Good morning Jeff,
“Stewart recommended about 3 spider patterns would be all one really needed”.
Do you have a image or dressing for the 3 by any chance…please.
As I am now interested in the colours after finding/seeing how the two tone hackle turned out. To me, this simple ‘trick’ was a major discovery for me, as it produces a real insect look, ( darker on top, lighter under side) which I hoped to have already tested on a real live victim, but sadly somethings always get in the way of my plans of late, so its next seasons adventure and discovery now that waits ahead of me.
BUT
I will test the two tone Spider on our local Bass, shortly.
According to the books I have, Stewart’s (Baillie’s) three spider patterns were:
Black Spider:
Light wire hook (I use 12-18 2X Short Daiichi 1640)
Thread: Brown Pearsall’s silk heavily waxed to near black
Hackle: I use starling back feathers palmered 1/3 to 1/2 down the body.
Red Spider:
Same hook choices as the black spider
Thread: Pearsall’s Primrose silk waxed to olive.
Hackle: reddish brown hen hackle palmered 1/3 to 1/2 down the body.
Dun Spider:
Same hook of choice as above
Thread: Pearsall’s Primrose silk waxed to olive.
Hackle: Dun or Honey Dun hen (Honey outer edges with dun list) palmered 1/3 to 1/2 down the body.
All three are very effective flies, with my personal favorite being the black. I usually start with a three fly cast, Dun on point, red as mid fly and the black on the bob. What ever fly the fish key on first, is what I fish on all three after that.
Stewart started his silk at the eye of the hook, tied in the hackle by the stem then wrapped the hackle around the tying thread and wrapped the hackle/silk rope down the body. I start the silk, tie in the hackle by the stem, then wrap the silk to the a point on the shank opposite the hook point, then back up 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the eye. I then palmer the hacckle down to where the bobbin holder is hanging, catch the hackle with one turn of silk then wrap the silk up through the hackle to reinforce the stem. Lastly I make a neat thread head and trim the excess. With well waxed silk, I don’t bother with varnish. The fish usually tear up the flies long before the fly comes undone.
