FLYMPH FORUM

I'm in the mood for SBS now, thanks to Scott! I've decided on Stewart's/Ballies black spider. It should be in all of our boxes.

This is what you'll be needing.

Start by waxing the silk with your dark cobblers wax, make sure it's well waxed. Start your silk behind the eye make a small head. Leave a long tag. Take your silk back in line with the hook point.


Select a feather from the shoulder area of the bird, strip the fluff.


Tie In your feather the way you would with a hen feather, take the tag end and lay it on the inside curve of the feather.


Give her a twist and stroke the feathers back if you wish.


Wind it back to where your thread is and tie off, whip finish and you're done!


Hook: Daiichi 1550- 16
Silk: Brown waxed with dark cobblers wax
Hackle: Starling

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one wraps the feather around the tag. I used to tie it without a bobbin, but found this way to be easier.

Marvelous tutorial Eric. I am delighted to see all the new tutorials. This is perfect for people learning to tye these flies.

Bravo. You are a natural born teacher.

That is very well done, Eric. I will certainly try your "tag twist" technique, as it looks much easier than what I have previously done when tying this pattern.

redietz wrote:I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one wraps the feather around the tag. I used to tie it without a bobbin, but found this way to be easier.

It helps so much, I've had people tell me it adds too much bulk.. people like to nitpick I suppose.

tie2fish wrote:That is very well done, Eric. I will certainly try your "tag twist" technique, as it looks much easier than what I have previously done when tying this pattern.

Give it a try Bill, you'll find it very helpful!

letumgo wrote:Bravo. You are a natural born teacher.

Thanks Ray!

This is great. Thanks Eric. The technique does look easier but it's just so bulky, at first I thought this was a beetle pattern!

RE: Bulkiness objection ... how about you make the "tag" out of Veevus or Sheer or Benecchi ?

tie2fish wrote:RE: Bulkiness objection ... how about you make the "tag" out of Veevus or Sheer or Benecchi ?

Bill, if you can't find skinnier thread..... consider a skinnier hook such as a 3 x fine. I just couldn't find the proper emoticon.


On Eric's SBS with spinning the silk tag and starling feather together - Ron Eagle Elk showed me this method three years ago. It looked easy. But when I tried it something got lost in the translation. I think it was because I tried tying the starling feather in by the tip. I betcha if I tried it by the bottom as Eric (and I probably missed it when REE tied) depicted mine would be less ugly. I think my original was "lumpy bulk".