Small Fly Funk III

This will be the last fly tying post here, tying now has it's own blog at www.smallflyfunk.blogspot.com so this site can focus on ultra-light fly fishing, which was always the plan.

With only ten days to go before the '09 season commences, there should be lot's of new reports to post here. This year, I have a real sense that this could be an amazing seven months of fishing. The season is already planned, I know what to expect during each month, surprise weather conditions aside and I have a finely tuned tactical approach to the familiar waters I'll be fishing.

I'll still be tying during the season, but less so in favour of time on the water. So it seems appropriate to sign-off the close of the main tying season with a pattern that represents a significant personal achievement... a new benchmark in my micropattern tying.

The TMC 518 #32 is the smallest commercially available hook. Ed Engle describes the 518 as the smallest "useable" hook in the world. And so they represent a panacea to the tyer of micropatterns. If you are based in the UK, the trick is first to actually source a supply - they are simply not available. Roy Christie supplied a mixed dozen of #28, #30 and #32's to help me out for which I am hugely grateful. An alternative is the Varivas 2300 available down to #30; this is a nicely proportioned, and strong hook but there is something uniquely authentic about the TMC 518.

The pattern below is a simple, spent spinner, that can be tied in a range of colours to suit hatch conditions. It is very hard to provide any perspective on scale, suffice to say the body on this tie is just 2mm in length. The goal of tying a neat and fishable #32 has evolved over time. Thanks must go to Roy Christie for providing the hooks and telephone tutorials in pursuit of this goal.

Hook: TMC 518 #32
Thread: Sheer 14/0 cinnamon
Wing: Niche "Midge Wing"
Tailing: Niche microfibbets, cream




I'll be fishing this pattern during late evenings in high Summer on Roy's Mystery Burn X, and I look forward to posting a picture of the wild brown trout that succumbs...

Small fly funk II

To date, the smallest fly I've caught trout on has been a #22. At this scale, even a barbless hook is tricky enough to remove, but the thrill of taking a fish on small flies, balanced with short rods and light lines is simply irresistible.

The coming season will see a continuation of small fly fishing. It's worth highlighting that ultra-light fishing does not necessarily demand small flies. But, in the interest of a balanced approach and immaculate aesthetic appeal, this is how I get my kicks.

As far as fishing goes (as opposed to tying for the sake of tying), I've got a hunch that #26 flies may be the smallest practical size to tie. This is an entirely personal perspective, rather than a statement of fact, not least as the likes of Ed Engle tie and catch fish with #32's and a hunt around the www. will unearth other examples of fish caught on sub-26 size flies.


Roy Christie, aware of my obsession with tying small/tiny flies provided a priceless piece of advice. He said, "Don't get too hung up on the issue of size. Tie your tiny flies exactly as you would the small flies, just smaller!" This goes far beyond stating the obvious, and demonstrates an insight that can only come with tying tiny stuff. To put this in to perspective, Roy has tied his Reverse Parachute Emerger design down to a #30. Of course, materials, and possibly tools need to be scaled down accordingly, but the basic approach is essentially the same, and you will only run in to trouble at this scale if you assume that there is some fundemental difference in process, which there isn't. So I took this advice to heart, and have now achieved a basic level of competence when tying tiny flies.

Hook: Daiichi 1110, #26
Thread: Sheer 14/0, grey
Tailing: Microfibbets, dun
Abdomen: Goose biot, olive
Wing: TMC Aero Dry Wing
Thorax: Fine, natural hare
Hackle: Whiting Midge Saddle, light dun


One last point. There is a strong, aesthetic dimension to the notion that #26 is where I bottom out. My #26 parachute Olive is the same as my #20 parachute Olive, just smaller. They share the same proportions, neat thorax, contoured wing and segmented, biot body. Until such time that I can further scale down these common traits beyond #26, and maintain aesthetic integrity, then I'll accept that #28's, #30's and #32's are just out of reach...

