Quote Originally Posted by Joe Billingsley View Post
If all of you tie the E/C or Harrop's Hair Wing or any of these similar patterns in very small sizes, like #18-24, do you still use hair for the wing or do you switch to CDC or maybe poly?

Joe
Quote Originally Posted by Byron haugh View Post
Joe,
Can't speak for those better tiers than me, but for me, I stick to deer hair. More substantive (even in thinned down bunch) than poly or CDC for parachuting hackle. There is some really fine deer hair available for the smaller hook sizes. Just my feelings.
That's a good question, Joe, and I do agree with Byron (who is being overly modest with his skill). My needs haven't pushed me to be a comfortable tyer of tiny bugs. Given your location relative to the San Juan and Colorado waters, I understand your interest in smaller patterns.

As a caddis, I'd rarely have a use for the E/C below #16,...and never below #18. I tried tying the E/C in a smaller black midge version with a poly wing subbed and wasn't pleased. I do like tying with poly in some applications, but it doesn't give that feedback that the right clump of good hair gives when I cinch it down.

Here's a BWO tilt wing dun on a #20 with a deer wing and split tails. As small as I care to go in this style.