I use either a Chromie or a color version of the Black Sally. Both are Phil Rowley patterns and I'll try to post a link to both. The first trip in March usually is a bloodworm or a chromie and I let the fish determine which is better. As March turns into April I will switch to a color version of a Black Sally in either green or a red butt and then green or black as the main body.
The bloodworm can be a very simple fly to tie as I'm switching to a short piece of red spandex or what ever the stretchy stuff is called and lash it to a hook similar to a Tiemco 200 in a 12 or 14. I've made them more complicated and the stretchy stuff lashed to a hook has the body shape of the actual worm. I've also done red wire wrapped around a hook and a bead for a head and done ok on those.
I don't use much of the TDC style chironomids any more as I've drank the koolaid about chironomid pupa having gasses under the skin and giving the body a shiny sheen. Actually trout will suck in just about anything under the surface as I've caught them with cigarette filters in their stomachs. I also remember one plant years ago I got up around Rising Sun, Maryland (for Bill Shuck) that had a triangular shaped rock covered in moss in it's belly.
Your TDC is a good looking fly. It's actually not oversized as some might think given it's on a 2xl #10 hook. I've tied some on #6 regular shanked hooks for fishing up in BC. Those may have been a bit oversized as the fish weren't overly appreciative.
Chromie:
http://www.flycraftangling.com/index.as ... ticleID=24
Black Sally:
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/an ... ally.phtml
The ice is off a fair number of our little lakes now and Moses Lake is waiting for a good wind to pile up the thin surface ice. March 1st is our basin lake opener and the prime lakes should be open. One year about 30 years ago the ice wasn't off until the 3rd week in March. Last year the ice was off sometime around the 1st or 2nd week of January. It was not a good year for fishing or wildfires.
Bill