Buzzers

Still mulling over how to improve my success rate on Lake Otamangakau. Read and re-read articles by the likes of Gary Lyttle and Rene Vaz (NZ topical stuff) and some overseas works. I think that I'm coming to grips with what's needed. I've been focussing on bright "blingy" flies which do quite well in relatively unpressured waters, but from what I can see the Big O fish would see more imitations in a month than some fish in a lifetime of a few years. To steal a few words from a Lyttle article "..fast stripping with high-density shooting heads and multiple rigs of fluorescent Blobs and Boobies - work on the right day here, but often the tried and tested local methods and more imitative patterns override the new" (G Lyttle, "Stillwater Plonkers", Flylife Number 65 Spring 2011).  A photo accompanying the article shows a lot of buzzer type flies and not many bright colours!

An Orange "Blob" or "Fritz" fly - got eaten at Rotoaira but not Big O

I got some ages ago when I was in the UK in 2001 and they've sat in my box... I did use a red one to good effect at the Waiteti Mouth a few years ago. Now this stillwater stuff really has my interest, so I'm determined to get better.

Needing some flies, I decided to tie up a batch of superglue buzzers. But first, what is a buzzer anyway?

Buzzers / Chironomidae are midge pupa; they start life as a bloodworm living in the soft mud found in most still waters. Blood red worms get their colour from the oxygen and haemoglobin held within their bodies. When they are getting near to hatching they lose their blood red colour and take on a more sombre appearance. At this stage they then make their way from the lake bottom up through the water columns to the surface. They swim towards the surface in an wriggling action, stopping either to catch their breath or waiting for the right conditions to hatch. When they stop wriggling towards the surface they slowly sink back down before swimming upwards again. Eventually when they reach the surface, they hang from the surface film and hatch out in to adult buzzers or midge.

Tying the fly itself is not all that difficult, I used both Knapek and Tiemco hooks but have a feeling I'll need more sizes. Coating the flies in superglue is a bit fiddly and I'll need more practice, somehow I think that will come.

Right, now I have an excuse to go fishing.....