Small fly funk

In addition to general small fly tying, I keep a couple of rows in my fly box for very specialist patterns. They are tied to fish particular pools, under very specific conditions. It may seem esoteric to narrow a wide range of variables (including fly pattern, tippet/leader, line, rod and water environment) to closely defined levels. During the course of a season, those parameters may never align. But when they do, the experience of ultra-light fly fishing is elevated.

I have a very specific pool in mind, it has been featured elsewhere on this blog. As mid Summer approaches, assuming there has been several weeks without rain, the water thins out, atmospheric pressure rises and dusk falls after 22:00. This isn't skinny water, but it is low and slower... more relaxed. These are the conditions to look for when fishing this fly.



Lay a single layer of thread from the eye to the bend. The tail should be tied in directly above the pinched barb. Before adding tailing material, add 2 wraps of flat thread to the bend, simply to colour the hook, rather than add bulk. This provides an extremely subtle, but powerful trigger, suggesting the point of emergence. Split the tail and tie in a goose biot, with the notch facing towards you. Take the thread back towards the front of what will be the thorax.



Apply varnish to the thread body and wrap the biot forward in neat, touching turns. Use hackle pliers to control each wrap. Bind the biot down tigtly with 3-4 turns of flat thread.



Select your preferred winging material, and tie in with a single figure-eight. It is worth taking the time to prepare the wing carefully. The best available is Niche's Siliconised Polypropylene Yarn, which comprises luxurious, stiff fibres. On small, sparse flies it provides superb wing density without unecessary bulk. Take a strand, then brush out the fibres with a fine needle to carefully select the required amount.



Form a stiff and skinny wing post using touching turns of flat thread, no more than a single layer up, and a single layer down and drop the thread behind the wing post. Apply thin varnish to the post.



Carefully select a genetic hackle, checking for even, stiff barbs and tie in with the dull side against the post using a single layer of flat thread. Make open turns to the peak of the post and fill in the gaps with open turns of flat thread back to the base. Add a drop of thin varnish over this. This time, drop the thread in front of the wing post and form a lightly dubbed rope with which to form the thorax.



Form a sparse thorax that tapers slightly fom back to front. Again, take the time to precisely lay every turn of thread/dubbing without crowding the post, head or eye of the hook. Drop the thread in front of the wing post.



Make three wraps of hackle, working down the post and tighly bind the hackle with a single turn of thread. Make a further turn of hackle and again, tighly bind the hackle with a single wrap of thread. This keeps the hackle low against the thorax and abdomen, whilst the last turn neatly aligns the hackle barbs to make for a neat finish. When fished, the thorax and abdomen sit right in the surface film, rather than just above or below it.



Carefully tie off with a three turn whip finish, trim the wing post by pulling level with the hackle and cut at an angle, then apply thin varnish to the head and the top of the wing post. Take care not to contaminate the wing or hackle with varnish.

This was tied on a #19 TMC 102Y BL hook, using Sheer 14/0 olive thread. The permutations of colour are almost infinite, and the pattern can be tied from size 12 to 26. Although sparse, this is an incredibly resilient fly, capable of catching many fish.



When the conditions for which this fly is tied align, I'll report back with a wider description of the approach. Rest assured, every breath and step will be part of the occasion.

Close season reflections...

With long months ahead before the '09 season starts, I have been looking through the pictures and notes from last season and found this. It perfectly captures the magic of small stream fishing, in pursuit of wild, brown trout. This is a favoutite pool, only a couple of inches deep before slipping in to over three feet, tight against the far, overgrown bank where trout lie tight against submerged tree roots. Rather than cast (in a formal sense) you can only present a dry fly by flicking across the current, with a semi-roll cast. It isn't pretty, but it works at the expense of pure aesthetics.

I caught my PB of the '07 season at the head of this pool in a falling spate. Positioned upstream, I drifted a tiny nymph in to the head of the pool and was rewarded with a hard fighting trout of just over 14"

This season saw trout between 8" - 12" from the pool on #18 - #22 parachute dries.

