Fly Fishing: Think Small Flies, Not Big

So I often think about fly fishing extremely small flies to catch big trout. But I seldom do. That’s because small flies, size 26 and up, are hard to see and tie onto your line. In fact, they’re so small that you can end up accidentally dropping them in the water or at your feet on the bank. And good luck finding them after that. In addition, these tiny flies can be hard to see on the water. And finally, it’s also hard to find locations to buy them. Thus, the end result is that I don’t always fish micro flies as much as I’d like to.

But make no mistake about it, there will come a time and place in every fly fisherman’s life when you absolutely must fish these tiny flies, if you want to catch a trout on the fly. And, for me, such a day came a few weeks ago in May this year on the South Holston River in Northeast Tennessee…

Now, I should’ve known right away that it was going to be a slow day of fly fishing when I arrived at the parking lot at Osceola Island in the morning and found it mostly empty. Yeah, that doesn’t usually happen on a good fishing day.

Anyway, I tried to look at the bright side. At least, I’d have lots of good holes to myself, which I did. But after fly fishing all morning. Hunting big browns in their lies, I’d only managed to catch two small rainbow trout. If you want to know the pattern I used, it was a certain PT variant, size 16 to 22. And yes, I’ve caught many bigger browns on those, like the one below.

South Holston Brown Trout
Brown trout recently landed on the South Holston using a PT nymph.

So after a mostly unsuccessful morning of fly fishing, I decided to head back to the parking area and eat an early lunch. That way I could fish the river again after the one hour water release TVA had scheduled from 12 to 1 pm. A water release, I hoped, would stimulate a Sulphur hatch. But after lunch, and a very stingy water release, no Sulphurs showed up. None. Nada.

In the parking area, I talked with several fly fishermen who’d all but given up. They claimed that fishing was too slow and no good. It was all bad. And so sad. Some of them even marched back to their trucks and exchanged their fly rods for spin gear and minnows…

Not sure what to say here about this. But in desperate times, some guys will take desperate measures. I can’t blame them. Heck, maybe I would’ve done the same, except for the fact that I didn’t have a can of worms or my spin gear, which was thankfully back at home in the very back of my storage closet. So, at that point, I had no other options.

Moreover, I’m also a glutton for punishment. So I decided to keep fishing anyway. After all, it was a nice day. And behold, there were a few trout rising here and there at a certain bend in the river. Now they weren’t rising with reckless abandon, like you see in a hatch. Or even with any consistency. But at times, the trout were most definitely rising to the surface. So I tried a variety of fly patterns without success.

Meanwhile, a couple, fishing downstream of me, had waded up the river within earshot.
“Do you fish this river a lot?” the man asked.
“A bit,” I answered.
“Well we came out hoping there’d be a Sulphur hatch.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen today,” I lamented.
“What do you think they’re feeding on?”
“Midges. And midge emergers. Super small junk like that…”

And when I turned back, I saw that they’d left. Just like that. On the river bank, I saw them briefly, as they scurried back towards the parking area on the river trail. Without remorse. And no regrets.

And what’s up with that? I’d spoken the truth. But they just couldn’t stand to live in such a reality. Fish feeding on midges. Tiny flies. Not BIG Sulphurs or Blue Winged Olives in sizes 16 to 20. Or even, size 20 or 22 Black Caddis patterns that many people cannot see on a drift. No, these fish were feeding on really small midges, like size 24 to 28. That much I knew. And, in my heart of hearts, I knew that they could be caught.

So I rigged up a size 24 Crystal Midge. And chucked it right into a pod of the most finicky fish on the South Holston itself. And yes, they ignored it with absolute impunity and even outright glee. Indeed, I knew that those fish were laughing at me. The fool…

Still, I was not one to be deterred. So I beat the water with that pattern. Yes I did. And finally, one of the dumbest, most idiotic fish in that pod took the fly. I landed it without any celebration, since it was such a small fish. And hardly worth the effort. Still, things were looking up for me, if I could just figure it all out.

Changing positions, I waded to a deeper area among the rocks, which threatened to trip me up at any moment. And again, here, in the middle of the river, I observed fish rising. So I casted the Crystal Midge to them again and again. But there were no takers. None. Nada.

Hauling the pattern in, I studied the tiny fly with all the intensity and concentration of a chess master.

Was it too big? Too small? Too unnatural? Yes, that was it. You see, the Crystal Midge had a large white tuft on top of its body, so I could see it in the water. And no doubt, there’s not a midge in God’s creation that has that kind of conspicuous bright white on it.

Consequently, the fish were afraid of it. Because it looked different. Not the same as the midges they were keying in on. And, even more importantly, my fly looked the same as any other type of similar pattern that so many other fly fishermen had caught these same fish on time and time again. Until these very fish had wised up. And now only wanted exactly what was found in nature.

