Brown Watchet

Brown Watchet

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #14 fine wire

Thread: orange silk, waxed

Materials-

head: Peacock herl

hackle: Partridge back

body: orange silk, waxed

Notes:

T. E. Pritt’s No. 31

Tie in and wrap herl head.

Tie in hackle right behind head. Wrap and tie off on bend side of hook. Pulling the hackle forward over the head makes tying off and wrapping the body cleaner.

Wrap down and back on shank to above between the point and barb. Whip finish behind hackle.

Pull hackle back over hook shank.

Water Cricket

Water Cricket

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #14 fine wire

Thread: yellow or orange silk

Materials-

rib: optional: black silk thread

hackle: Golden Plover summer breast or Starling wing/back

Notes:

T. E. Pritt No. 1

Pritt calls the hackle on the fly a wing.

silk ought to be waxed so as to preserve it

the body only need two layers of thread

the rib on this fly is optional

Bream Spider

Bream Spider

Spiders

Tied By Darrell Olson

Hook: J2 225, 2XL, Size 10

Thread: 6/0 Black

Materials-

bead: 5/32 Slotted – Copper

tail: Mallard Flank Fibers

body: Catcus Chenille – Pearl

hackle: Partridge Feather

head: 6/0 Red Thread

Notes:

Bead is placed one hook eye back.

Body colors try brown, Pearl, black, or what ever.

Little Black

Little Black

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #16 – 14 fine wire

Thread: purple silk, waxed

Materials-

hackle: black cock or starling

body: Magpie tail barb lightly dubbed (spiral wrapped)

Notes:

No. 2 from North-Country Flies (1886) by T. E. Pritt

in the example, an iridescent blue barb from a Mallard secondary flight feather is used instead of Magpie tail.

Yellow-legged Bloa Spider

Yellow-legged Bloa Spider

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #14 fine wire

Thread: primrose silk, heavily waxed

Materials-

body: thread

hackle: ginger

Notes:

The Yellow-legged Bloa in Pritt’s North-County Flies is winged and not a spider. W. S. Roger Fogg says the spider in The Art of Wet Fly is Pritt’s Yellow-legged Bloa; so there is that.

Grey Duster

Grey Duster

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #12 – 20 fine wire

Thread: brown silk, waxed

Materials-

body: hare’s ear and blue rabbit dubbed sparsely over thread

hackle: badger hen or soft cock

Notes:

from the recipe in The Art of the Wet Fly by W. S. Roger Fogg

March Brown Spider

March Brown Spider

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #12 – 16 fine wire (or as desired)

Thread: yellow silk

Materials-

body: dirty yellow silk, waxed and well ribbed

rib: straw silk, waxed

hackle: brown partridge back

Notes:

using the recipe in The English Lake District Fisheries edited by Maxwell & Aflalo

In general spider bodies are short (1/2 to 2/3 shank length) and slim, and the hackle is generally sparse. 

Hare’s Lug & Starling

Hare’s Lug & Starling

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #14 fine wire or other as desired for size

Thread: brown silk, waxed

Materials-

tag: flat gold tinsel

rib: fine gold wire

body: hare’s ear fur, dubbed

hackle: starling: mouse-colored with “gold” tips

Notes:

Using the recipe in The Art of the Wet Fly by W. S. Roger Fogg

Pheasant Tail Spider

Pheasant Tail Spider

Spiders

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #14 fine wire, or as desired

Thread: brown silk, waxed

Materials-

body: rich brown pheasant tail barbs

hackle: cock-y-bondhu hen, ginger hen, blue dun hen, jackdaw throat, brown partridge, etc

Notes:

from the recipe in The Art of the Wet Fly by W. S. Roger Fogg

the example here has a chukar neck feather hackle

spider bodies are generally short and slim

spider hackles are generally sparse