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