I clipped the Crystal Midge from my line. Put it back in my fly box. Glancing around, I made sure no prying eyes were upon me and that the coast was all clear. Then, at last, I reached for one of my top secret flies. A size 28 micro midge. A dry fly, at that. Years ago, I’d learned to fish these tiny midge patterns on 8x, 9x, and even 10x tippet on the Elk River in West Virginia. Now it was, once again, time to deploy these deadly patterns. Desperate times call for desperate measures, indeed!

After rigging it up. I went to work quick. Casting the micro midge out into the current. And, you might not believe it, but most of the time, I could see the tiny dry fly. That’s cause I’d coated the fly first with a liquid floatant, then dusted it with white fly powder long before I’d ever cast it. So I could spot it, at times, in the slower currents. And most importantly, when a fish took it once. Then again.

Now, things were really looking up for me. That was two fish on the micro midge pattern, which I’d bought years ago at a fly shop in West Virginia on the Elk River, where the only patterns that you can catch those fish on, at times, are micro midges. And it was the same on the South Holston today. Yes, the South Holston trout were exclusively feeding on tiny midges today. And that’s why you should fly fish SMALL flies sometimes, and not big ones.

No doubt, a lot of a trout’s diet, especially on tailwaters and springs creeks, like the South Holston and Elk River, is midges. This is a fact. Moreover, midges are a food source that’s almost always available. Whereas, those big hatches of Sulphurs, Blue Winged Olives, Green Drakes, and Black Caddis are seasonal and ephemeral, at best. But that’s just not true of midges. Which are almost always available to trout for consumption, in every season, all year long. Particularly, if you’re using a subsurface midge, like the Zebra Midge.

But on this day, I was fishing a tiny dry fly midge on the surface. And some might argue that you’ll never catch a big trout that way. But that’s not true. In fact, on the Elk River, my largest fish there ever was a 23-inch rainbow trout caught on a size 24 Red WD-40 pattern, landed on 8x tippet.

But on this day, no, I wouldn’t have that kind of killer luck. Still, on one of my last drifts, an aggressive trout absolutely clobbered my tiny dry fly on the smooth surface of the river.
What a rise!

I set the hook swift, but soft. There’s a sweet spot for setting the hook when you’re fishing light tippets. Because if you set the hook too hard with 6x to 8x tippet, you’re going to snap your line…

Moreover, it also helps to have a lot of flex in your rod tip, which cushions the strain on light tippets and leaders. So some guys, like myself, often prefer medium to medium-fast action fly rods.

And, one medium-fast to fast action fly rod, in particular, that I definitely like is the:   Fenwick Aetos Fly Fishing Rod, as some people believe it’s the best fly rod on the market for the price. Moreover, fly casting experts report that it has better performance than many high-end brands.

… Luckily, on that fish I was just talking about, my set was just about right. Then, I ended up playing an extremely aggressive trout for a while. My drag was set to almost no resistance. And when I finally scooped that rainbow trout into my net, it measured 15 inches.

Rainbow trout caught with small fly
This rainbow trout was caught using a tiny fly.

No, that’s not huge. But when I grabbed that trout in my hand and saw that tiny speck of a micro midge in its upper jaw. Right where it should be. It was hard to believe the scale difference. Think of a blue whale swallowing a tiny shrimp. And you’ll get an idea of the difference in size between the tiny dry fly and the fish that I held in my hand. Moreover, it just as well could’ve been a 20-inch brown trout. That said, I was happy with my humble 15-inch catch.

Why? Because it had rose to the dry. And I’d caught it on a day when most folks had just given up or even sadly switched to spin rods and live bait. But, you don’t have to do that. Instead, if you see fish rising and sipping seemingly invisible insects from the surface; chances are, those trout are eating tiny midges. And so, if you think SMALL, not big. And you’re willing to fish those size 24 black midges, Griffith Gnats, etc. Well, you might just be surprised to find yourself on the line with a big aggressive feisty trout.

But the most important reason for thinking SMALL flies, not big, when fly fishing, is that those midges are almost always hatching. And I like to be able to catch fish anytime, any place. Although, I often fail miserably at this.

Still, in truth, if I could pick only one single pattern that would most likely produce fish on any given spring creek, tailwater, or even large river in the nation, it would surely be a small subsurface midge pattern. Something similar to a Zebra Midge in size 22 or 24. But people often say that I think too SMALL, and not big enough. But maybe those same folks just don’t know that tiny dry flies and midges really can catch some very large fish. And applying this logic to some other aspects of our lives, I’ll say that a monumental undertaking begins with just one small step forward. And yes, a tiny mustard seed can grow into quite a large tree.

