Gathering of the Clan

What are the smallest Flies you have successfully tied and caught fish with? Asking for a close friend.

For a while, one of my go to flies was a #24 BWO.

One February, I caught the Arkansas slam (rainbow, brown, cutthroat, & brook) on the Norfork River.
That was back when McClellan's was still open and you could pay a few bucks to park there and access the river.

Now days, if I see BWO type mayflies, I start with a #18 and then work my way down in size. A lot of that depends on the time of year. Winter time usually means smaller flies for the areas I normally fish.

I hope Charlie posts on this. He's tied up some very tiny flies.....like size 32, I think. I saw some at the 2010 GOTC in Colorado.

#22 ants. Simple and I did it many, many years ago.

Smallest I've fished with is a 24 Trico.

But I didn't tie it.

I buy small flies, tie big ones. It's just what I enjoy.

I love watching folks who tie the tiny ones. It's art.

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#24 parachute Tricos and BWOs. I haven't tied anything that small for a couple of years - as Brian says, they work, down in the Ozarks.

John

Smallest tied and caught fish with is a #26, but we're talking about thread midges. Not a major tying accomplishment.

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"Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire..." Exodus 12:9

Size #20 Griffiths Gnat and Midges. My fat fingers don't like them small hooks so, if smaller flys are called for I bum 'em or buy them.

Smallest was the #32 split tail parachute like the ones I brought to the Colorado gathering. Caught numerous very small stream rainbows, all under 7-8” and luckily landed a 17” Brown with 8X tippet. Other than that a #20-24 Griffith Gnat is my favorite.

I'll sometimes add a tiny dropper tied at the bend of the hook of a dry. I stopped trying to tie anything smaller than #16 years ago. But, a #20 to 22 dropper with just a smidgen of peacock herl will catch fish.

I tied and fished some #22 mayflies but seeing the dang things on the water is the hard part. Tie #18 -20 midges quite a bit.

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