Drifter’s Chironomids

Drifter’s Chironomids

During the 1990’s, a local guide service in Mammoth, Sierra Drifters, developed a series of Drifter’s Chironomids for Crowley Lake. These were variations of the TDC (Thompson Delectable Chironomid) pattern utilizing Superfine dubbing for the body, a beadhead, and wire ribbing. The guide, Tom Loe, would add a strand of Pearl Krystalflash to the end of the pattern for attraction and a trailing shuck.

Gillies

By adding Turkey Biots behind the bead, these variations became known as his Gillie patterns. The Gillies, over the years, have transformed to a thinly dubbed body with a krystalflash overbody (dark) or with a thread body coated with a finish (light) and a black wire ribbing. No longer do they appear to be similar to the TDC but have become a pattern within it’s own. However, Tom still ties his Chironomid Pupa patterns using the dubbed body .

Broke Back Articulates

Sierra Drifters added a number of other patterns to their arsenal of Drifter’s Chironomids. The Broke Back series is an articulated midge using a tippet connector to a smaller hook size with the point snipped off. This articulation provided movement to the midge similar to the natural working its way up the water column. The Chironomid Emerger patterns originally had a dubbed body but eventually the patterns were adapted to a thread body and a Krystalflash overbody. White Antron yarn is used for both the gills and the trailing shuck. This is a material used on other pupa emerger patterns, such as buzzers and zebra midges. 

Dubbed Zebra

Zebra midges were commonly built as a thread body midge with Silver or Copper wire ribbings. Drifters had a pattern that was named a Dubbed Zebra using Hares Ear dubbing for the body and a Silver Wire ribbing. This is very unusual for a Zebra pattern. When Zebra patterns were first introduced to the Eastern Sierra, they had a Silver wire ribbing and were typically a thread body. If you applied a Copper wire ribbing, it was known as a Tiger Midge. Today, Zebra’s can have either Silver or Copper ribbing and the Tiger Midge is often used interchangeably with the Zebra Midge name. Drifter’s has a Tiger Midge using a Red Wire but you will find Zebra patterns also using this red wire as well.

Variations

Gillie Chironomid Pupa Light
Gillie Chironomid Pupa Light

Gillie Chironomid Pupa Light

Hook TMC 200R #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Gray
Head 1/16 Black Cyclop Bead
Body Veevus 16/0 Graycoated with Loon's Fly Finish, Flow
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Collar Adams Gray Superfine
Wingpads Blue Wing Olive Turkey Biots
Ribbing X-Small Black Wire
Drifter's Broke Back Gillie Pupa
Drifter’s Broke Back Gillie Pupa

Drifter’s Broke Back Gillie Pupa

Hook TMC 200R #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Gray
Head 1/16 Black Cyclop Bead
Body Veevus 16/0 Graycoated with Loon's Fly Finish, Flow
Connector 6X
Shuck One size smaller beadless pupa of a thread body and silver wire ribbing with hook point cut off. Hook: TMC 200R #18-22 Thread: Veevus 16/0 Gray, Ribbing: X-Small Silver Wire
Collar Adams Gray Superfine
Wingpads Callibaetis dyed Turkey Biots
Ribbing X-Small Silver Wire
Drifter's Chironomid Pupa Copper
Drifter’s Chironomid Pupa Copper

Drifter’s Chironomid Pupa Copper

Hook TMC 200R #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Gray
Head 1/16 Copper Cyclop Bead
Body Adams Gray Superfine
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Ribbing Small Copper Wire
Drifter's Chironomid Pupa Black
Drifter’s Chironomid Pupa Black

Drifter’s Chironomid Pupa Black

Hook TMC 200R #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Gray
Head 1/16 Black Cyclop Bead
Body Adams Gray Superfine
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Ribbing X-Small Silver Wire
Drifter's Chironomid Emerger Copper
Drifter’s Chironomid Emerger Copper

Drifter’s Chironomid Emerger Copper

Hook TMC 200R #18-20
Thread Veevus 16/0 Black
Head 1/16 Copper Cyclop Bead
Overbody Pearl Krystalflash
Body Veevus 16/0 Black
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash and Fl. White Antron
Gills Fl. White Antron
Ribbing X-Small Silver Wire
Crystal Black Olive Dubbed Zebra
Crystal Black Olive Dubbed Zebra

Crystal Black Olive Dubbed Zebra

Hook Daiichi 1130 #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Olive
Head 1/16 Black Cyclop Bead
Body Hare's Ear Plus, Olive Brown
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Collar Veevus 16/0 Olive
Ribbing X-Small Silver Wire
Crystal Black Zebra Midge
Crystal Black Zebra Midge

Crystal Black Zebra Midge

Hook TMC 2488H #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Black
Head 1/16 Copper Cyclop Bead
Overbody Green Krystalflash
Body Veevus 16/0 Black
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Ribbing Small Copper Wire
Black Crystal Tiger Midge
Black Crystal Tiger Midge

Black Crystal Tiger Midge

Hook TMC 2488H #18-22
Thread Veevus 16/0 Black
Head 1/16 Black Cyclop Bead
Overbody Green Krystalflash
Body Veevus 16/0 Black
Shuck Single Strand Pearl Krystalflash
Ribbing Small Red Wire