Holodeck Fantasy Midges

The Holo-Buzzer is a tractor-beam of hotness

Well, maybe not a tractor beam, but at least it gets the phasers set to stun. Either way, I've been on an extended chironomid binge as of late. My sights are set on an annual trip to the chironomid mecca of the Western US (luckily most folks don't know it's a mecca just yet). Here's a monster taken on a chironomid pattern by my buddy Herb Patterson (who, by the way, can catch a fish out of a mud puddle -- if given the chance or inclination)

Angler: Herb Patterson

I've had several of my best chironomid days at this reservoir: the fish are large and they will plow through the chironomid buffet faster than Uncle Ken at the Golden Corral on steak night. Often times, you can sight fish to these cruising brutes as they partake of the buffet mere inches below the surface. In cases where the fish are feeding just below the surface, an un-weighted fly is the way to go. But those times where the fish are holding a little deeper, I'll tie on a weighted variation such as this one:

And here's a little video to show you how it's all done.