Fly tying: Shipman buzzer for reservoir fishing

The shipman buzzer is an essential fly for surface trout fishing in reservoirs © Enjoy Fishing / Jean-Baptiste Vidal

A fly that needs little introduction, having caught so many trout in lakes and reservoirs. It imitates a chironomid emerging or resting on the surface of the water. I offer it to you because it is indispensable for surface fishing on lakes. Highly visible with its white tips on a black body, it rarely leaves trout indifferent. Quick and easy to rig.

Chiro fishing with the shipman buzzer

In reservoirs, when trout come up to the surface to gobble, it's often on chironomid emergences.

They feed on all phases of the mosquito larva, from the bottom to the surface. So you need to have at your disposal all the imitations of these different stages of evolution from larva to nymph to emergence.

When trout gobble in the film of water, a chiro emerger is often the key. The shipman buzzer is one of the most formidable flies in these conditions.

La pêche au "chiro" notamment émergent est l'une des plus intéressantes en réservoir
Fishing for emerging "chiro" is one of the most interesting in reservoirs

Assembly and use :

To be mounted in sizes 16 to 12, using different materials. For the body, different types of seal, hare or synthetic dubbing can be used. The body can also be strapped with gold or silver tinsel or other materials. This can be done with fine copper wire so that the fly is a little more in the film. I personally prefer kristal flash pearl, which gives off interesting reflections for the fish.

The version with a wine-rust and olive body also works.

When the trout are more active on the surface, I often use this fly alone for fine emergent fishing.

But often they also take swimming larvae below the surface, so regularly I put a stem on which I mount a small unweighted chiro larva underneath. The two flies complement each other and fish on two levels. Small animations can trigger bites, especially in the absence of wind.

Un modèle simple mais terriblement efficace lorsque les truites se nourrissent de chiro émergent
A simple but terribly effective model when trout feed on emerging chiro

Installation sheets

Hook: Kamazan B170 size 10

Assembly silk: UTC 70 black

Tail: White yarn but can be antron

Body: Black seal dubbing

Strapping: Kristal flash pearl

Wing: White yarn

Les truites raffolent des chironomes et s'en délectent régulièrement en réservoir
Trout love chironomids and regularly feed on them in reservoirs

Editing video :

This video shows you how to tie this fly and its uses. These flies are very easy to tie, making it possible to quickly build up a fine collection of different sizes, floats and colors.

At the same time, I'd like to give you a few ideas on how to use this fly, because it's important to know what kind of rig you can use. You don't need to complicate your life too much, as this fly often fishes alone, although reservoir anglers often assemble a train of 3 flies with two chironoma larvae in the stem to also catch trout underwater.

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