Keeping it simple for once.

[JeffHamm]

I've done quite well with a lot of spiders. I've tied up, with substitutes where necessary, flies from Pritt's collection and do quite well with them. Pritt's #1, the Water Cricket, is still one of my more productive flies (it's in the FOTW archives). Baillie's Black Spider, from Stewart's "The Complete Angler" is another good one (REE put that in the archives years ago as well). I do well with the Invicta (yellow bodied one), and soldier palmer has worked for me as well. I used to fish a Bibio a lot, but for some reason haven't tied one on for some time though it always did well? Greenwell's Glory is a stand by too. Some North American older patterns that I still fish and do well with are parmachenee belles, royal coachman (and the UK original coachman and leadwing coachman are both excellent), and micky fins. I tie some Atlanitc Salmon patterns on size 10s 2x hooks and they have produced well on NZ trout (thinking cosseboom and blue charms mostly).

There are a lot of really good patterns that have stood the test of time. And lots of different ways to fish them.

- Jeff

[AlanB]

A great list of flies there Jeff. The approach I often take with lots of these, is to ask myself what makes them so good? If you can identify the factor that makes them work then you can, with modern materials, sometimes, cram more of it into the fly. That often makes them more suited to a particular way of fishing them, but it is often worth it.

A while back I did an SbS on the Bailey (Stewart) Black spider myself.



Cheers,
A.

[JeffHamm]

Nice SBS! That's such a nice, simple, and effective pattern. I've found starling to be one of the best hackles for small spiders, and it was quite under-rated for a long time. I know REE got on to it, and a lot of people here have refound it's utility, but it's still not common (at least not here in NZ). I've also tried Pritt's "Little Black", and while that sounds to me like it should do really well, I find it a real pain to tie in and rib with the magpie herl and I'm never sure I've got the right look in the end. I must have another go at it though.

- Jeff