In a swap box a few months ago, I acquired a package of Spanflex material, and just found a neat-looking pattern called the Spanflex Buzzer, tied on a scud hook. I want to tie some of these, but I have no idea how to fish them. I’ve been fly fishing for over 40 years, and have never used a fly like this (I grew up in Texas, where most flies are big and mean…for bass).
I am guessing you fish it like a nymph, but I am not sure. can anyone enlighten me?
Every time the subject of chironomid fishing comes up, so does Brian Chan’s name. He is probably THE foremost authority on chironomids as far as life cycle, appearance and how to fish them. I met Brian about 3 years ago at a 3 day fishing show in Spokane, Washington. He is a very pleasant fellow to be around and he really knows his stuff. Here are a couple of links relating to Brian’s knowledge of chironomids and how to fish them. I hope you find them useful. Remember however, the key word is patience.
[http://www.chironomid.com/articles/chan_bio.html
http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/brian-chan/brian-chan.cfm](http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/brian-chan/brian-chan.cfm)
In stillwaters, suspend them below a strike indicator. Usually start with the depth a foot or two off the bottom but adjust the depth to find fish. Cast out and basically let it sit or a very very slow retrieve. Maybe give it a twitch once in awhile. Watch that bobber and set the hook if it moves. This could be thought of as boring but if the fish are on to chironomids you won’t have to wait long.
In streams fish it like a nymph.
The only thing that I would add to what Jay says is - try to keep slack out of your line from rod tip to “bobber”. The fish take midges so easy that a little slack prevents you from getting a hook set when that bobber twitches. The midge larvae and pupa move so slowly that the fish just “suck” them in and if not a real bug “spit” it out before you see a twitch and can set up on the take.
I am speaking from a “old geezer” perspective, perhaps your reaction time is faster. Ha! Ha!
Dick xfishcop
Probably the most success I have ever had with a chronomid was in a mountain lake in AZ, a gentleman who was familar with the lake and successful techniques gave my friend and me a couple of flies and instructed us to cast at the rises. We had suspended the flies a couple of feet below a dry fly and it worked great.
On the Hooch around Atlanta I put them under a dry and fish them along the edges.
The current, best book on the subject:
http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Midges-Fishing-Effective-Patterns/dp/1934753009
PT/TB 
Here’s a good SBS for that buzzer; in fact it’s the one pictured:
http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying-patterns-step-step/16851-two-tone-spanflex-buzzer-bodies.html
Regards,
Scott
Yeah. That was the one I was planning to tie, but it was so hard getting the Spanflex started on a bare hook that I gave up and layed down a base layer of thread and tied the ends of the Spanflex in at the tail. It still made a great looking fly, even if it is a little fatter. That’s not always a bad thing around here. Our fish sometimes like a nice mouth-full. It resembles a scud, which is also a good pattern for here.
I tied a few up in white, and they look like little grubs. I am going to try them out in the small stream behind the house, if it ever stops raining long enough.
Just out of curiosity, why do they call it a Buzzer? There is nothing on it that would make any extra sound in the water.
They are called buzzers’ as they hatch into midges, or in UK slang Buzzers. I fish them in a team of two or 3 to cover as much of the water depth as possible and fish them static or very slowly.
All the best.
Mike
Now you are singing music to my ears. This is my favorite flies and style of fishing. As mentioned with floating line and an indcator. I use my pontoon with sonar to get the depth. I will make 20’, 25’ and 30’ straight leaders and attach them to my floating line. Set the indicator (a quick release, sliding indicator) so the fly is suspended a foot off the bottom. A variation to this is a 7’ furled leader with up to 20’ of fluoro and a modified slip indicator. It is somewhat castable with the furled leader.
Sometimes I add one split shot to get it down quick. I tie one Chironomid to the bottom and a tag with another about 2’ to 3’ higher (we can only do two in Utah)
I use and carry the same indicators that Phil and Chan use (in fact we buy from the same distributor)
Now another choice is to use a fast sinking line (I use a type VII). If I am fishing in 30’, I cast 30’ and slowly figure eight strip in. This method is good if you do not have sonar.
I saw this picture and here is my offering
I caught a 19" small mouth out of the Snake with this one on a 9’ leader under an indy
This is great on Kamloop
Here is one of my Buzzers
I LOVE MIDS!!!
FG, could you post a pic of your indicator? I’d like to try one of those slip indicators, but don’t know what to look for.
Sure. They come in various sizes and some ball shapes. I like the eggs
I did do a demo of how they work on my blog.
Thanks. Might have to try them.
You should check Joni’s video…will give you a quick understanding.
Also it’s not hard for those of us that punch our own foam to make the indicators…should use a triangular peg…they can be obtained from the end of used ball point pens…not all pens have them though.
20-30 foot leader? sounds as if it would be a hell of a lot easier and trouble-free to fish two or 3 of them at a time under a small slip bobber on an ultralite spinning rod.
True, my sister in law does just that. But I don’t own ANY spinning gear, just lots and lots of fly gear. It does help that the line its self floats. If shallow or really clear water, I can kick back and peel of some line. A little harder to set the hook on just mono when it sinks behind and in front of the indicator.
I do great with this set up, and it is catching on.
