Getting Smaller

[Otter]

Not small , but smaller : All for upstream work when the evenings are a little longer and frost & snow are long forgotten.

All tied on Kamasan B980 size 16 short shank


Midge & Iron Blue's

Purple & Starling



Pearsalls Scarlet , Mole & Starling



Olives
Greenwells Softwing



Greenwells Spider - Furnace Hackle, Pearsalls Yellow #3 Waxed, Gold Wire



Jay Undercovert & Pearsalls Yellow #3 waxed - hopefully to be tried on the smaller olives, pale waterys etc..

[letumgo]

Oh, those are all lovely! Beautiful series of flies.

[GlassJet]

They look the business, Otter.

Starling is such a versatile hackle, isn't it? I really like it here with the: '... and purple'. Dunno if it is just me, but I find the snipe hackle very delicate, and doesn't seem to have that many usable feathers - maybe it is for the smaller flies I tend to tie.

The Jay looks good too - I've got a jay's wing somewhere, must dig it out....
Andrew.

[Otter]

Thanks Andrew

Forgot the one u should never leave at home.

Stewarts Black

[cicvara]

-All are excellent, if you would have to choose, then the second.

[Otter]

-All are excellent, if you would have to choose, then the second.

Excellent patterns, they have stood the test of time, each equal for the job of imitating some particular food item. The style of the third however I am led to believe can be the most effective of all for upstream dead drift work, even in slacker water.

[GlassJet]

-All are excellent, if you would have to choose, then the second.

The style of the third however I am led to believe can be the most effective of all for upstream dead drift work, even in slacker water.

How do you tie that? Are the barbs cut back, or are they lifted and secured...?

[Otter]

Tie in about with 3 tight turns , 3 or 4 thread wraps forward from the eye with the tips of the bunch facing the bend. Holding thread taut trim waste then a wrap in front and behind to lift the wrap forward as normal. Coming back you may need to stroke hackle out of the way. The small dubbing noodle around the base of the wing sets the final position which should be fairly upright. Waterhen and Partridge have been found to be the most suited to this style though that is not to say others would not work.

As I said previously I have not fished these yet and am working on advice received in good faith from someone who has fished spiders in all their guises for nigh on 40 years. If any of you decide to try them when conditions become suitable for their use I would love to hear back on how they perform. As stated previously they are designed to be fished upstream and will perform best when presented in that manner.