Spring Buzzers
Phil Dixon highlights six patterns that work on stillwaters through April
Our instructional videos are below – scroll down to view them.
In our first Video he explains how to fish a team of buzzers.
The second video explains the buzzer selections, and provides tips on using strike indicators and pimps.
The final video footage shows how to fish using the strike indicator method.
Six of the best for early season on stillwaters and why.
Expoxy Goldhead Bloodworm
This is my best point fly on small waters at this time of year. With the water starting to warm up, the bloodworm in the lakes will be on the move and also hatching so they’ll be a major part of the trout’s diet. I will always fish this fly on the point with a goldhead to help with turnover and to get it down to the bottom. A slow retrieve will always be best and you can fish them from a size 14 to an 8.
3D Black Buzzer
Again, I like to tie this fly on a smaller hook, a 16 to a 12 are the best sizes for this fly that I’ve found. It’s a bit more natural with the white tufts at the head of the pattern to imitate the hatching buzzer at the surface. If the fish are rising on the water or high in the water then this pattern is perfect fished as part of a team either on the top or middle dropper. Fish it slow or fast across feeding fish but it’ll also catch you plenty fished deep and slow along with the other patterns. I like to fish the lightest fluorocarbon I can when buzzer fishing as you get more movement in the flies and they will sit better on the leader.
Light Green Pro-Quill Buzzer
I like to have my buzzer patterns in different sizes from a grub 8 to a small grub 14, which this one is on. This is my go-to small pattern tied always on a 14 or 16 and fished on my top dropper as part of a team. Sometimes, this time of year, the buzzers that are hatching will be small and the trout can get pre-occupied with smaller flies. So always have a small pattern or two in your box. Fish this fly slow and even static on the sink-and-draw retrieve.
Olive Hothead Buzzer
I like to use this fly under the indicator either as part of a team of flies on the point or just on its own. On hard days on small waters this fly fished 2ft under a dry or indicator static will always catch you a fish or two. A certain banker pattern.
Red Butt CDC Buzzer Nymph
A must-have fly in anyone’s box not only for this time of year but all the way through until the winter now. There will be days when the sun will start off some good hatches and fish will rise freely. This Red butt CDC is my best pattern for early-season risers and will catch you plenty of fish. My only advice with this is to fish it on its own on a 14ft leader and drop down your leader tippet to as light as you can, this will get you more confident rises and put more fish on the bank.
Light Brown Flexi-Floss Buzzer
As the water warms up now and into spring, the trout will be feeding hard on the buzzers and other natural nymphs in the water which are all normally dark in colour so I like to have a natural-looking buzzer or two in my box. You’ll catch on this fly, fishing it on a slow retrieve but if a few fish are rising or high in the water then you’ll catch pulling this fly back steady through the top 1ft of water. I’ve had so many great trips pulling this fly just subsurface covering rising fish which I think were feeding just under.
