I don't tie or fish anything under a #18 these days. And not many of those. I hate fooling with those little bitty things, and don't ever seem to catch fish on them, either. I would say my "average" fly size is #12-#14 for most of my fishing. I don't fish those slick tailwaters, though.
I don't tie or fish anything under a #18 these days. And not many of those. I hate fooling with those little bitty things, and don't ever seem to catch fish on them, either. I would say my "average" fly size is #12-#14 for most of my fishing. I don't fish those slick tailwaters, though.
Same for me. I keep some in my box but rarely use them. I even use size 10 quite often for specks but 12-14 is the norm for me.
It's surprising sometimes how in the summer when the water is low and the fish are spooky and everybody is fishing tiny flies; what can happen when you tie on a big #8 rubber-legged Stimulator. I've seen good trout hit it like bass rolling on a jitterbug.
Most overthink it anyway. A wild trout, especially a speck will eat about anything from what I have seen. Not to say they cant be finicky but they arent as hard to catch as most would think.
Same for me. I keep some in my box but rarely use them. I even use size 10 quite often for specks but 12-14 is the norm for me.
Last week a friend of mine caught a 6-7" speck on a huge size #8 mohair leech with a big 4mm Tung bead that I gave them. Some of my biggest specks have come on some of my biggest flies. It's suprizing to see the big things they'll eat sometimes.
Last year I caught several warpaint shiners on crankbaits, and they were smaller the crankbaits I caught them on! Fish amaze me sometimes!
Put a big, black, live 4" long spring lizard on a hook and throw it in a speck creek and see what happens.