Weeest Woolly Bugger.

[piscatus absentis]

I've had quite a few fish with a black spider recently and feel that it is taken for a minnow in some cases.  So I sat down to tie up some size 14 Woolly Buggers (no, I'm not posting a picture of them - too embarrassing).

This got me thinking - what is the smallest hook size a WB can be tied on.  And can anyone tie a fully working version on a 16 or smaller.

Gold bead head, marabou tail including some flash, peacock herl body, palmered black hackle and silver rib.   

[SouthFly]

I've tied them down to a 14 standard shank (like a 16 long shank), though I can't see why you won't be able to tie them down to a 16 or 18 (especially if its tied on a x1 long shank), it's only the parmered hackle that becomes more tricky.

[SouthFly]

I was busy tying flies so I took it as a bit of a challenge, here is a size 20, unfortunately the bend of my size 22 hooks wouldn't permit me to get a bead round the bend (may have given it a go if it did)



Hook: Partridge SUD size 20
Bead: 1.5mm gold bead
Thread: Uni 17/0
Tail: black cock filoplume with two strains blue flash
Rib: Danville fine wire
body: peacock herl
Hackle: genetic black cock hackle

[SouthFly]

That there will definitely catch fish, good going there.

Regarding the peacock, you have to search through your packet of strung herl to find a fine strand.  If you plan on tying allot really small flies then it would be a good idea to get a peacock eye feather, the flue is usually allot finer than what you get in the packets of strung herl