Trying to expand my tying capabilities, what can I tie on 18, 20 an size 22 hooks to make nice dry flies? I know with hooks that size you are limited to what and how much material you can use. I've grown tired of tying and have a lifetime supply of zebra midges and variations in the sizes mentioned.
Size 18, 20 and 22 Dry Flies
- Thread starter midge1
- Start date
This should give you some ideas. There might be more midge variations than any other fly.
http://www.montanafly.com/form/2017Catalog.pdf
When I need inspiration I simply poke around on fly shops sites, guide sites, YouTube ang google machine. There are just so many midge patterns to try. The problem is many of them are same construction or very minute changes..... As you’ve seen. Which can lead to burnout.
I simply use the tried and true zebra midge in array of colors, cdc midge and a Catskills style cream or black midge. Because to me... tying them is a pain. And some can be rather challenging.
A few others size 18-22 flys I use are Mosquitos, BWOs, Tricos and the seldom seen..... black fly.
Good luck.
http://www.montanafly.com/form/2017Catalog.pdf
When I need inspiration I simply poke around on fly shops sites, guide sites, YouTube ang google machine. There are just so many midge patterns to try. The problem is many of them are same construction or very minute changes..... As you’ve seen. Which can lead to burnout.
I simply use the tried and true zebra midge in array of colors, cdc midge and a Catskills style cream or black midge. Because to me... tying them is a pain. And some can be rather challenging.
A few others size 18-22 flys I use are Mosquitos, BWOs, Tricos and the seldom seen..... black fly.
Good luck.
Griffith's gnat is a good place to start. Parachute dries are excellent- and with a synthetic post, dropping down in size really isn't that difficult, as you trim the post after you're done. Klinkhammers produce well. The list is pretty endless, really- but I would consult a hatch chart for the rivers you are likely to fish and take your clues from there.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
brownbass
Well-known member
Matt's Midge, the Renegade, and Pegs Midge are few. Tricos and BWO patterns as well.
Bill
Bill
Rip Tide
Well-known member
In my universe, you need to be able to match Olives in sizes 18 and 24, brown caddis in 20 and trico spinners in 22, and one stream that I fish has a blanket hatch of size 20 grey midges in late April.
For tiny attractors, I would never be without a variety of Griffith's gnats and I'm also quite partial to size 20 Royal Coachmen
Generic dries of your favorite styles in light and dark colors will serve you well
For tiny attractors, I would never be without a variety of Griffith's gnats and I'm also quite partial to size 20 Royal Coachmen
Generic dries of your favorite styles in light and dark colors will serve you well
dillon
Well-known member
Not only the hook gap size, but the length of the shank matters as well. I prefer Daiichi hooks for small dries. Many of them are tied on long shanks. I tie an emerger pattern on a 1270, 3x, long curved shank. Depending on the size and color it represents numerous mayflies and midges. All it is, is a quill body and CDC wing. Apply CDC flotant to the wing only, the body hangs it the film.
I was tying size 18 rusty spinners on a standard dry fly hook at a fly tyer's expo this week end. I had my small mayfly dun, mayfly emerger, and adult caddis boxes displayed on the table. They drew many comments regarding their diminutive size. One guy commented about how effective they would be on the small mountain brook trout streams he fishes. Maybe, but that's not quite what I have in mind...
I was tying size 18 rusty spinners on a standard dry fly hook at a fly tyer's expo this week end. I had my small mayfly dun, mayfly emerger, and adult caddis boxes displayed on the table. They drew many comments regarding their diminutive size. One guy commented about how effective they would be on the small mountain brook trout streams he fishes. Maybe, but that's not quite what I have in mind...
kevind62
Well-known member
Try tying different variations of nymph. Sounds like you've limited yourself to just a few. There are numerous varieties that are available to tie in the sizes you mention. I probably tie around 20 different varieties of nymph. I have my favorites that I usually tie way too many of. Others I have I've never used but like to tie and like the way the look. Just haven't come up with the need to try them when fishing. I always have a starting strategy with a few contingencies if the original plan doesn't produce. Then I just wing it from there until I find something that works. Just recently started tying soft hackles. First couple of tries several years ago were awful looking critters so I put it on the back burner. All my other flies were working fine so why bother? On a few trips of slow fishing I noticed fish hitting my flies at the end of the drift as the line was coming tight and starting to swing. Caught several fish like this and it hit me, if I just had some soft hackles maybe I'd get more action. So decided to try again. Much better looking now as my tying skill has progressed significantly. A good place to start looking for tying options is Charlie Craven's Flybox. He's got lots of easy patterns with instructions and pictures.
Charlie's FlyBox - Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials
If you have a surplus of flies or just need an excuse to tie more flies try donating them to PHW or CFR charities on this site.
For me for now, I rarely tie dries. Only because currently I don't do a lot of fishing during dry fly season. Most of my fishing is fall, winter, and spring (early spring). After I retire (soon I hope!!), I plan to try and do some dry fly fishing trips. When that looks more definite I'll start tying some small dries. Right now the only dries I tie if at all are hopper varieties. They're easy and look cool. Have yet to use any, but I've got enough to try it if I get a chance.
Might want to tie up some streamers too. Lots of different varieties and you can really experiment with colors on them and tons of material to experiment with. Anything from subtle drab to something with enough bling to make Mr. T jealous.
Charlie's FlyBox - Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials
If you have a surplus of flies or just need an excuse to tie more flies try donating them to PHW or CFR charities on this site.
