Fishing and tying small flies has been a huge passion of mine for a long time. These small bugs are in our rivers, streams and lakes all year round and are a major food source for trout. Tying small flies will also help you become a more proficient fly dresser, as learning to utilise fewer materials and fewer thread wraps will allow you to become more efficient when tying more ‘standard’ size patterns.
In this video, I tie a few simple, generic patterns from size 20 down to size 24.
Give small flies a try, and let me know how you get on in the comments below.
Long live small flies!
Materials – RS2
- Hook: Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry, size 20
- Thread: Nano Silk 24/0, White
- Tails: Micro Fibbets, Clear
- Body: Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Fly Dub, Grey Olive
- Wing Buds: Fulling Mill Parapost Yarn, White
- Thorax: Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub, Pepperbox
Materials – Crippled Emerger
- Hook: Fulling Mill Tactical Midge, size 24
- Thread: Nano Silk 24/0, White
- Tails: Coq de Leon Body: Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Fly Dub, Grey Olive
- Wing: Fulling Mill Parapost Yarn, White
- Hackle: Whiting Farms Genetic Dry Fly Hackle, Midge, Speckled Badger
Materials – Parachute Emerger
- Hook: Fulling Mill Tactical Midge, size 24
- Thread: Nano Silk 24/0, White
- Shuck: Krystal Flash (Micro), Pearl
- Body: Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Fly Dub, Grey Olive
- Wing Post: Fulling Mill Parapost Yarn, Fluorescent Orange
- Hackle: Whiting Farms Genetic Dry Fly Hackle (Midge-Grade), Speckled Badger
- Thorax: Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Fly Dub, Grey Olive
Books & Websites
- Tying Small Flies, Ed Engle
- Fishing Small Flies, Ed Engle
- Trout Lessons, Ed Engle
- Fishing and Tying Small Flies, Ed Engle
- Micropatterns – Tying & Fishing the Small Fly, Darrel Martin
- Modern Midges – Tying & Fishing the World’s Most Effective Patterns, Rick Takahashi & Jerry Hubka
- Andy Baird’s Small Fly Funk – http://smallflyfunk.blogspot.com
