been in a club for a while now and i must admit i prefer to use wet files but when the fish are feeding a bit deeper i find it still possable to catch fish but in smaller numbers.

i have got to be honest ive stayed clear of buzzers ect because i dont really know the best way to fish with them some people fish with them in different ways.

im going to try and fish with them alot next year so the way i would do it would be with a floating line and use some buzzers on a long leader and let them sink and then a very slow figure of 8.

also im at a loss what buzzers to start with coulours ect.

any advice i would greatful to hear it.

I am no expert,but i do fish them a fair bit these days.
I use both an indicator if i want to fish them fairly shallow-rather than greasing up the leader or without,more so if its very windy as an indicator just gets swept along too fast..Either way i find allowing them to drift on the breeze to be effective with a slow draw or a twitch now and then.Quite often a take will come when moving them or having moved them.Takes can be hardly noticeable or violent whacks,those i can hit.
An occasional fishing partner sometimes uses a booby on the point with buzzers on droppers.I usually fish two or three where allowed,however tangles can be a problem at times.Equally just one can be just as effective.

Welcome to the club mate, you will find it hard to go back once you start. I tend to set up with buzzers and nymphs wherever I am fishing. This would be a breakdown of the equipment I would use

1.Rod - I use a Enigma Matrix 9ft6 6/7, I find it a good all purpose rod and I use it mainly for the buzzers and nymphs.

2 Reel - You want a reel with a good drag and make sure you set it before you put your flies in the water, because sometimes the fish can hit you like an express train and if your drag is too loose it will cause a mad tangle on your reel and a lost fish and prob flies to. I use a vision koma 6/7 and for the money it has a very good drag.

3 Flyline - I use a Snowbee XS prestige white floater WF7. I like it because it sits quite high in the water but again this is personal preference. I sometimes use my Hardy Sink tip for the buzzers in order to place the flies a bit deeper but still being able to see the floating section which can help with the detection of takes. They can also be fished on intermediate and sinking lines, especially this time of year but i have never fished buzzers on these lines. This year I have found the floating adequate enough to reach the fish.

4 Flurocarbon - I use Airflo Sightfree Platinum 6lb. I know some people dont like use this leader but i love it. I is very fine so allows the buzzers to move freely in the water whereas with stiffer fluorocarbon tends to give unnatural movement in my opinion. I have tried stiffer material and it has never worked for me.

Concerning the actual buzzers themselves, as Im sure your aware there a lot of different variations on offer and they each work at certain times of the year

In this months TF Paul Proctor provides an excellent account of buzzers through the seasons.

He says and I quote

"I would say the issue of colour and size were seasonal. Take a calander year: from January to March, hatching chironomoids tend to be small and dark, typically black and dark brown. Once the water begins to warm in April, expect larger buzzers to start appearing, including some species that are lighter in colour. We usually get our first flurries of grey boy buzzers around April 12, give or take a day or two. These are best imitated on size 12-14 hooks depending on make and model of course.

Late April sees the fawn and pale green buzzers appear. As we move in June, I've encountered large ginger-coloured buzzers, attaining some 19mm in length. July and August usually sees equally impressive flies with buff or roangey hues. September brings a return of slightly smaller buzzers with olive, fawn and black shades the most common. October to December completes the picture, with dark, small pupae requiring immitations tied on size 16-18 hooks.

As buzzer larvae can and do develop over surprisingly deep water before pupating, pupa patterns can be fished at a range of depths. However, we generally look to fish them in shallower water of up to 12 foot or so. WHne presenting buzzer imitations at depth, look to darker shades that offer some form of solid outline. Dressed on heavier hooks, ideally these should be compact tyings, often coated with epoxt for added depth.

For mid-water scenarios medium weight hooks and slender imitations will be the first choice and, for pupa patterns close to the surface, select lightweight flies with sparsely dubbed bodies. With increased surface area such nymphs will loiter there a bit longer

In conclusion, the colour of my imitation is governed by time of year (and any naturals hatcing), rather than the depth I wish to fish the fly"

I found this article very useful as from my fishing this year I can totally agree with thr colours e.g. at Moorbrook in August the only buzzer that was doing any serious damage for me was my size 16 firefoil in orange and dark patterns with large orange cheeks. In September I have found that olive buzzers tied on straight shank hooks worked well for me. Lately I have been using small size 18 buzzers. Yesterday I used a wee 18 with orange cheeks and red rib and got a lovely rainbow from Tildarg. I tend to fish buzzers along with other nymphs such as hare ears and diawl bachs. This year a diawl bach on the point and the lighter buzzers on the droppers has proved a very successful set-up at a lot of private fisheries around the provence.

This chart was reflected what Paul said in his report

Buzzer Chart

January-March - Small, dark black or brown.
April - Larger buzzers plus some a lighter colour.
Late April - Fawn and pale green buzzers.
June - Large ginger buzzers.
July/August - Impressive hatches of buzzers with buff and orangey hues.
September - A return to slightly smaller buzzers, olive fawn and black shades.
October/December - A return to small dark pupae.

Hope this helps you mate

Chris :

__________________
2009 ITFFA Inter-Provincial Champions - ULSTER

I see through people for a living!!

As Henry Ford once said "You can have any colour you want as long as it's black".

That would certainly be my choice early on in the season with a fluro leader. Later on maybe switch to maxima and then in Summer maybe the washing line setup.

I don't know if it is just me but I always seem to have a great deal of success using black buzzer with a copper rib and a turn or two of red dubbing behind the thorax.

Once hooked on buzzer fishing then you will probably not return to the "dark side".

Best of luck

Tenet