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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Auckland, New Zealand
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    Default Some more spiders

    Hi,

    After looking at some recent threads with great spider patterns, and checking out Donald's site again, I've gotten back into tying a few myself. Took a couple photos and thought I would share them. The first is a classic pattern that has stood the test of time, a Snipe and Purple. Probably best tied a bit smaller on a size 16, this one is a size 14 and works well here. It's a simple tie, as most spiders are, just purple thread and a snipe feather hackle tied in perpendicular to the hook. I've waxed the thread, though that's not necessary anymore.



    This pattern is, as far as I know, a new one but done in a very classic style. I've used UniThread light blue thread, waxed and touch dubbed with Hare's mask. The hackle is a waterhen feather, with a peacock herl collar. I was tying up some waterhen bloa's (drop the collar and use yellow thread; although I think the dubbing is tradionally mole, which I don't have), which is a brilliant pattern by the way, and thought the light blue thread would work well for a darker version. The closest Pritt lists is a "Blue Partidge", which has a blue silk body dubbed with lamb's wool, and a partridge feather hackle.



    Now, if the weather would just fine up enough to get a day on the water I could actually try these out.

    - Jeff
    Last edited by JeffHamm; 01-02-2012 at 06:14 AM.
    Am fear a chailleas a chanain caillidh e a shaoghal. -

    He who loses his language loses his world.

  2. #2
    AlanB Guest

    Default

    Very nice Jeff,
    The original dubbing for the Waterhen Bloa isn't mole, originally it was water rat (vole), but unfortunately protected and very illegal to harvest. Similar in colour and texture but much longer in staple. With mole there isn't enough length of fibre to create the dubbing effect. The best substitute I've found is muskrat underfur. Make sure there are no guard hairs caught up in it. With care and practice you can get a body with a halo of dubbing extending to 1/4" from the hook, yet still clearly see the thread.
    Cheers,
    A.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Thanks Alan. Getting that haze of dubbing while still having the thread show through is something I'm hoping to achieve one day. My one and only UK trout (caught from a pay to play pond, West Mere I believe, near Manchester) was caught on a Waterhen Bloa tied with various substitutes that I had on hand at the time. I've got a number of skins that have a nice dark grey underfur with long fibres that just might do the trick.

    - Jeff
    Am fear a chailleas a chanain caillidh e a shaoghal. -

    He who loses his language loses his world.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
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    Upstate New York, USA
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    Hi Jeff,

    I've tied a few Waterhen Bloa's as well. As Alan wrote, muskrat underfur works ok, but so does just about any darker color of squirrel body underfur, and Chinchilla underfur as well. For the body "haze", you can try wrapping your thread/silk from near the head back, and then split it, insert your fur any way that you like and twist it back up, and palmer it somewhat closely together going back towards the head while sweeping back the hair a little after every turn to keep it from getting caught up. This will leave small gaps in between showing the thread color, segmentation, and keeping your hair/dubbing loop even more sparse hair wise. Waterrat hair is extremely fine. Even when touch dubbed, enough of it clings to Pearsall's #4 yellow that it changes the thread color from a rich yellow to a dark dun in a hurry.

    Regards,
    Mark

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Thanks for the tips Mark. I've tied up a Waterhen Bloa, touch dubbing with mole (found my skin), and this one looks ok in the vice. How well the dubbing will hold up to a cast and wetting, well, remains to be seen! Properly tied it should be ok, but it could be that the dubbing will just come loose. I'm figure the wax will help bind it in.



    - Jeff
    Am fear a chailleas a chanain caillidh e a shaoghal. -

    He who loses his language loses his world.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Ashburn, Virginia
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    Beautifully done; so spare and simple it seems the only thing holding them together is faith in the pattern.

    Regards,
    Scott

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