size of flies

Hey Mike - welcome to the clan!

This is actually a great question and I saw it late last night, but it was Sandy's birthday and, you know, some things just take precedent. I knew that this was going to be an extensive discussion! Wink

The basic answer to #1 is that, yes, the numbers do indicate a hook size. The higher the number, the smaller the hook. That is, a size 12 (often - and hereafter - indicated by the "#" symbol) is larger than a #14. Until you get to the largest hooks which start adding the "ought" - a #1/0 is larger than a #1 - a #3/0 is larger than a #2/0...

A #20 is universally thought of as tiny, though hooks go down to #32 which is insane, but fish have been caught on them. Personally the smallest I ever tied was a #28, and I don't recall that I ever actually fished with it!

What you have to consider next is the hook "style" This will include length - extra short, short shank, standard shank, long shank, extra long shank... Then the bend of the hook - "perfect" being a half-circle, "sproat" being slightly curved at the top of the bend, truly "curved" from the hook eye to the point.

And then there are the combinations of lengths and curves! Roll Eyes

Changing the way you look at everything, just about!

Your big concern when choosing flies is how well do they match the size, and look, of the live critter you're trying to imitate. Curved hooks are becoming more and more popular as almost every living creature has some kind of curve to its body!

About the only thing I can think of off-hand that you might want to put on a straight hook, still, may be bait-fish patterns.

But getting back to style, hook size and length... The hook size is a relative description of the distance (the gap or gape) from the hook point across "the gap" to the shank. In any size 12 hook that gap will be the same.

But you can have an extra-short shanked, curved #12 that will look almost like a complete circle - compared to an extra-long, straight shank #12 that has virtually no likeness other than that it's a hook with an eye and a point, and they're both #12's!

Now you can buy an Adams Dry Fly in just about any size you want probably from size 10 down to a #22! Do you need all of those? No!

Again it goes back to the critters you're dealing with. Let's take the March Brown Mayfly, in our case the most important bug of spring on the Little Mo' (and the region). The maximum size of the adult mayfly is maybe about 3/4 of an inch for the body plus the very long tails. As mayflies go in North America, this is about a medium sized bug.

That should translate into a standard length, light wire dry fly hook (I didn't mention wire diameters earlier...) in about a #14.

Personally, I've always tied my March Brown Dries on a #16 because on the water they appear to be bigger than they actually are, and historically fish tend to take a fly on a smaller hook more readily!

On the other hand, I've always tied my Long Creeks, the nymph version of the March Brown (and Light Cahill as well) on a 2x long, heavy wire, straight shanked #14. The old Mustad 9671 - which is now being translated into the Mustad Signature Series R-73 and described as a 2X heavy wire, 3X long shank with a round bend - thereby a straight shank.

I did try tying Long Creeks on a curved hook for a little while, but actually still prefer the standard.

Yes, on my flies I don't really indicate a size since I tie them all to a specific purpose and sized accordingly, to answer question number two! Although, the Smidge for example I will fish the "regular" size - a #14 - and the Prime Time size #12!

And the Tan Bead Belly's (a extra short curved #16) I tie "smaller" than the Original Bead Belly's (2X-long curved #16) as the tans imitate a smaller Caddis Fly that we get in the warm bright days of spring.

So simply, if you get my "Special" flies from me, you are going to get the size needed, unless you want something different.

If you get standard patterns elsewhere you are going to have to make some decisions or go with the dealers recommendations. Which is why you want to get your flies from a shop where you're going - or at least find out what you need (and then order them from me... )!

No, really, if you're going someplace unfamiliar, find the closest fly shop and ask! That's what "destination" shops do and they're getting to be fewer of them around! Undecided

A little research can help you find out what sizes and what flies you're going to need for the waters you're going to fish. You'll be amazed at what you can find out on-line now-a-days!

Hell! I used the Google Earth Imagery program to decide which trail I wanted to take to fish the parts I wanted to of Silver Creek in Idaho before we ever left here! But when we got to Sun Valley I stopped in Bill Mason's shop and they told us that a #18 Parachute Adams was killing them on the Big Wood River that week! We caught fish on Woodie-mergers and A&W's, but a whole bunch on #18 Adams!

Generally speaking, most of all our nymphs are going to be #10's, 12's and 14's. The dries will be 14's and 16's, maybe some 18's and when summer rolls around you can start looking at 20's and even 22's - at least until the Light Chills start to come out in the fall!

The fresh stockers don't really much care... The "resident" fish are more likely to refuse a fly that is too big! If you see that you're getting refusals and "swim-by's" - going one size smaller is Standard Operating Procedure!