Chironomids—large midges that live in landlocked bodies of water—are an essential pattern when targeting stillwater species or lake-run trout. The larva variation of this fly represents the stage in its lifecycle when it lives within a couple feet of the bottom of the lake, feeding on algae and bacteria. Midge larvae can be a variety of colors, with black, olive, and red being some of the most common. They twitch and squirm to move around the lower water column, and a varied twitching motion can be highly effective when fishing this fly.

For lake fish accustomed to living near the bottom where chironomids are most concentrated, it’s a great idea to have one on your nymphing rig as your bottom fly. Even after leaving a lake to spawn, lake-run fish are still programmed to eat chironomids and we’ve had a lot of success fishing them in river systems close to large lakes as fish move upstream to spawn. 

Our favorite ways to fish it: 

• Twitched or dead drifted under an indicator in high alpine and other stillwater lakes

• Paired below a Tungsten Little Leech on a nymph rig
  

Type of Water: Stillwater, High Alpine Lakes, Rivers, Creeks

Imitates: Chironomid 

Target Species: Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout

Insect Life Stage: Larva

Pair it with: Little Leech—Weighted, Micro Bugger, Green Machine, Hot Wire CDC Pheasant Tail, Beadhead Classic Bugger