Sz.# 40 Royal Coachman
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.
"As far down the river as he could see, the trout were rising, making circles on the surface of the water, as though it were starting to rain."- E.H., The Big Two Hearted River