Chironomid Fly Fishing Big Rainbows!

[brandonkop]

Just thought I'd post up a video from this spring. Bought a fly rod and finally tried some chironomid fishing. Found a bank transition to mud flat where I thought the fish would be cruising and it didn't take long before that little strike indicator was down and it was game on! This was my first time trying so I really wasn't set up for video. Just had my cell phone, but still got some neat shots of some really beautiful and BIG rainbows! Got to love fly fishing. I'll have to mess around with this fly fishing business a little more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQQ0CGvh9yw

[Jimr]

Nice fish! A couple of hints, research palming your reel. This will give you more control over the drag and help eliminate birds nests from sudden release of the drag. Many fly reels don't have drag and must be palmed. Even with my reels that have drag, I usually set them light and use my palm for more control.

High sticking is used to describe two different things one good, one bad. High sticking as a form of nymph fishing is a technique and is good. High sticking as a form of playing a fish with the rod way up toward vertical is the bad and can lead to a broken rod.
I try not to bring the rod over about a 45 degree angle when playing a fish, unlike a spinning or level wind rod where you can put the rod pressure on.