Chironomid pupa
Black Buzzer
TroutSubsurface
The stillwater fly. Reservoir trout eat thousands of buzzers. Fish on a long leader from an anchored boat or a slow figure-eight retrieve.
Naturals it imitates
Chironomid pupa
Variants
Black
Olive
Red
Claret
Traffic Light
Quill
Holographic
Shipman's
Suspended
CDC
Choosing a colour
Starting points, not rules — depth, presentation and size usually matter more.
Early season, start with black or red fished deep. Later in spring and summer, try smaller black or olive patterns as the naturals shrink and fish move higher in the water. Add red, a fluorescent cheek or a hot spot for extra attraction; drop to a subdued quill or olive for cautious fish in clear water. Depth and retrieve usually matter more than colour — change those first.
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
How it's usually fished
- Team of three under an indicatorSubsurfaceSet depth to match where fish are feeding — often 3–10ft.floating lineyarn indicatorfluorocarbon
Size by condition
| default range | 10–14 |
Similar flies
Included in packs
Stillwater team of threeBuzzer & pupa teamBuzz & hangWashing line & diawlShuttlecocks & staticIntermediate teamSummer lough team