North country spiders

[Ian]

Still born, crippled, blown over duns, there are loads of different patterns, but how many patterns are there, and do we really need them all?
What do you think?

[Olly]

I love Pritt's book - sparsely dressed flies .

[Liphook]

For me, tying flies is like taking photographs; I don't need 95% of them but at the time they all hoped to mean something

[Crucian]

Probably not, but they are easy to tie and very effective. A local reservoir has a head of small wild browns as well as stocked rainbows, I have spent many hours catching these browns on small spider patterns, it seems that they work best when a bit worn and tattered.

[Ian]

For me, tying flies is like taking photographs; I don't need 95% of them but at the time they all hoped to mean something

I couldn’t have put it better liphook, that’s exactly what it’s about. There isn’t much difference between a woodcock and yellow and a partridge and yellow, but like you say they all mean something.

[Iasgair]

I don't believe you need every spider pattern to be successful.
Crucian is right, they are simple to tie and pretty much the same except for color. Anyone can tie a dozen spiders in a few minutes.

I'd say find which spider patterns works best for you in the waters you fish and stick with those. No sense in a box full of flies that won't produce positive results.

Ian, that's a beautiful display you have there, cuz.

[Ian]

I don't believe you need every spider pattern to be successful.
Crucian is right, they are simple to tie and pretty much the same except for color. Anyone can tie a dozen spiders in a few minutes.

I'd say find which spider patterns works best for you in the waters you fish and stick with those. No sense in a box full of flies that won't produce positive results.

Ian, that's a beautiful display you have there, cuz.

A half dozen would probably do for a season, but they re fun to tie, and prove that simple is best. There is one pattern I don’t like the look of, the black magic spider. I know what I think has nothing to do with how well it may or may not work, but I don’t like it and I much prefer the plain old black spider.
Thanks iasgair. These are for rab. I have also tied up dries, wets and nymphs for him.

[Iasgair]

I don't believe you need every spider pattern to be successful.
Crucian is right, they are simple to tie and pretty much the same except for color. Anyone can tie a dozen spiders in a few minutes.

I'd say find which spider patterns works best for you in the waters you fish and stick with those. No sense in a box full of flies that won't produce positive results.

Ian, that's a beautiful display you have there, cuz.

A half dozen would probably do for a season, but they re fun to tie, and prove that simple is best. There is one pattern I don’t like the look of, the black magic spider. I know what I think has nothing to do with how well it may or may not work, but I don’t like it and I much prefer the plain old black spider.
Thanks iasgair. These are for rab. I have also tied up dries, wets and nymphs for him.

I agree with you on the black magic pattern. But I found out if you put a little red behind the hackle it more represents a black widow. And like a black widow, it becomes deadly.

I often wondered how a little red on Stewarts Black Spider would produce takes. But I have a hard time tying one up because it just feels sinful.

[Ian]

I don't believe you need every spider pattern to be successful.
Crucian is right, they are simple to tie and pretty much the same except for color. Anyone can tie a dozen spiders in a few minutes.

I'd say find which spider patterns works best for you in the waters you fish and stick with those. No sense in a box full of flies that won't produce positive results.

Ian, that's a beautiful display you have there, cuz.

A half dozen would probably do for a season, but they re fun to tie, and prove that simple is best. There is one pattern I don’t like the look of, the black magic spider. I know what I think has nothing to do with how well it may or may not work, but I don’t like it and I much prefer the plain old black spider.
Thanks iasgair. These are for rab. I have also tied up dries, wets and nymphs for him.

I agree with you on the black magic pattern. But I found out if you put a little red behind the hackle it more represents a black widow. And like a black widow, it becomes deadly.

I often wondered how a little red on Stewarts Black Spider would produce takes. But I have a hard time tying one up because it just feels sinful.

I suppose it depends. The water here being already a peaty red colour, red isn’t always a good colour because I take it, it is harder to see, but a more orange colour works great. An orange tag rather than a red tag works much better. I don’t think there’s anything sinful about it. Whether adding red makes a difference or not I don’t know. I think it’s more to do with them seeing a fly more than anything else. Don’t get me wrong it’s never that simple and if I’m using a fly with a tail and the fish are taking flies without tails then I wouldn’t expect to catch any, and if I did then I’ve annoyed the fish enough haha.