Wee Starling & Purple

[tie2fish]

Trying to come up with a midge/small BWO pattern using Pearsall's Gossamer, and have found that this #18 is as small as I can go without having a truly outsized head. Any suggestions for producing a smaller head with Gossamer will be much appreciated...

Hook: Gamagatsu R10-BN, #18
Thread: Pearsall's Gossamer, #8 Purple
Hackle: Starling
Body: Thread in touching wraps

[Kelly L.]

I love these spiders. The only thing I know that you could do, is finish the head with a small diameter thread. I too struggle with big heads on my flies. But I am getting better. Less wraps with gossamer is good. But if you feel you have used as few as possible, I would try the thread.

[letumgo]

I'd suggest switching over to white tying thread (8/0 or even smaller if you've got some) and tying in the Pearsall's silk as a single strand. You could wrap two layers of Pearsall's to form the body (down and back), or you could also wrap the tying thread down and back securing the silk in place. The second method would result in a white underbody, with a layer of Pearsall's silk over the top. Once the fly is finished, just touch the head with a purple Sharpie Marker to match the body. Good luck.

[Jim Slattery]

How and when are you putting the hackle on?
How are you finnishing the fly, Whip finish or half hitch?
How many turns?
Jim

[letumgo]

Good point Jim. Hans has a trick of mounting the feather, by the stem, at the same time the tying thread is tyed onto the hook. This method eliminates at least five wraps of thread in the head area. It may not seem like much, but that can make all the difference in the world, when your tying this small. Hans demonstrated the method in a few of his recent tying videos.

[Jim Slattery]

That is a good trick, it would eliminate 3 wraps for me,but that would not address the bulk in head area, just the thorax area which seems OK.

[wayneb]

Why not whip finish behind the starling in the thorax area?

Wayneb

[tie2fish]

How and when are you putting the hackle on?
How are you finnishing the fly, Whip finish or half hitch?
How many turns?
Jim

Jim ~ I'm tying the hackle in first and by the tip. The head is finished with a two-turn whip finish. I think I will try Hans' technique of tying in the hackle by the stem usng the thread cast-on wraps, and perhaps I'll pick up a purple marking pen the next chance I get. Thanks for the suggestions.

[tie2fish]

Why not whip finish behind the starling in the thorax area?

Wayneb

This is also worth a try. Again, thanks for the suggestion.

[Jim Slattery]

The most important thing is to leave your self some room for your head.