Asher Stackers!

[AllenOK]

Asher Stacker midges, size 22. I apologize for the bad lighting and the errant hair on the left side.

20180308AsherStackers.JPG

[lastchance]

Great idea to use the hackle-stacker method for those small midges. Dos that technique make it easier to tie small flies?

[melk]

Size 22!!!! My Heavens, my eyes go to size 18, maybe!
Nice looking AllenOK!!
Mike

[AllenOK]

Thanks guys.

I've only tied one or two other patterns this small. I do not really consider myself an expert at tying any style of dry fly, especially something this small, so I can't really answer your question, lastchance.

I will say that as usual, I started teaching myself the pattern by tying some larger ones, size 16, until I felt comfortable enough to move down to 18's, then 20's, ending at the 22's. I have some TMC 101's in size 26, but just did not feel comfortable going that insanely small. I had to change out how I was tying the pattern at first. One video I watched had the core for the hackle stacker being a loop of tippet; I tried with 4 lbs test mono on the my first 16. I actually tied a few that way, but either the hackle broke, or the flashabou I used at tinsel broke, so I cut them off. Then I caught a video by the same person showing some tips for tying hackle stackers, using loops of tying thread for the core. I felt more comfortable with that. As I went to smaller sizes, I started cutting back on how many loops of thread I used for the core. By the time I got down to the 22's, I was only using one loop of thread.

One thing I started doing, instead of starting the loop at the bend of the hook, I started just after I cut off the tag end of the thread. Also, instead of wrapping thread around the base of the loop to close it off (like a dubbing loop), I just twisted the loop to cord it up a bit, then started wrapping back to the bend, wrapping over the loop as I went back. That really helped.

I have around a dozen or so flies of this pattern ready to fish, sizes 16 - 22. I probably tied twice that many, but ended up cutting a bunch off the hook when the hackle broke. What's really odd, though, is that when I did the 22's, I got the first three done without any breaks, and decided to call it there. Either I was finally starting to truly get a feel for the pattern, or I was relaxed enough to do it. Maybe the beer I drank before I tied them helped with that