Tying Small Flies

[WYKnot 0]

Small flies, for me, means Tricos in sizes 20-24 and a few dark olive parachutes sizes 18-20 (yeah, even size 18 parachutes seem small these days). To make tying easier, I use the following:

 

1. Good lighting, at least one 100-watt full-spectrum fluorescent bulb about 2 feet above my vise plus room lights.

 

2. Optical “cheaters”; I prefer reading glasses (1.50) to a magnifier, more flexibility while tying.

 

3. A good chair (don’t laugh) makes a world of different; reduces fatigue and allows me to change height, roll around to adjust distance from the bench, and adjust tension for leaning back.

 

4. Quality hackle when needed in a pattern; working with a few wisps of hackle is tough enough, webby hackle (for dries) and broken barbs don’t make things any easier.

 

5. Danville 6/0 flat waxed nylon tying thread; spins down flat and wraps without too much bulk.

 

6. For fishing small flies, I use “big eye” hooks on my Tricos. Sure wish you could buy ovesized eyes on fine-wire curved hooks.

 

7. A copy of Ed Engle’s “Tying Small Flies” at the benchside.

 

What other tips or tricks make tying small flies easier and more productive...?

[Guest]

Good tips. I also like a vise with small tips. I use a Dyna-King for most tying but bought an HMH Spartan with midge jaws for small flies. Really like it on small flies as there is a lot of clearance around the hook.

 

Engle's book is a good one.

 

Dave

[nemoblackdog 0]

- Gudebrod 10/0 thread is great for keeping the bulk down, and is surprisingly strong and "forgiving" to use.

 

- I've gotten used to using a small pair of hackle pliers for holding more than just hackle. I don't have one of those expensive "midge" saddles, and use the smaller hackles from a good ("silver") neck cape. Though high quality, they are a good bit shorter than a nice long saddle hackle. The pliers make them easier to hold and wrap.

 

- Dampen materials like herl, hackle, pheasant barbs a bit before wrapping to reduce chances of breakage, which seems especially more frustrating on small flies. A damp paper towel works good.

 

- If you can just barely see the dubbing on the thread, that's probably bordering on too much.

 

- Don't wrap yarn parachute posts directly to (or around) the hook shank - just make a "V" in the thread and bind it down sort of like a trico wing with few X-wraps. Pull the legs up vertical and wrap around them to stiffen the post. This saves a good bit of bulk on the hook shank. Faster to tie, too.

 

- A third vote for Engle's book.

[flycaster 0]

I was told some years ago to replace peacock herl with peacock sword on tiny flies. Good advice, especially if you have premo herl- it's great for most flies, but too lush for teeny-tinies.

 

Chuck

[flytyingscotsman 0]

 

After I tried Gordon Griffith 14/0 Sheer Ultrafine thread for small stuff like midges

and tricos, there was no going back. It's tough and wraps with very little bulk.

It's a good combination when paired with a Griffin ceramic Pee-Wee bobbin.

 

On the reference front, I can recommend 'Tricos' by Bob Miller and 'Fishing the Midge' by Ed Koch.

 

 

 

 

 

[WYKnot 0]

It's a good combination when paired with a Griffin ceramic Pee-Wee bobbin.

 

On the reference front, I can recommend 'Tricos' by Bob Miller and 'Fishing the Midge' by Ed Koch.

 

I also use the PeeWee bobbins, like the way they feel in my hand. Bob Miller's book is excellent; contacted him through the publisher several years back and he callled me to talk about Tricos and his patterns. A real gentleman.

 

[WYKnot 0]

- Gudebrod 10/0 thread is great for keeping the bulk down, and is surprisingly strong and "forgiving" to use.

 

Tried Gudebrod 10/0 and it is a nice thread. Like most fine threads, it is very unforgiving when you get it too close to the hook point. Few things in life more frustrating than nicking the tying thread on a small pattern...

[flytyingscotsman 0]

It's a good combination when paired with a Griffin ceramic Pee-Wee bobbin.

 

On the reference front, I can recommend 'Tricos' by Bob Miller and 'Fishing the Midge' by Ed Koch.

 

I also use the PeeWee bobbins, like the way they feel in my hand. Bob Miller's book is excellent; contacted him through the publisher several years back and he callled me to talk about Tricos and his patterns. A real gentleman.

 

I've had the pleasure of witnessing Bob Miller fishing the trico hatch on the Little Lehigh Creek here in

Allentown (he actually lives on a road which parallels the creek).

 

Let's just say it was almost enough to make me just up and quit fishing the trico hatch !

 

He really is the master !

 

[nemoblackdog 0]

On the denier scale, the Gudebrod 10/0 is actually finer than the Griffiths 14/0, but the Griffiths is stronger.

 

For the ultimate in small and strong, you can spend a few extra dollars per spool and use the GSP threads. In my own tying, however, I just don't have much need to crank down harder than the 10/0 needs. It's not like I'm spinning deer hair on a size 24 hook. That said, I wouldn't mind a bit more forgiveness to nicks on the hook tip.

 

 

[flytyingscotsman 0]

On the denier scale, the Gudebrod 10/0 is actually finer than the Griffiths 14/0, but the Griffiths is stronger.

 

For the ultimate in small and strong, you can spend a few extra dollars per spool and use the GSP threads. In my own tying, however, I just don't have much need to crank down harder than the 10/0 needs. It's not like I'm spinning deer hair on a size 24 hook. That said, I wouldn't mind a bit more forgiveness to nicks on the hook tip.

 

One of these fine days the thread guys will standardise to a common scale .....

 

In the meantime, we are somewhat at the mercy of their marketing guys.

 

Not sure I'd be happy with the 'slippery' feel of GSP for tying small flies though.

[WYKnot 0]

For the ultimate in small and strong, you can spend a few extra dollars per spool and use the GSP threads. In my own tying, however, I just don't have much need to crank down harder than the 10/0 needs. It's not like I'm spinning deer hair on a size 24 hook. That said, I wouldn't mind a bit more forgiveness to nicks on the hook tip.

 

Spinning deer heair on a size 24, sounds like a swap waiting to happen.

[Philly 0]

I tie all my small stuff on light wire shrimp/caddis pupae hooks like the TMC 2488. With the 2 XS shank I can tie a 24 body on a size 20 hook.

[WYKnot 0]

I tie all my small stuff on light wire shrimp/caddis pupae hooks like the TMC 2488. With the 2 XS shank I can tie a 24 body on a size 20 hook.

I also like little curved hooks, particularly the Timeco TMC 2487, 2x wide, 2x short, fine wire. Essentially the same as the 2488, but with a slight down eye.

[dazzyd 0]

Some advice I was given when beginning to tie small flies was to work your way down progressively in size rather than just jumping in with #20 hooks. By the time you have reached #18 and smaller, your eyes have adjusted to the small sizes.

I also use a single clip-on magnifying lens of around 3x attached to my glasses and that really helps alot. Its much less obtrusive than a full magniflying lens and can be obtained in a variety of magnifications.

[bwo3 0]

when i tie those small flies i really like to use a pair of rotating hackle pliers for the hackle and body of the fly if it is something like peacock