Dark magic – Chatto original

 

As long as there is a flow in a river to work a fly then English styled spiders are an option. Particularly if you want to target educated fish in clear slower water. They land softly and are suggestive little flies. The combination of the buggy shape, the movement of the soft hackle often produce a hit. There is also the added benefit that they are so easy to tie. All river fly fishers should have a selection of English style spiders in their fly boxes.

Materials

 

Hook Thread Rib Body Hackle
Hanak 260 BL Black Black holographic tinsel Herl dubbing Hen

Process

 

A
  1. Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.
  2. Tie in a length of holographic tinsel.

 

B
  1. Dub on a body of black peacock herl dubbing

 

C
  1. Tie in a hackle between the body of the fly and the eye of the hook.
  2. The hackle can be tied in by either the tip or the butt depending on the hackle selected.

 

D
  1. Take just one or two full turns of the hackle just behind the eye of the hook and secure it in place with a few wraps of thread.
  2. Using a sharp blade remove the excess hackle.
  3. Stroke the hackle tips back along the fly and then finish securing the hackle in that position with additional wraps of thread.
  4. Build up a neat head and trim the thread.
  5. Varnish the head.

 



Last Updated: January 28, 2011
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Categories: Flies, Nymphs, Spiders
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