It will be an early destination as soon as March '09 arrives, until then I can reflect on the good days of this Summer. Thanks to Cal for capturing my endeavours for future enjoyment. Here he is demonstraing his relaxed roll casting style a little further downstream.


He showed me up on this pool, catching three wild, trout using his proven method of a #16 Black Pennel, fished down and across. He's a wee star...

Sexyloops Flyswap 2009

I've just entered my first fly swap. The idea's simple enough, a set number of tiers (40 in this case) each tie a set number of identical flies and then each contributor receives one of each submission. Deadline in this case is 14th February 2009.

This is quite an undertaking for me, in terms of time and materials. With eight down, and 32 to go there remains much to do, but I've started early and will be done in advance of Christmas.
I started by preparing most of the materials, enough to tie the first half any how. I've to order extra turkey biot and another box of hooks, but the plan is going well so far.


Another issue is fly selection. There is a broad range of tiers and fishers involved, so I decided my usual style of small, simple stuff may not actually be that useful to most contributors, and I want every contributor to catch fish with my submission. So I've begun tying forty #16 Klinkhammers, each with a mylar ribbed, turkey biot body - a proven fish taker. The addition of a mylar rib adds another 45 seconds to each fly, but the effect is worth it. Peacock glister dubbing also provides a resilient thorax so each fly can take more than one fish. Size 16 is probably a mid-range size for many, small for some and massive by my fishing standards.

The recipe is:

Hook: Partidge 15BN Klinkhammer size 16
Thread: Uni-thread 6/0 olive
Body: Natural turkey biot
Rib: Micro crystal flash (unwind as you wrap to make flay)
Thorax: Peacock glister dubbing
Wing-post: Niche Products siliconised polypropylene yarn (grey)
Hackle: Metz #2 saddle, grizzly



I'm looking forward to seeing what Roy Christie and Marc Fauvet submit.

I'll post another picture when I'm all done...

Fade To Black

See also "Fade To Black" on Blackwiz Records, Brooklyn, NY (BWR9601) a Sandy Riviera production and now a rare, classic. Nothing did, or will ever sound this good on the right night, in the right company and on a killer system...

The last trip of the season is always a time for reflection, and October 18th upheld this tradition perfectly. It was a day to rediscover the magic of the season's adventures, on familiar water with trusted tackle and approach. I heard a John Gierach interview recently where he said something along the lines of, "as fly fisherman, we believe our sport is deeply meaningful. Until that is, we try to describe why it is deeply meaningful, and then it simply becomes fly fishing again..." These sentiments resonate with me.

The day started on the upper reaches of the R. Bush, a mere 3 or 4 miles from home. I know this water well, where the trout are and how to seduce them. I am never in a rush with so much natural beauty surrounding me and it was good to take the time to absorb the early morning scene, as the sun rose, with the half moon still looming in the morning sky.


First off, I sat and watched as a pod of trout, maybe a dozen or so strong I guess, sipped at the surface below a low hanging branch, in smooth, steady water. I love this pool because it demands higher standards of presentation from me than the faster, broken water elsewhere. With a DT2F, 9' leader and #20 black/pink klinkhammer fishing form a low stoop at the tip of the gravel bar, I was able to take four trout between 9" and 12" by working from the edge of the feeding zone to just below the low hanging branch. Keeping the rod low and applying firm side pressure, it is possible to hustle your catch away without breaking the surface.


These trout are amazing. The peaty water, and over grown bankside vegetation has dulled their colouration, such that as they are released, their black backs seem to evaporate in to the water, very different to the golden, buttery trout of the more open pools downstream.



With trout still rising freely, I moved upstream to darker, more overgrown water that holds an almost eery quality. This is an old river, much diminished in size since the building on the Altnahinch dam during the 1960's. Even in high water, the bones of this once large river are exposed and it's now stream status adds to a sense of history.

