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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:40 am • # 1 
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First, forgive my photography.  I am a touch shaky and I try to handle the camera one handed, things go blurry.  My vision is blurry anyway after trying to tie tiny flies.

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Lately, I have been using this hook in sizes #24 through 30.

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With my bumbling fingers, I secure the hook in the jaws of a hackle plier before setting the hook in the vice jaws.

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I set the hook in a set of midge jaws that I set in the jaws of my vice.  These jaws hold the hook securely.  I set the hook in the jaws at this angle so I can wrap the thread to the bend of the hook easily.

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I wrap thread to the last bend of the hook, just before the hook takes a straight shot to the point.  This puts a sort of  'check' in the hook to prevent over penetration making it easier to remove the hook from the fish...and perhaps aid in more LDR's or say lost fish so you don't have to remove the hook.  I use a thin film of Krazy Glue then wrap the thread over it.  It helps in fly longevity.  Otherwise, these flies would be trashed in a few fish.  I have caught upwards of a couple dozen fish before the fly was through.

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Krystal flash comes in this micro midge size.  This is my favorite color. 

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Tie in the flash like a crippled wing...I go for the cripple look fish in the film rather than a dry healthy adult on top.  You can't see the fly on the water anyway.  I keep the line just tight enough to 'feel' the take with the fishes boil...still working on that one.

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I add three wraps of fine peacock herl for thorax.  I use the tip secion of a herl strand to keep the bulk down.  again, a film of Krazy Glue under the wraps will hold the herl in place for longevity.

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Finished fly.  Remember to allow room at the eye for a head.  You do not want to crowd and diminish the eye size at all.  I secure the herl with a wrap of thread, then I run the tip of the Krazy Glue applicator up the line and wrap the thread three more times, give it ten seconds to dry, then cut the line.  There is no room for a whip finished knot.   I haven't used a whip finish in years.  Just glue and cut the line, even on #1/0 flies.  After cutting the line, I run a lenth of tippet  through the eye to be sure it is clear of glue and material.

Note: on this fly, if you look closely, you can see the thread wrapped body to the last bend of the hook.  This prevents 'over penetration" 

Edited to add this photo:  This is what I am trying to 'match'....

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:38 am • # 2 
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Amazing work David!! You have a skill I find hard to imagine...Nice fly....


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:16 pm • # 3 
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Good idea on the no whip glue finish. You could apply the glue to the thread body with a bodkin to better soak the thread and give it more of a sheen. You can't have the flash or herl on the fly when you do this because the glue will wick up the material and make it hard as a rock. Better to lay down the glue and then wind the herl on as you have done.

Keep rough track of your percentage of LDR releases, will you? Don


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 7:01 pm • # 4 
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Zenkoanhead wrote:
Keep rough track of your percentage of LDR releases, will you? Don

Tonight, I went up to a local tail water on a feeder canal that stems off from the South Fork.  The water is doable but still high for great midge fishing.  I used the #28 midges shown above on a 2lb tippet on the Dan Craft 8' 00wt.  I fished for one hour, hooked 8 fish, landed none, the average battle lasted 5-7 seconds.  I think this is from a combination of a tiny barbless hook and the LDR tying method used and a nervous fisherman.  With #24's, I can fight the fish longer, and land some...1 in 5 say.  With 20's and 22's, the percentage goes up. 

The quest for easy release fly patterns will get easier to research when I get back to normal dry fly fishing next Summer when I can conduct experiments on small stone flies, caddis and mayfly patterns.  


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 7:09 pm • # 5 
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Well done, Dave! Very good tutorial!


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:12 pm • # 6 
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    Those are really neat, I just can't tie that small.  You have a talent for the small-ties, my hats off to you.  I like playing with the small gill with a 14 or 16, anything smaller than that doesn't seem to want to hold still in the vise.  I guess the micro-ties are an art form all their own......Thanks for sharing, and good luck with your LDR flies............................Don S. in SC     


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:48 pm • # 7 
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SWEET MIDGE... I will have to tie some of those and try them on the South Holston. That would be a good fly for those Blackfly hatches. Thanks for sharing that pattern.

Jr


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:39 pm • # 8 
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I'm sorry, did I miss something? I don't have my reading glasses on but it looks like a bunch of pictures of a vice and one picture of a wedding band. ;-)

You must have steady hands, Dave. Nicely done!


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:03 pm • # 9 
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Actually Jerry, My hands shake pretty bad....that is why I operate equipment for a living instead of brain surgery.  The to all for you kind words.

Dave


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:46 pm • # 10 
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Is that a mosquito in your hand?


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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 10:50 am • # 11 
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Nice pattern. I have used the hook you show in a size 24. I have not been able to buy anything smaller locally. Great post. I saved it in favorites.

Tom


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:13 am • # 12 
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I give it up at size 24 but kudos to those who fish them that small.


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