Normally, when I hear Tim Flagler say that he’s tying a fly in a size 20, “but feel free to go smaller,” I just throw up my hands and resign myself to the fact that the pattern he’s demonstrated is for fingers smaller and more dextrous than mine.
But, as you’ll see above, the Palomino Midge is actually a pretty easy fly to tie, and it’s a great searching pattern in the late fall and winter on most trout streams. That said, I’m still not sold on the “feel free to go smaller” thing. Anything smaller than a size 18, at least for me, is for others to tie… and me to buy.
Enjoy the tutorial. It really is a good fly this time of year.
— Chris Hunt