If you don't have an assortment of these itsy bitsy little flies in your fly box you are shortchanging
yourself!
The ubiquitous Griffiths' Gnat for example is a very easy fly to tie and is very productive when fished
right on the surface, or with the hackle trimmed on the bottom, in the film. It catches a lot of very big fish.
At times however these little (size 20 and smaller) flies can really be a problem to handle and control.
How many times have you or some other member of your household found one you dropped with bare feet?
Getting them from the vice, without loosing them, can be a traumatic experience, but it need not be.
The fly shown in the photo is a very small, (my guess size 24 ) CDC midge, tied by Susan Cox, (a.k.a. Lady
Jane in the FAOL Chat Room,) as her contribution to the 'Favorites Fly Swap' recently conducted here on FAOL.
You will notice in the photo a length of tippet material, in this case 5X, has been run through the eye of
the fly. You will further note the figure of eight knot tied in one end of the tippet material. This keeps
the fly from falling from the line.
In the second picture you will see a large paper clip attached to the free end of the line, with the fly
dangling from the other at the knot.
You may at this point either hang the clip and use it to collect successive flies, or you may use it to
simply control the fly while you place it into your box, at which time you remove the line from
the eye of the fly.
This is actually doing two things for you, though the second is very subtle. One, it controls the
fly when you remove it from the vice. And second, you are getting practice at threading the tippet
through the almost invisible eye of the fly. The second has got to help you on stream when you
really need to thread the needle as quickly as possible.
If you have any tips or techniques, send them along, most of this
material has been stolen from somebody, might as well steal your ideas
too!~ George E. Emanuel
(Chat Room Host Muddler)
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