation from birds and other insects is low. The eggs drift down to the bottom were they soon hatch into the larval stage.
Larva :
Perhaps it is their slim nature, perceived small sizes or the fact that majority of species live out their larval existence burrowing and writhing about in the bottom ooze. Whatever the reason few stillwater fly fishers realize the importance of chironomid larvae. Trout on the other hand are acutely aware of the intrinsic food value of chironomid larva.
In their larval stage, only the free swimming larva (Bloodworm and Glassworm) are normally found in the feeding samples of the rainbow trout. Bloodworms total to 3% of the trout's diet and shouldn't be ignored. Retrieve the Bloodworms much the same as you would a Chironomid pupa and in the same types of water. Typical size range for most stillwater larva or bloodworm patterns ranges from size 8 2xl down through size 16 standard.

Chironomid larvae are present in a wide array of colors. The most popular schemes include brown, medium green, olive, maroon and red, the red larvae have been christened by many as "bloodworms." The distinct red coloration is a result of hemoglobin that many species use to survive in oxygen poor waters. A certain times of the year such as the middle of summer oxygen levels in lakes drop as a result of increasing water temperature. Like humans, larva use iron molecules in their red blood cells (hemoglobin) to bind and carry oxygen. Later in the season as the oxygen levels return to comfortable levels the larvae return to their natural green and olive colorations. During this transition period it is not uncommon to see unique candy cane colored larvae of red and green. Keep a few barber poled patterns in the fly box to take advantage of these occasions. Other color considerations include olive, green and a unique candy cane combination of red and green.
Most species of chironomid larva, and there are over 2500 chironomid species in western North America alone, construct tubular homes in the mud water interface along the bottom. Within the safety of their homes the larva pulse their worm like bodies to draw detritus and other food sources into their tube. Feeble swimmers, the larvae move through the water with a lashing head to tail motion reminiscent of a severed worm. Despite this handicap larva often leave the sanctuary of their homes to forage and migrate. Spring and fall are two such times for these migrations and larval patterns should be primary considerations. During low light hours chironomid larva often venture out for a feed making a bloodworm pattern a favored lead off hitter. Plying the waters after a good windstorm with larval imitations is another wise strategy as many larvae are swept from their homes by the swells and aggressive wave action.
Free swimming larva like the bloodworm, do just that. They crawl, float or swim around the lake but generally tend to hide under rocks or rotting logs and remain fairly immobile. Most larva build and stay inside a mud tube on the lake bottom and don't move very far from that.
The worm-like larva are a year round food source or staple as important as the more famous staple entourage that includes scuds, dragon nymphs, damselfly nymphs and leeches. In the absence of a hatch imitating a stillwater staple of some sort is the way to go. In the early morning hours many food sources are active, foraging under the relative security of the low light conditions. Chironomid larvae venture out of the protective tubes many species construct in the mud water interface. Feeble swimmers chironomid larva writhe and wriggle about at the mercy of the elements, foraging upon detritus and decaying vegetation. Opportunistic trout cruise above tipping head down to vacuum chironomid larva from their mud tubes and those left wandering too far from home. During intense windstorms many larvae are swept from their homes and dashed amongst the weeds. Using the ambient wind to sweep or wind-drift a larval imitation on a floating line and long leader (15 feet plus) can be lethal. Any time an angler sees chironomid larva adrift in the water column try sweeping a larval imitation using this wind-drifting tactic. Wind drifting is an excellent tactic to cover water with a near static presentation.
As with many insect larva and nymphs in stillwaters bloodworms migrate on a seasonal basis. In the spring larva migrate into the shallower reaches and reestablish their tubular homes. During the late fall those larvae not mature for their transition to the pupal stage travel to deeper climes to escape the harsh temperatures and ice of winter. Matching presentation techniques to simulate the natural travel of aquatic invertebrates is a sound plan.
The stillwater fly fisher should use the same presentation techniques that have been refined for the pupal phase of the chironomid life cycle. The key is keeping the offering near the bottom, within one to two feet. Strike indicators are of great assistance to novice fly fishers struggling with the confidence to fish a pattern that reassembles a tiny red stick in the vast expanse of a lake.
Pupa
Chironomid pupa are a year round food source and a regular feature on the trout's menu making them the number one food source in stillwaters.
Chironomid in the pupal stage are at their most important point of development for the fly fisher. When leaving the bottom of the lake and traveling to the surface to hatch, they are most vulnerable to predation by the trout. Even the largest trout will actively feed on these pupa and they are successfully fished throughout the year.
Depending upon the species chironomids can spend up to 1 year in the larval stage. The larva seals itself within its tube or constructs a temporary dorm to transform into the pupa. During this transformation the larva develops wing pads and a distinct thorax. When the time is right the now transformed pupa cuts its way free and prepares for its trek to the surface to emerge. When the larva develop into pupa they leave their mud tubes or hiding places, fill air sacks within their skin for buoyancy, and slowly wiggle their way to the surface to hatch. Often during this process they are stationary, suspended between lake bottom and surface. Contrary to popular belief the pupa does not rocket skyward but rather stages and hovers near the bottom. The hovering pupa takes up to 4 days to ascend so trout have ample time to gorge themselves silly, which explains why fishing pupal patterns can be deadly while there appears to be little evidence of an impending hatch at the surface, as trout feed upon this suspended smorgasbord below. Figuring out what depth the trout are feeding at is the key to chironomid fishing.

During this staging process the pupa absorbs air and gases under its pupal skin. Starting off as a dull almost gun metal sheen these air and gases turn the pupa to almost silver as the emergence process nears the end. These trapped air and gases often obscure the pupa’s natural coloration and during the pupal ascent its color can change and vary in intensity. Common pupa colors include black, maroon, olive, brown and various shades of green.