Sz.# 40 Royal Coachman

[hairwing]

When I first joined up on FAOL (200 one of the first questions I raised in a thread was about a Sz #40 Royal Coachman fly that George Herter said was tied by Helen Shaw.
On page 23 of his book Professional Fly Tying, Spinning and Tackle Making:
ODDITY
The world's smallest fishing fly was tied by Miss Helen E. Shaw, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin on January 21, 1939. It was tied on a specially made English hook size forty. The pattern was Royal Coachman.

I didn't get much of a response to my question on the board and some blew it off as Herter B.S.. At the Denver fly fishing shows that year I asked Dave Whitlock and Lefty Kreh and I got some Helen Shaw stories but they didn't know if Helen had ever tied the fly Herter talked about in his book. Lefty has some #32's of Helen's on his wall at home given to him by Helen. Lefty was really good friend's of the Kesslers. I really thought he would know. I got shoulder shruggs from the old timers I questioned at the shows and the local fly shop historians when I asked them. I kinda gave up on the Herter assertment.

Until now: http://web.mac.com/robertdotson/Fly_...n_Shaw.html#27

I've finally satisfied my curiousity. I really do think the fly is a part of fly tying legend. Maybe you do too.

[lastchance]

That's amazing.

[popperfly]

Wow!! That is awesome, I could never imagine tying Size #40 Royal Coachman that small and what beautiful flies Miss Helen E. Shawtied tied back in her days!! Thanks for sharing that story hairwing.

[Normand]

I would also say that Helen Shaw is a bigger part of fly tying legend even before the fly.

[Wingsdlc]

Quite unreal! I have tied some 20's and really don't like them. 18's are ok but still rough. A size 40 is just crazy! Neat stuff and great job researching!

[Skip48]

Now that is tiny! What a remarkable person and to tie something that small is really something else.

Thanks for the story and answer all in one.

Skip

[hairwing]

..... and oh, a thanks to Robert Dotson. I had been visiting his web site on and off for a couple of years and this particular information is an update from my previous visits.

There's some great stuff there if you take the time to look... and go back once in awhile.. you might miss sumpin'. (Like I did).

[fishbum]

hairwing,

Thank you for sharing.

fishbum

[Bugsy]

Wow, that hook is hardly more than a miniscule barb and bend. I think I'd feel overly challenged just doing a neat, 3-turn whip finish on such a small piece of wire...let alone actually tying in materials.

It's interesting that the existence of this fly had been published, yet it remains unknown to the masses today. Thanks for posting.

[kglissmeyer]

Excellent research, well done. Thanks for sharing this info.

Kelly.