Vladimir

Okay, quick thread to get some more info about what is the smallest fly that you have guys used? I can't say that I have focused on finding smallest flies available, but due to quite a long experience with fishing, I have managed to use a couple of flies that were actually very small. The smallest I have used was an 18. What about you guys? Did you manage to ever use a smaller fly?

Bandaley

Wow, 18 - that's impressive. The smallest I have used is 22. And that was actually very small.

Cerberus

Well, that is actually a great topic for me as I love to fish small creeks. The smallest I have used is #16, but I even have #14 in my arsenal. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I will for sure. I have also used Klinkhammer - as long as it's a bit bigger hook, it looks extremely small in water. There is plenty of videos on YouTube, so you can check it out guys.

Vladimir

Klinkhammer is new to me. I have just checked it out and looks like I know what I should focus on next time. As I said, I'm not the advocate of tying such small flies, but this is the experience that I would love to have. Here is the video I have watched for all interested to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afABhdimiko

Qaquazer

I'm not familiar with the Klinkhammer either, so I will surely check it out. Thanks a lot for a recommendation guys - this is definitely the best place to get some inspiration and idea on what to focus our fishing experiences on in the future. Anyway, to answer the question in the topic - the smallest I have used was #20 and wow... it was already extremely small, so going for 14 seems like an impossibility to me, hah.

Rob

Number 22 zebra midges with gold copper or nickel bead heads are my go to in nov. dec. and jan in our local ponds stocked with rainbows,you can catch trout,bluegill,redear small bass all winter. After the zebras my next fav is number 18 pheasant tail nymph.Just cuz its small doesnt mean it wont catch good fish

Coyoteklr

22 black fly on big brown trout...
Hooks right on the edge of jaw and they don't shake it off...

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

The smallest fly that I have used and tied is a size 22 trico, it is black, and it works very well on brookies but use it only during a hatch. The hatch will occur when the air temp is above 75 degrees in the early afternoon close to overhanging willows. Tight Lines!

Coyoteklr

That 22 works well to hit the dirt bank on the outside curve of a stream and let it drop...
If you have browns it will hardly go 2 ft. Before you have one on.....

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Thank you very much, I will give it a try when the weather warms up. I live in the "driftless" area, S.E. MN., Western WS. & N.W. IA. We have great trout fishing here and most of them are natural browns. A few natural brookies but they are getting to be fewer and fewer of them. Fifteen years ago, I had a stream that you could go up and catch 50 of them in a short afternoon. A guy bought it and "cleaned" the shore line up, no more brookies. Where they went, I have no idea.

Some years, but not lately, the DNR would dump a pail full of rainbows at different places next to the road after the "catch & kill" season is over. Most of them would be gone as soon as the "catch & kill" season starts the next year. The rainbows are more aggressive than than the browns and they will drive the browns out if they are too many of them. The largest brown caught in the area was a 141/2 #'er caught by "Black Bill" who taught me how to fly fish about 70 years ago. He caught it on "chub bait", cut bait from a chub. Not a fly.

Tight Lines!