MEET "FLUFFY"

The tiny CDC fly I call Fluffy

 BLACK

BLUE DUN

          They are both tied on a Gamakatsu C12-BM barbless midge hook size #30. I'ts a very easy pattern to tie. Use a small CDC feather where the barbs are of the same length at the top. Tie in a thin tying thread and trap the top barbs of the feather and double it back (sometimes it's easier if you use a bodkin to hold the "bubble" that is formed) and tie in just before the eye of the hook. Then making a few turns in front of the rest of the feather you make it "stand up". When you think it looks good just whip finish and snip off the waist leaving part of some barbs as a wing and you're finished. I believe in this fly and will try it out this season. Even though I haven't tried I guess it can be made just as easy on bigger hooks. So until next post ...

Kind greetings and tight fly tying threads,

Mats Olsson

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FLIES I'VE PRESENTED IN SNO-FLY WORLDWIDE SHOWCASE OF MIDGES

Grey or Light Blue Dun Midges

          This midge is tied with a detachable body on a Gamakatsu C12-BM size #30 barbless midge hook. I've come to love these hooks. As you can see they have a large eye which makes it easier to tie the fly to the leader. For the second midge I chose to go with a cdc for wings instead of a synthetic material.

          As you see this midge is more like light blue dun in color (I'm a sucker for light blue dun and I think that the trout are likewise). The picture of the other midge isn't quite true, when it comes to colors, depending on the light. This second one is also tied on the size #30 Gamakatsu midge hook. So the detached body isn't very long. Since I can't try them out now I have to wait for spring to see what the final judges (the trout) think about these midges. Until next post ...

Kind regards,
Mats Olsson

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FLIES I'VE PRESENTED IN SNO-FLY WORLDWIDE SHOWCASE OF MIDGES

USD Midge

          The first thing that I thought of was the footprint the fly would make in the surface of the water. I first made a prototype without tail since midges doesn't have tails like mayflies have. When looking at the prototype (kind of hard to try it out now during winter here in Sweden) I realized that, to set down correctly in the water, it needed a tail. Hence the fly above. Another key attractor is the wings so I made them a little longer. Finally it had to be able to ride on the water without touching it with anything than the feet (the legs of hackle). The following picture shows that it really works.

          So at least in theory this fly should work as expected. I'm eagerly awaiting the spring to be able to try it out and see if it needs any modifications. That's all for now. Until next post ...

          Hope you enjoyed the post. Any questions or reflections just give a comment since they're always welcome.

Kind regards,

Mats Olsson

FLIES I'VE PRESENTED IN SNO-FLY WORLDWIDE SHOWCASE OF MIDGES

THE TERRIBLE TINY GRIFFITH'S GNAT VARIANT

This fly is one that I really enjoyed tying and the last of my flies I presented at SNO-FLY WORLDWIDE SHOWCASE OF MIDGES of which I'm a member. It's hard to tell the size looking just at the photo above so let's look at another to get a reference to how small it really is.

This photo shows that the fly is just a few millimeters long, just a tad less of 5 mm I would say, so how on earth is it possible to make a palmer hackled  fly this small? The hook gap is just almost 1 millimeter or a 25th of an inch. The answer lies in Whiting Midge Saddle Hackle. The very hackle used on this fly is the one in the picture below.

Yes, the barbs on this saddle hackle are just passing 1 millimeter in length. I chose black hackle just because it's quite hard to find any hackles suitable for a hook that would be labeled size #40 with the standards of TMC 518 series (or about that size anyway). I was fortunate to find some that just were too small for a TMC 518 size #32. I "waisted" some tying Jassids on the TMC 518 size #32. I regret that now as I've realized that it would be much more suitable with a hackle just a tad longer on these flies but done is done. I'll probably use the hackles I still have in the actual size to tie some more of this fly here presented.

I've presented the vintage hook I've been able to buy a stash of earlier in this blog but just to refresh the memory I'll post the picture of two of them with a ruler below.

Naturally I had to substitute the peacock herl with something. I've used herl from a tail feather on a Magpie for that. I think it worked out quite satisfying. I don't have any high expectations of really hooking a trout on this fly. To be able to do that I would probably have to trim off all the hackle under the hook shank and in my opinion that would be to ruin the fly. I like it the way it turned out and will probably use it for a payback on a big trout that almost broke my splitcane rod. I'll sneak up on him and just awaiting the reaction when he can't gulp down the fly in his belly. So this is a fly just tied to have some fun nothing else. I look forward to the spring when I might have a shot at that big trout with a dry fly. I hope this post has inspired some that haven't given midge fishing a try before to do just that. Tying and fishing tiny flies. Have fun,

Kind regards,

Mats Olsson