We were aware that our first edition had no mention of fly tying and with that thought we tracked down Andy Baird, writer of the excellent Small Fly Funk blog and asked him if he'd write something for us. We were thrilled when he said yes!
Burger, fries and a side of truffle shavings.
The Klinkhámer Special is an effective fly design on multiple levels. Flies that imitate the emergent phase convey an innate vulnerability that trout readily exploit. That low, low hanging abdomen has teasing appeal. The fizz and sparkle of a peacock herl thorax is visually enticing, albeit more subtle than the kiss-my-ass abdomen. Parachute style hackles provide a wide footprint that pricks, dimples and bares down on the meniscus – and provides the functional benefit of excellent flotation. Vince Marinaro understood the strike response of trout when the wing passes in to view, and the full wing-post of Hans Van Klinken’s design utilises this perfectly.
There’s another key feature of the Klinkhamer Special that contributes to its success – and that’s size. This is a BIG pattern. A #20 Partridge 15BN hook viewed next to any other size 10 makes the point. To my mind, size is one of the key attributes of this design. I call it the burger-and-fries effect. When a Klinhamer Special drifts through a trout’s window of vision, actively feeding or not, I’m sure its brain activates an involuntary motor response to strike. With the greatest respect to the pattern and its designer, the Klinkhamer Special is super-sized junk food for trout and they can’t resist. Similarly, physical exaggeration can pull trout up from greater depths than a smaller fly – there’s simply more to spot.
Understanding these features and the range of strike responses they trigger, provides a sound base from which to develop small fly strategies, from the bench to the stream - and back again. Simply inverse the scale and apply a little lateral thinking. There’s now a wealth of proven information available to those who want to explore fly fishing in microcosm that spans decades. There are three core areas for me. Crack these and you have a solid foundation from which to advance your small fly skills.
Amplifying triggers
An obsession with imitation can be counter-productive. If you drift a near exact copy of the natural, among a thousand naturals you have a 1/1,000th chance of a strike. Fly fishing’s original mad scientist, Gary LaFontaine understood this and reinforced theory with his scuba observations. His fly designs were aesthetically disconnected from the natural, but for exaggeration of the strongest trigger(s) trout were keyed on to. Ed Engle has, more recently, explored the idea of amplified triggers with his oversized thorax nymphs. Subtle differentiation of your 1 in a thousand offerings narrows the odds in your favour.
Small fly freaks have a deep respect for the power of the trout’s eye, and avoid any pre-occupation with the trout’s ability to see their offering. This enables the small fly tier to balance amplification of key triggers with subtlety. The #32 late-phase emerger shown below illustrates the point. The tails, unnaturally extended, are curved slightly (between thumb nail and the pad of the index finger) to form an irregular impression in the surface film. The deep blood red colour, another unnatural characteristic differentiates the fly from the natural. The strong barring of the teal barbs differentiates between light and dark, and these single barbs impart miniscule, but detectable movement. Although small, the clipped hackle barbs rest in part below, in and above the meniscus. The mole dubbed abdomen also provides contrast with the medium dun hackle, and the wisp of flash from traces of clear Antron provides a hint of halo.
In isolation, these triggers may be inconspicuous to the human eye. Collectively, they provide a riot of stimuli that so often induce a positive strike response. All the bases are covered: colour, scale and movement. What they lack in full-on, burger-and-fries appeal they make up for in sophisticated, fine-dining allure.
Ignore everything I just said
Many of the books on small fly tying and fishing come from US writers. Marinaro, Koch, Holbrook, Lawson, Engle and AK Best are key reference points. These guys developed their craft as a tactical response to real-world conditions: highly educated trout + acute fishing pressure. This, and the prevalence of tiny diptera, Beatis and Trichorythodes make small flies part of the fabric of the sport. Things are a little different in the UK. I’m not aware of any waters, moving or still where fly fisherman are stacked up shoulder to shoulder (you’ve likely seen the pictures of guys lining the shore, fishing tiny patches of water – it looks like hell to my eyes). And our hatches tend to be lighter. There are exceptions but these are general observations. As such, the work of LaFontaine on trigger exaggeration is fascinating and insightful but potentially, less critical to success. If that’s the case, we may focus more closely on imitative tying without compromising strike rates. A highly imitative fly drifted through a sparse, or even non-existent hatch may just be enough to induce an opportunistic trout to feed. Why not, if it looks like the natural and the naturals are scarce? The #24 Brook dun below bares more than a passing resemblance to the natural it imitates.
Thing is, it takes time to construct an anatomically accurate fly on a small hook. This is a good thing. When each one takes 15-30 mins to tie, you soon develop a keen sense of preservation on stream. I lose very, very few flies during the course of the season.
A state of mind
On the 6th May 1964, Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, with a verified time of 3min 59.4sec. This feat was previously considered impossible. Only 46 days later, John Landy shaved over a second off Bannister’s time when he ran a mile in 3min 58.0sec. Just before we entered the 21st Century the record sat at 3min 43sec.
There are a couple of possible explanations for this breakthrough in human endeavour. Either, a growing group of athletes underwent a Dr Manhattan style transformation OR, Bannister’s achievement demonstrated what could be achieved and simultaneously inspired folk to attain new levels of performance. I lean towards the latter…
Consistent success with small flies – both at the bench and on stream – has rather more to do with psychology than anything else. Overcome self-imposed, psychological limitations and you will be free to explore fly fishing in microcosm. Keep a packet of #30’s to hand – they’re now readily available. Make this the first hook you tie on every time you sit at your bench, without exception. Simply lay a thread foundation on the hook, maybe tie in a couple of tails, chord the thread tightly and rib in neat uniform turns, then strip the hook and repeat several times. After this, the shank of a #24 hook will appear as an expansive work area – this is a simple and very effective optical exercise that works for me every time. I still tie down to #32 with the naked eye.
I tie and fish within the framework of an explicitly defined code – sub #20 flies fished on two and three weight rods no longer than 7’. Whilst I’d rather fish a tiny stream, I apply this code where ever I fish. Exploring the margins of Lough Easkey on the West Coast of Ireland last Summer, and surrounded by folk fishing 10’ six and seven weights, I was the only one catching trout – small trout admittedly, but the point was made. I make no apology for adopting such an evangelical position on this issue. I’d rather apply what I’ve learnt in a range of situations with absolute confidence and regular efficacy, than make a half-assed attempt at a broader range of fishing styles.
Whilst sharing bench space with Hans Weilenmann during BFFI 2011, we discussed our experiences of tying and fishing small flies. Like many experienced fly fisherman, Hans applies small fly techniques as a tactical response to stream conditions – a Baetis hatch in skinny water, or winter midging for example. Whereas I fish sub #20 flies with light lines and short rods exclusively, irrespective of the situation. In his words, “I wouldn’t be as dogmatic as you”. It was a fair and well judged observation, though in truth… I’m more militant, narrow-minded and rigid in my philosophy of approach than that…
Read more from Andy and his love of fishing tiny flies at Small Fly Funk