It was time to change tactics, to move in closer and get in among the trout. Uplining to a DT3F and 7' leader gives more control at short range. As the trees close in around you, the value of garish, but highly effective florescent wing posts is proven. With little surface activity, I stood thigh deep in cold, dark water and considered my next move. Along the far bank, and less then 20' away, the current slicked past more low hanging trees. Releasing line to carry the fly downstream enabled me to roll cast on target and as the fly, another #20 black/pink klinkhammer landed, a darkened 10" trout immediately struck. I have never experienced this before, a first cast in to a pool resulting in a fish, and it was thrilling.



For over an hour, the sport was thick and fast. On two occasions, having lost sight of the fly, I raised the rod to find a trout had taken my fly. Fishing in such tight quarters is never easy, and I estimate I lost maybe six of my neatest, prettiest tiny flies in the process. But hey, I have an entire closed season ahead of me to refill the box.


Again moving upstream, this was the scene as I emerged from the darkness in to the warmth of an early Autumn morning.


Just beyond the right-hand bend above is this wonderful, pacy pool. For the first time this season, I fished a tiny biot-bodied nymph and enjoyed three hook-ups, none of which I netted. In lower water, this is a wonderful dry fly pool as the current bounces over the shallows and trout can be taken in little more then 6" of depth on tiny parachutes, ants and beetles.


The morning ended about a mile from where it started, with more missed strikes and maybe half a dozen more trout up to just over 12". It was possible to get close-in, maybe 12' below the sun-bathed tree (below), and pick off trout as the current pulled and turned.


I returned home to fresh eggs for breakfast and an appreciation that the season was nearly over. At 17:15 I realised I had maybe 90 minutes of sensible daylight left and suggested to Nic that this really was my last chance to get on the water. Her raised eyebrow suggested Nic never had any intention of denying me...

At 18:20 I stood knee-deep in Roy's tiny burn, the scene of so much pure magic throughout the season. At 18:20 something substantial lunged at my #22 all-black dry but was never hooked. Moving steadily upstream through these familiar pools brought numerous, lightning fast strikes and maybe half a dozen hook-ups. The closest I got to catching a trout was in the last pool of the season, as a 6" golden trout skimmed across my palm before disappearing forever.

High water on the burn after heavy rain during the previous week, at normal levels this is a series of beautiful pools and runs, gliding between the rocks and weed growth and a mere 8 - 12' wide. The trout are still there, but they have lessons to teach me this evening.

At 19:40, in failing light the season ended for me. There was a strange poetry in the failure to catch during this last short, session. During the preceding months I had enjoyed good, regular sport, and returning home my respect for these wild, small stream trout was crystallised. And so was the sense that this style of fly fishing, short rods, ultra-light lines and tiny flies is about as good as it gets. It is something so deeply meaningful to me that I will not diminish it by trying to explain why this is so....

Thanks again to the guardian, Roy Christie and the dude-in-the-stream, Marc Fauvet for the magic times this season.

Tiny nymphs and peccary klinks...

With a report on this season last trip still to write, here is more fly tying, an activity that will fill the long, dark Winter evenings ahead.
I got a good deal this Summer on a couple of packs of Partridge K1A Vince Marinaro midge hooks. These are true small fly hooks, designed specifically for this application with an off-set bend to aid success. At this scale, I at least have limited options but the biot-bodied nymphs below is a cynch to tie and makes for a real pretty fly. A little micro Krystal flash for a tail adds all important flash at this scale. This is a #26, as small as I dare go (the eyes are still recovering...)


I have only very recently discovered peccary, via Peter Smith at Niche Products. This course, barred bristle makes amazing, segmented bodies and is very strong to make for confident tying. A new addition is the minimal trailing shuck to serve as an a additional trigger. Another Niche product.


What self-respecting trout would refuse this fly? I'll have to wait to at least 1st March 09 to find out, but my money is on this being a killer...


For more information about Niche products range of fly tying materials please visit www.nicheflytying.com and feel free to contact Peter Smith by telephone or email (details on his site) for first class advice and service. He is very particular about the materials offered, so be assured of the very best quality available and advice based on over 35 years fly tying experience.

Final fishing report of the season to follow, Fade To Black...