Have You Attempted These?

[SARG950]

After having just responded to a thread about stolen property, I thought I’d take a moment to post something a bit more cheery. I had coffee this morning with my 80 year old fishing buddy and as usual we got around to discussing Flytying and techniques. He then went and retrieved some flies he had done years ago, when he could still see and wasn’t trembling in his hands. I was so impressed with these flies, I thought I’d post them, wondering if any of you tie stuff this small. These flies are size 22 to 28 and he has taken huge fish on them from Lake Lenore and Rocky Ford on 9X tippet. Hope you enjoy!!

 

[WonkyWapiti]

I've never tied anything that small. Pretty bad ass!

 

[SARG950]

Neither have I... and the smallest fly I've ever caught fish with is a Size 20... all I remember was the "pucker factor" as I was praying to the tippet gods, "please 7X, don't fail me now!"

 

[SurfnFish]

These flies are size 22 to 28 and he has taken huge fish on them from Lake Lenore and Rocky Ford on 9X tippet. Hope you enjoy!!

anyone remember Bungibutt? Was the go to when using such uber light tippet.

 

[SARG950]

Neither have I... and the smallest fly I've ever caught fish with is a Size 20... all I remember was the "pucker factor" as I was praying to the tippet gods, "please 7X, don't fail me now!"

Are you referring to that shock cord that was produced by RIO?? it came on a spool similar to tippet materials. I actually was trying to find some, but Rio does not make it anymore. Too bad…

 

[Rio Grande King]

Grew up fishing the South Platte below Cheeseman Dam. Small flies were always the ticket there and I've always loved that approach. The most extreme I ever took it was on the Fall River near Bend in 2002. Just for grins I'd mail-ordered some 12X Varivas tippet- which strictly according to the X formula would translate to minus .001". As a kid I'd tied some simple thread body hackle dries on some gold Mustad 28s. Those hooks ran smaller than what is called a size-30 these days. The combination did land some of the cold, lethargic stockers next to the Hatchery.

 

[joefromchicago]

Recently tied a a size #22 Griffiths gnat (although, it did take three tries to get the hackle right) and did it without a tying lamp or magnifying lens and less than six months to go until my seventieth birthday, I feel good about that.☺