Black Spider

[cholcomb13]

I got this pattern off of Donald site....thanks Donald once again your site is a wonderful resource...This pattern is a very simple pattern but over 150 years old....W.C. Stewart's black spider...it's a little different in that the hackle is palmered half the hook shank...kind of an early precursor to the flymph.



Stewart's Black Spider
Hook: 14
Body: Brown tying silk, well waxed.
Hackle: Starling neck feather palmered
half way down the body

[Donald Nicolson]

By Jings that is a scruffy looking fly.

Just as it should be -

And what you said about the flymph? Leisenring was a big fan of Stewarts Spiders.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Nice looking fly. I have a few of them gracing my fly box as well.

REE

[cholcomb13]

By Jings that is a scruffy looking fly.

Just as it should be -

And what you said about the flymph? Leisenring was a big fan of Stewarts Spiders.

I'm going to tie a few more....although I'm going to stripe one side and see how looks...I might try tipping as well...I'll post pics of those as well.

Why is it that palmering the hackle (half the shank) isn't practiced as much anymore on typical soft-hackles, spiders?

I noticed on the starling the the fuzzy barbules on the feather go a ways up...I thought I'd plucked them all but the photos don't lie....not sure if it makes a difference...probably not

[cholcomb13]

Nice looking fly. I have a few of them gracing my fly box as well.

REE

these are my first and I'm going to keep a few in mine as well now....on a recent trip I tied a few HE and peacock and the fish went crazy...I was worried that I didn't have enough (btw still have a couple left but I was worried).

[Jim Slattery]

Cholcomb13,
What proceedure did you use to tie the fly?
I submit that most flies called spiders are really wingless wets. Otherwise they would be tied like the spiders in Stewarts book.
Jim

[hcmiller]

Cholcomb13,
that is such a nice fly I copied your pic and it's now my desk top background. Bud

[JeffHamm]

I've put together a collection of all of Stewart's patterns. Since there are only 3, it didn't take long! ha! I've tied a few variations with palmered hackles in this style, but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Let us know how it produces for you.

- Jeff

[cholcomb13]

Cholcomb13,
What proceedure did you use to tie the fly?
I submit that most flies called spiders are really wingless wets. Otherwise they would be tied like the spiders in Stewarts book.
Jim

Jim....I tied in tip first at about the 1/2 way point then palmered toward eye.....I didn't strip a side.

[cholcomb13]

I've put together a collection of all of Stewart's patterns. Since there are only 3, it didn't take long! ha! I've tied a few variations with palmered hackles in this style, but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Let us know how it produces for you.

- Jeff

Jeff will do....I too am in the process of tying a few variations of the palmered hackles