Buzzer Fishing Fly

The Buzzer Fishing Fly is increasingly popular with trout fisherman, particularly with the widespread adoption of bite indicators. Buzzers hatch every day… with a few exceptions, so this approach to fly fishing should be an option for anyone who wants to catch fish. Fly Fishing with a Bite Indicator is growing in popularity due to the effectiveness of the Buzzer Fishing Fly.

Buzzers are midge pupa and take their name from the buzzing noise they make when in a swarm. They begin life as a bloodworm, living in the mud found on the bottom of still waters. The bloodworms get their colour from oxygen and haemoglobin within.

Buzzer’s loose their blood red colour prior to hatching and become darker before making their way from the lake bottom.  With a characteristic wriggle Buzzer’s swim from the bottom of the lake up to the surface before stopping to rest or for the right conditions to hatch. When they stop wriggling towards the surface they slowly sink back down before swimming upwards again. When they eventually reach the surface they hang from the surface film and hatch out in to adult buzzers or midge.

There are a number of ways to accurately imitate Buzzer’s with an artificial Buzzer Fishing Fly:

Traditional Buzzer Fishing

This method is worth a try on any day in water less than twelve feet deep using a floating line with at least twelve feet of leader and three flies. If the fish are well below the surface use the weighted buzzer fishing fly on the point. The length of leader will determine how deep you fish. The trick is finding the correct depth.

Cast out and wait for the point fly to sink deep enough to attract fish. Start a very slow retrieve and hold the rod tip about a foot above the water. Patience is a virtue here as a slow retrieve is the key imitating the movement of the Buzzer Fishing Fly. Often keeping the flies static is the best tactic for successful fly fishing. After retrieving in a few feet of fishing line pause for a few seconds to mimic the natural decent in the water of a natural Buzzer.

A traditional alternative, particularly in Scotland is a bead head buzzer or bloodworm on the point, buzzer on the middle dropper and a Black Pennell on the top dropper. With this set up you will be fishing the three stages of the buzzers life cycle.

The Bloodworm Fishing Fly

The Bloodworm fishing fly is often deadly when trout fishing at still waters. Using much the same method as above, with the Bloodworm Fishing Fly only on the point, use a very slow retrieve. Be patient once more and stay alert to strike at the slightest hint of a take.

Hanging Out The Washing

This approach requires a ten foot leader, with a Booby Fishing Fly on the point and a Buzzer Fishing Fly on the middle dropper and a traditional wet fly on the top dropper. A Buzzer Fishing Fly is often used on the top dropper with a good measure of success, particularly in boat fly fishing.

As with the traditional style of Buzzer Fishing, cast out, let the fly line settle, and retrieve to straighten out any kinks in the fly line. Either static or with a very slow retrieve is best to dry and catch fish. Move the line quicker on the retrieve more so than traditional method if a patient approach proves unsuccessful.

The Deep Booby

Change to a sinking line, with the booby on the point and the Buzzer Fishing Fly on one or both droppers. The Booby will hold the Buzzer’s off the bottom if the dropper length is set with the depth of the water. Hold back on the retrieve, as a static approach is likely work well but do try different tactics for the retrieve.

Fly Fishing with Bite Indicator’s

The Buzzer Fishing Fly and the bite indicator is a recent set up that continues to grow in popularity due to the effectiveness of the bite indicator at catching Rainbow Trout. Fly Fishing with Bite Indicator’s is controversial. Purists correctly point out the similarity to coarse fishing.

Use a short leader of at least five feet. Put a Buzzer Fishing Fly on the point and set the distance from the fishing fly to the Bite Indicator at the length to match the depth of where you think the fish are. Cast out, tidy up if you must and leave the fly static. Strike at sign of movement of the fly fishing Bite Indicator, don’t just wait for the Bite Indicator to disappear – it isn’t JAWS.