Oil Slick Buzzer

Weighted (top) and Un-weighted (bottom) Oil Slick Buzzers

It's really hard for me to pass up a chance to fish Chironomids -- especially when fish are actively cruising and picking off the Chironomid pupa as they ascend through the water column. So each year as I refill my buzzer boxes, I usually end up tweaking a few existing patterns or try something altogether new.

A couple of years back, as I was messing with a new (to me) type of flashabou, I realized it was more translucent than some of the other flashabou or tinsel materials I'd tied with before. Then the gears began to turn when I started to wonder how it would look wrapped over different colors of thread or wire. Turns out the thread color didn't matter as much, but the wire sure did.

And when you tightly wrap the flashabou over the wire, it creates a sorta "oil slick" looking reflective translucent effect. So when I needed a name for this pattern, I turned to the fly naming Ninja, Cheech, and that's what stuck.

The black wire version (2nd from right) creates a bit of a blue hue

Cool looking colors aside, what I have now realized after fishing this for a couple of years is that I've caught more fish on this pattern than really any other buzzer (chironomid) pattern I use.

Oil Slick Buzzer-eating chunky brown trout

As far as materials go, it's a simple one, but it's important you get the right flashabou (or tinsel if you choose).

Material List

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Hook: Hanak H 333 BL Czech Nymph Hook - 12
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier - Black
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Jet Black - 3/32" (2.3mm)
Body: Mirage Tinsel - Opal - Large
Under-Body Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Red - Brassie
Wing Buds: Veevus Holographic Tinsel - Orange - Medium
Flash Back: Veevus Holographic Tinsel - Blue - Large
Breathers: Para Post Wing Material - White
Coating: Loon Fluorescing UV Clear Fly Finish