Greenwell's Glory Spider

[Kelly L.]

Thanks for the thoughts. I think I should try the tail both ways. Less full, and more full. But my box would look better without the tail, since no others have any yet. I think the bream will like them either way. The cobbler's wax was sticking to my fingers, and it was a rough go trying to tie in a tail at all. Two weeks ago, it was cooler, and the wax was not a problem. I am going to tie more of these later. I tied more than a row, and now I am ready to move on to something else spidery...lol.

[DUBBN]

If theres a tail, can it be called a Spider? 90% of my patterns have tails...The ones without look odd (to me).

[Kelly L.]

Dubbn, I think most spiders don't have a tail. But I could be wrong.

[DUBBN]

Dubbn, I think most spiders don't have a tail. But I could be wrong.

I haven't lost a wink of sleep worrying if they do.

[redietz]

It occurs to me that whether a tail is desirable or not depends on how we plan on fishing the fly, and in what kind of water. The older writers were concerned about how quickly a wet fly could penetrate (although that's not the word they used, and it's escaping me at the moment) the surface tension -- not sink, just get through the film. A big bushy tail would impair that, and would create an action (due to drag) on a fly presented upstream in slower water. If you're fishing with some weight, or fishing on a swing in fast water, it wouldn't matter, and the tail may actually present a better profile.

[DUBBN]

One of these days the silly trout I chase will tell me if they prefer a tail or not. Fact is, they probably have already. Not being the brightest bulb on the tree, I probably missed it.

[Kelly L.]

Thanks guys for your thoughts on this. I kind of hope they prefer no tail, it is much easier to tie up a few without it. The hook I put those with tails on, is comparable to a 3906 hook. It was not a dry fly hook. I do have some tied on a dry fly hook, without tails. (The 1180) I also have a few on 1640, S12S-1F, and a Daiichi 1530...these are without tails. I haven't fished spiders enough to know what they prefer, so this is all a test. I guess different waters will give different results too, making it harder for me to decide. If I see a definite preference of hook, or tail, no tail...I will lean that way for sure.

[William Anderson]

Thanks guys for your thoughts on this..... I haven't fished spiders enough to know what they prefer, so this is all a test. I guess different waters will give different results too, making it harder for me to decide. If I see a definite preference of hook, or tail, no tail...I will lean that way for sure.

Kelly, you're certainly approaching this with the prize in sight. The Greenwell's Glory is an exceptionally specific imitative pattern on UK waters and presented (as Bob points out) in a particular way based on the original conditions, but it is a wonderful pattern, fished around the world, no doubt taken either as tempting food generally or a close representation of a similar insect. It can be both, of course. I like your patterns very much and hope to see more variations as you find what works for you. Of the spiders I've seen, historic patterns, the "whisps" are just amazingly slight, delicate and even difficult to see.

[Kelly L.]

Thank you William! Now you mention whisps...are you talking about the tail, or any hackle? I think these flies will attract warmwater fish here in any of these variations. Only way to know for sure, is to try them out. I did not get to try the Greenwell's the last time I went fishing. But I will remedy that the next time I go.

[William Anderson]

Thank you William! Now you mention whisps...are you talking about the tail, or any hackle? I think these flies will attract warmwater fish here in any of these variations. Only way to know for sure, is to try them out. I did not get to try the Greenwell's the last time I went fishing. But I will remedy that the next time I go.

Kelly, the whisp is the term historically used referring to a couple tail fibers. I think the term whisp is an amazingly descriptive word suggesting the characteristics of tail fibers.