Many anglers and even some writers helped propagate that wet flies, nymphs, pupa and streamers prevail in lake angling, while dry flies were strictly for river usage. You instantly become a heretic if you are the angler using dry flies on lakes. But also, many great anglers with a good nymph, streamer/lure and wet fly skills lost their traditional lake fishing skills as they became obsessed with chironomid pupa exclusivity and, in some cases, never fish the upper layers or surface area with chironomid patterns of any description or do it well.
The Shipman's Buzzer is a unique fly that mimics an adult midge. It features a straight body of seal fur teased out to help it float. This teased-out fur also provides a degree of translucency, giving the impression of a hatching pupa, an empty pupal case (shuck), or potentially both. The wider flat tinsel, often in gold or silver, is typically larger than many tiers would use for an exact imitation.
Dave Shipman (1979-80) expertly developed the Shipman's Buzzer pattern, which effectively mimics the emerging chironomids that trout eagerly target during hatches in still waters. This fly was designed to be fished as a dry fly on the surface film for optimal results. Some insist it requires a pronounced thorax and a narrower rib for better segmentation. I prefer a wider rib with at least four to five segments and no thorax because I like how it looks.
One of the standout features of this fly is its exceptional performance after catching a few fish, mainly when it appears rough and untidy. After tying it on the vice, use a brush to roughen it up to enhance its effectiveness.
While the pattern can be tied in various colours, it works best in black, claret, brown, olive, or red/orange, depending on the prevailing light and wind conditions. It can be fished as a single fly or as part of a team, with one on the point and another on the top dropper, with a smaller natural nymph-style pattern in between. I often use my Biot Cruncher as a mid-fly.
Moreover, the two tufts of white fibre at the front and back of the fly are brilliant for maintaining visibility on the water, particularly during surface disturbances and when windlanes are prominent. These tufts stand out more than the breathers or shucks of natural midges. The tufts can be tied to shank length and, if needed, easily shortened on the water with scissors. There is no rigid rule for tuft length, but longer tufts provide excellent versatility. Doubling the volume of the tuft material to aid in floatability is also something many anglers will utilize.
Even though this fly is designed to be fished on the surface film as a dry fly, it is also well known to be pulled when subsurface as a wet fly. Just do this slowly with the figure of eights and the occasional long pull to rest the fly higher in the water column. Then, repeat the retrieval procedure until your top fly reaches the hang position. Allow it to slowly sink out of sight before pulling it out and moving into the next cast.
One fantastic aspect of this fly is that it performs best after catching a few fish. This is especially true when it appears rough and untidy, created by the trout's teeth. Therefore, after tying it on the vice, using a brush to roughen it up is a good idea.
The pattern is tied in various colours that represent our adult chironomids. Still, in my experience, it works best in Black, Claret, Brown, Olive, or Red/Orange, depending on the light and wind conditions. The pattern is tied in various colours that represent our adult chironomids. Versions of Red and olive and red and black for the red butt chironomids known in my area are prevalent. It can be fished as a single fly or as part of a team, with one on the point position and another on the top dropper, using a smaller natural nymph-style pattern in between.
Additionally, two tufts of white fibre at the front and back of the fly help anglers keep sight of it on the water. White is not the only colour to use. No right or wrong length exists, but tying them longer offers added versatility.
Despite its shortcomings, this pattern's unconventional appearance as a dry fly makes it work exceptionally well.
The original was a deadly combination of teased-out fiery brown or green seal fur and white breathers. This pattern does not usually need floatant and will seduce the most suspicious fish. The leggier the pattern, the better it seems to float and fish.
Experimenting by many anglers has resulted in the general rule that a shaggy, scruffy, hairy is better at catching trout near the surface than a slim and sleek. What happens to a slender, elegant, dwelling nymph/pupa as it floats to the surface before it hatches? The water pressure decreases as the insect gets near the surface. Gases within the body expand. They bulk out its body inside its last nymph skin. The skin that it is about to shed. It looks more significant to the trout.
To bush out the fly's surface area for better performance, take a velcro brush or Bodkin to roughen the body before applying floatant to the tufts only. This simple step will increase area and roughen the body with Velcro before adding it to your fly box. The wide rib of pearl lurex (opal mirage) or tinsel suggests the sparkling gases trapped under the skin of the hatching midge pupa. The white fibre at the front and back of the fly helps it float and imitates the midge pupa's breathers and nymphal shuck.
The Shipman's Buzzer is well documented as an effective dry fly for catching trout on every continent, including trout that have never encountered a chironomid.
This ultra-simple fly is designed for use in still water. Tying it can be challenging, especially securing the rib at the head. Once you've tied the fly and secured the head with varnish, use Velcro to fluff up the dubbing.
Shipman's flies work well as part of a team. Casting out into the waves when buzzers hatch in open water is a classic approach. This technique can be effective when various types of insects are blown onto the water's surface.
A prime example was during an Olive hatch on my home water. The Shipman was readily taken throughout an afternoon, and eighteen fish landed. This silhouette of a chironomid quickly matched up with those fish that day feeding on adult Mayflies. On my cast were three Shipmans in a size 10 that were Olive, Black and Orange on the point. All three successfully took fish.
Shipman's Buzzer
Hook: Standard dry or medium wet fly hook, #10 to #14.
Thread: Match body colour (8/0 - 75 D)
Breathers: White Antron, poly yarn, or CDC.
Rib: Flat medium tinsel gold, silver or Pearl. 1/32 or 1/69th
Body: Seal's fur or substitute seal fur like Hends Gleamy Dubbing, Squirrel, Hares Mask or Kapok.
They excel in windlanes as drowned, crippled, dead and stuck in the shuck patterns.
I had a profound, insightful and productive discussion with my friend, Bill Dooley, from Ireland! He has been a great source of inspiration and knowledge for me regarding flies from the UK and Ireland and the techniques for fishing them. Having a variety of options enhances our fly-tying strategy. Adjusting our flies while out in the field can indeed be transformative. Simple modifications, like trimming the tail and antennae, can significantly influence the number of bites we receive. The ability to tailor our patterns to match conditions and fish behaviour is a valuable skill.
The Shipman Buzzer, featuring a single or double layer of Poly Yarn for the tail and antennae, is a classic and practical choice for many tiers. A double layer of poly is ideal for heavy, windy, wavy days as it floats higher and longer. Making on-the-spot adjustments can only improve its effectiveness. It's wonderful to have such versatile patterns available. Regarding dry flies, few in the tackle box can be easily modified for enhanced efficacy.
Shipman's are usually tied in sizes 10-16 with black, orange, olive, or rust colour schemes. However, a size 10 in black is ideal when the larger chironomids appear. Most of May and June is prime time, with hatches peaking from mid to late June and tapering off in late July and August. The magical temperature range of 8°C marks the onset of significant chironomid hatches. Additionally, a size 12 becomes an excellent choice as a search pattern in this outstanding dry/emerger/crippled or drowned chironomid pattern.
Smutting-type rises indicate casual feeding at the surface and are key to suggesting a fishing tactic in your setup.
Sizes ten and twelve will generally be the most common choices from just after ice-off until the beginning of July, as we transition from the Early Season to the Mid-Season. As we move into the later part of the Mid-Season and the Late-Season, sizes fourteen and sixteen will become more effective as chironomids decrease in size.
As a searching pattern with or without a hatch, I usually use the colour chart and fly colour that is best suited for light conditions.