Old Fly, New Wax

[tie2fish]

I mixed up my first batch of homemade wax the other day, with an eye to making something that would serve to color and/or add transluscence to silk thread. What I have so far works pretty well to this end, although it is still a tad soft. Anyhow, I decided to try it out first on Pearsall's Gossamer #3 (Primrose), and the Greenwell Spider shown below is the result. I'm quite pleased with the effect the wax has on the silk; the dark shadow showing through is from the dark tag ends of the Greenwell hen feather fibers.

Greenwell Spider II

Hook: Daiichi 1550, # 14
Thread: Pearsall's Gossamer #3 Primrose, very well waxed
Hackle: Greenwell hen
Rib: Fine gold wire
Tail: Greenwell hen hackle fibers
Body: Thread in touching turns

This photo is lost.

[hankaye]

t2f, Howdy;

Nice job! You deffinatly have the translucence part of it. I spy the line between the shank and the base of the tail.
Really shines.

hank

[DNicolson]

I hate to sound too pernickety, but a Greenwell spider has no tail.
Nice Greenwell flymph though.

[willowhead]

CONGRATZ Bill..........ya done good. i just got home to Arkansas earlier.......

[William Anderson]

Bill, another cool fly to see. I'll have to try your new wax if you have a pinch left over. I tried making wax a couple years ago, and still have the stuff to do it, but I got a paddy from Paul Ainsworth that is impossible to beat, so I haven't ventured out again. Mine turned out like I wanted it to, softer and nicely toned, but I didn't realize tying with it was going to be, not great. This looks spot on.

Great looking Greenwell.

w

[tie2fish]

I hate to sound too pernickety, but a Greenwell spider has no tail.
Nice Greenwell flymph though.

I'm sure you are correct, sir, that this fly is not a spider in the strictest sense of the term . Other tyers, however, including Alice Conba, have been known to include tails on dressings that they call "spiders". I'm also pretty sure that it is not a "flymph" either, as it lacks the spikey brush-like body/thorax fur that defines what Leisenring and Hidy had in mind .

[willowhead]

Bill.....you got your versa and you got your visa.....as in relevant and irrelevant......
with these flies.....far as i'm concerned.....all that matters is does a fish like it well enough to eat it, and are you havin' fun tyin' 'em, and fishin' 'em. Thass the relevant part.....
the historical aspects are all fine and dandy and a lotta fun to study and learn about............but really..........i'd lay money some dirt poor kid up on a mountain top (in Caintucky ) with a cane pole and a pair of pliers for a vise, is able to enjoy the experience just as vividly as any of us, if not more...............equally relevant.