Tips for Fly Fishing Small Midges:

  1. Have faith. Yes, trout, even BIG ones, can see those tiny midges and nymphs.
  2. Invest in a good pair of polarized glasses. I have used many different brands over the years, including this pair:
    Costa Del Mar Men’s Harpoon Oval Sunglasses
    The polarized lenses on these sunglasses really do reduce the glare on the surface of the water, enabling you to see through the water, which helps you to wade with more stability and also to spot trout! And to distinguish and spot your tiny fly!
  3. For people who need glasses, make sure your prescription is up-to-date.
    Also, get a good pair of reading glasses. +2.0 to 5.0 magnification. This is so you can see the eye of the hook you’re threading. And the tiny midge. These magnification glasses below are very popular with fly fishermen for tying on small flies:
    CliC Adjustable Front Connect Reader, 3.00 Strength
  4. Use a CDC fly floatant to coat your tiny fly. I use these two brands, both of which work well with CDC and other standard fly materials:
    TMC DRY MAGIC
    Loon Outdoors LOCHSA, 1/2 oz
  5. Use dry fly powder to coat the fly white. This will greatly assist your ability to spot your tiny dry fly on the water.
    Please note, this is the actual fly powder that I use when fly fishing, which I purchase in bulk:
    Cabosil – Fumed Silica Thickener in Quart Tub
    Also please be very aware that you should NOT attempt to fill a smaller bottle with this if you are indoors.
  6. Keep your leader length consistent. Use a longer leader, always. This can decrease the micro drag on the fly.
  7. You can use an indicator fly when fishing subsurface midges, like the Zebra Midge.
    You can also use an indicator fly with your hard-to-see tiny dry fly midge, if you’re having trouble spotting it on the water.
  8. Cast closer, not far away. For starters.
  9. Fish the smoother, slower water, not the rapids, where you might lose sight of your fly in the glare and broken water.

My Favorite Standard Midge Patterns Are:

Zebra Midge
Stripper Midge: Stripper Midge (Size 20-22)
Griffith’s Gnat: Blue Wing Olive Griffith’s Gnat Dry Fly, 6 Pack (24)
Crystal Midge
Foam Midge Emerger

My Final Tip for Fly Fishing Tiny Dry Flies and Midges:

If you’re really planning on fly fishing these extremely small flies.
Seek counseling.

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After a long career in the publishing industry, Gary Alan left his corporate job to pursue his next adventures in life as a blogger, writer, investor, fly fisherman, hiker, and traveler. He is the author of the adventure fiction book, 'Big Thunder-Hearted River'.

11 thoughts on “Fly Fishing: Think Small Flies, Not Big”

  1. Would you provide some more info on dry fly powder? Sounds like it might help me see these little flies better.

    • Hey Mark, any fly shop will have the dry fly powder. It’s sold under various names… You just brush it on the fly, after you coat the fly with the liquid floatant. I use alot of CDC patterns, so the liquid floatant needs to work with CDC for me. I go through ALOT of the dry fly powder. So I buy it in bulk containers, which last 2 or 3 seasons. Maybe I should contact the makers of the dry fly powder / floatant and put an advertisement in this article.

  2. I’ve been tying my own hi viz sz 26 CDC dries and there are times nothing bigger will work. I also have some 28 and 30’s for insane times. Your article was one of the best and most accurate I’ve seen on the subject.

  3. I use to catch tons of various size trout on tiny dry flys , then a lot a fly fisherman told me ,use something big enough to see & get better results, / so I started useing various big fly patterns, mostly wet , I caught next to nothing for approximately 5 years/ then I thought, what the hell am I doing, I always did excellent on tiny dry flys ,so I went back to tiney dry flys & started to catch & still do catch tons a trout, I guess iam a tiny dry fly fisherman:

    • Tiny flies work a lot of the time. Unless, of course, there’s a hatch of big flies (g drakes, for ex.). Still, definitely stick with tiny flies most of the time. Tight lines!

  4. I enjoyed your article. I really like playing the ‘midge game’. I am thinking about making my own leaders again. I used to make them before I started fishing the tail waters. Do you have an article on making them? Would you mind sharing your formula??
    Also I probably qualify for needing counseling. Tight lines.

    • Hey Randy D., I don’t have an article on a formula for leaders. I use Maxima to form the butt section. And then, I’m integrating tippet rings, which the purists probably don’t like. My leaders aren’t built for performance. They are built to switch from dry fly casting to fishing nymphs under a strike indicator easily. Into a search engine, you could type: “leader maxima formula”. I’ve been fishing midges a lot lately with very good results. But when I tell other guys, they mostly say they won’t fish that small, (“can’t see ’em), I’m talking size 24, and up to 30. More fish for the midge guys. Tight lines, Gary

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