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Ok - I?m getting old(er):mad: and my hands and eyes can no longer work with flies smaller than a #12. If it were just flies for me, wouldn?t even be asking this but I have a young guy who is just starting college and is learning to fly fish.
Would flies like midges and other of the smaller flies still be successful if tied on a #12 or even a #10 hook rather than the #14 - #16 hooks they are normally tied on?
thanks for the comments.
Adrian
Alee, you know you have to go to NW Arkansas or beyond to find a fish that will refuse a fly because it's larger than a size 12. Bass, bream, crappie (sac a lait to you) are not picky about size. Bream are the teenage boys of the fish world, they see a fly and think "I can get that in my mouth."
They will work fine. Sometimes guys will tie a smaller fly on a larger hook just for the extra hook gap. Have fun with it.
yes that size would be fine
midges can be as big as size 8
consider nymphs, soft hackles and winged wet flies
Alee, Clyde and Tummel style flies are tied with short to very short bodies on larger hooks and have worked very well for decades, if not centuries. Take you size 12 hooks and tie your fly on the front half of the shank, or even less of the shank. The flies will work very well for you.
Everyone - thanks very much for your responses - especially Uncle Jesse -
Once I read his response I was nodding my head "yeah!" as I read. Lots of bass fishing with casting reels in my younger days and I realized he's absolutely right.
I'm getting "more experienced" is the proper way to say I'm getting old - and my hands and fingers just don't do what I tell them to do anymore. I think I'll go ahead and move some of these flies on up to a #12 or even some to a #10. I can manage that size - I think.
Thanks again everyone.
Adrian