For me for now, I rarely tie dries. Only because currently I don't do a lot of fishing during dry fly season. Most of my fishing is fall, winter, and spring (early spring). After I retire (soon I hope!!), I plan to try and do some dry fly fishing trips. When that looks more definite I'll start tying some small dries. Right now the only dries I tie if at all are hopper varieties. They're easy and look cool. Have yet to use any, but I've got enough to try it if I get a chance.
Might want to tie up some streamers too. Lots of different varieties and you can really experiment with colors on them and tons of material to experiment with. Anything from subtle drab to something with enough bling to make Mr. T jealous.
wthorpe
Well-known member
I am a beginner tier (or whatever status comes before beginner), and I too like Craven's website. I also have bought several tying books, and i find his to be the best. I aspire to tie a size 18 or smaller fly someday (something other than a zebra midge that is), and when i get there baetises, midges, and even basic para adams are on the radar screen.
From November till April, trout on my local rivers rise to midges and baetis almost every day. My bread and butter flies are size 18 and 20 dries for these hatches. I could go smaller to match some of the midges, but the fish eat a size 20 just fine most of the time. My most effective pattern is a parachute, It's easy to see and fish eat it. I also fish thorax patterns with the hackles clipped flush on the bottom, but that's usually only for picky fish. I also have several emerger patterns, especially for the midges. Those patterns seem to change from year to year, not because of the fish, but because I'm always looking for an emerger that stays in the film and is visible at distance. I still haven't found one I like as much as my favorite parachute variation.
satyr
Well-known member
I just love to fish hare's ear parachutes with calf tail wings. I will fish these mostly in size 18 but will fish them down to 22 on spring creeks. Vary the color of the body for blue wing olives and tricos. I also tied no hackle caddis in size 18 to 22. The elk hair is plenty to keep the fly floating in these sized and you will get more fish than with a hackled fly.
sparsegraystubble
Well-known member
This winter i have been tying small dries no hackle patterns including the X Caddis and Sparkle Dun patterns based on the patterns from Blue Ribbon Flies. But instead of hair wings I have been using the EP Trigger Point fibers. Easy to use for small flies and my flotation tests in the sink make me think they will be winners.
Don
Don
silver creek
Well-known member
There is a misconception that you need tiny flies to catch large trout feeding on midges. Would it surprise most of you to learn that Gary Borger’s most often used size for a Griffith’s Gnat is a size 14?
Why?
The truth is that the Griffith’s Gnat was NOT tied to imitate an individual midge. That is a misconception. A better name would have been a “Griffith’s Gnat Midge Cluster.” Larger trout cannot afford to feed on individual midges. The formula for life (energy in - energy out) must be positive. Given the energy used to feed AND digest a midge, this formula for life becomes negative for the size of trout we want to catch.
Larger trout must feed on midge clusters which is group of midges that can be taken on a single rise.
This is what individual midges look like.
This is what a cluster of midges of looks like on the water. The Griffith's Gnat simulates the clustering of mating adult midges with multiple bodies at odd angles and the hackles simulating the legs and wings of the cluster touching the surface as in the images below.
The Griffiths Gnat is designed to imitate a midge cluster above and that is why Gary Borger uses a size 14. Here are some Griffiths Gnats he gave me. I asked him to sign the top and these will NOT be fished.
Do NOT be afraid to fish Griffith’s Gnats of a size that imitate a midge cluster. The advantage is that larger hooks are less likely to bend or break on those fish.
The shame of the belief that the GN represents an individual midge is that even Orvis does not sell a Size 14, which is Gary's most productive size for larger fish.
Some of the photos above are taken from the article below which makes the same point.
Hi Vis Griffith Gnat Midge Cluster Fly Tying Video Instructions and How To
The Griffith Gnat does not imitate one midge specifically. In fact, it imitates a whole bunch of midges, a whole bunch meaning a “cluster”. When midges hatch, they often bunch together in cluster. Fish love this! They can take a mouthful of 20 midges at a time and that is much better than eating them one by one. The Griffith Gnat remains to be the most effective midge pattern out there. Do not be caught without them!
Last edited:
dillon
Well-known member
The Buzz Ball, by Gary La Fontaine, is another midge cluster pattern.
It's funny, but in over 20 years of fishing midge hatches I've never seen a midge cluster. I've fished midge hatches that were so thick bugs got in my nose and eyes, I squashed midges in the folds of my clothes every time I moved my arm to cast, and the surface looked like it was boiling from all the risers, but no clusters. I've seen mats of caddis, and mayflies in backeddies and along the bank, but not midges. I'm not saying it doesn't happen or that cluster imitations aren't effective, I'm sure it does and they are, I've just never seen it. Maybe the rivers I fish just have species that don't cluster, or maybe the numbers just aren't like they are elsewhere.
Next time I'm on the river I'll probably see clusters of midges, that'd be typical.
Next time I'm on the river I'll probably see clusters of midges, that'd be typical.
rodneyshishido
Well-known member
I've caught nice trout at Henry's Fork on 18 & 20 black and cinnamon ants and #22 BWO at Silver Creek.
JoJer
Well-known member
You might want to look at Dryflyinovations.com.
I did some 22's and 24's with bodies made from a single wrapped moose hair. If we agree that trout can see all the detail we put into these small bugs, it makes a vey buggy looking body.
I did some 22's and 24's with bodies made from a single wrapped moose hair. If we agree that trout can see all the detail we put into these small bugs, it makes a vey buggy looking body.
I went to the neighborhood library and checked out Ed Engles book, Tying Small Flies, I think everything in there is a size 18 and smaller. Lots of great patterns to work on for me.
