Plain Silk Body's

[Otter]

Allthough I have been aware of spiders for quite a long time, like many a mortal before me and Im sure many to come I have on occasion fished them with extremely limited success - but then again I hadn't done the donkey work so I got out of it an equal measure of what I put into it.

I suppose one of the first tasks for me as a beginner in this method is getting a reasonable selection of flies that should in theory work on the preferred river. In that regard the knowledge you already have of your local fly life , matched with whats readily available in print and on forums such as this makes this task pretty straight forward. My next step is getting the materials and developing the tying skills ... not too daunting, and a task to warm up the cold winter days and nights. That achieved it will be a "Simple" matter of learning the skills to fish them.

Purely from a fly dressing perspective the biggest shock to the system is that so many of the sucessful patterns are merely silk and hackle. All my experience to date with nymphs and dries would suggest that bodys of mixed dubbing or whatever generally outfish those of bland single colour. I realise that I may be better served to put aside everything I have ever learned and treat this as a brand new experience and start at the bottom and not on the 2nd floor. I do also realise that a fly rod and a fly will not catch a trout, how that fly is fished , where it is fished and when it is fished are the keys to unlocking success.

I would not dare stand on generations of experience and suggest patterns such as a Partridge and Orange would be improved by a little touch dubbing similar to the Waterhen Bloa. - but I can't help but have such sacreligious thoughts.

Any opinions anyone ?

[flyfishwithme]

Mike is right, but you are also.
The trick to these flies is how they are tied and then fished. That is what makes them different. Too many people feel that they should be fished similar to other techniques. The closest could be dry fly fishing.
But having said that, like all other fly patterns there are many that imitate similar fly patterns ( see here: http://www.flyfishwithme.net/flyfishwit ... ers_1.html) but in reality you can get by with somewhat less a number.
What I think is more important is size. For example try a Orange & Partridge in 14, 16 & 18's. That expand what it could imitate.
So select a few that you think will cover your insects (guess what you will come ups about 12 and I am happy to help you by telling you what I use) and tie them in a couple of sizes. Proportion is important also.
When you look closely at the natural you will be struck by the slimness of time, the smallness against what we try and imitate them with. So a silk body and hackle is a pretty good imitation (wait until you tie a few).
But I do believe in 'trigger points' and a thorax is one of them. So why not add a very small thorax of natural fur - mole, hare and dare I say possum.
This does two things (1) a key trigger point and (2) it makes the hackle sit out longer during any drift allowing another key trigger - the hackles - move around more.

[Otter]

Thanks Mike & Philip,

My plan of attack is actual quite straightforward and that is to prepare now for the early season hatches. My approach will be to fish spiders when chances of success are optimum, that way I should be able to up the confidence level a few notches before fishing them in less than ideal ideal conditions.

Midge and other small black stuff, for some strange reason ignored by many river anglers can offer many opurtunites in early March, I have had some success with a stewarts style with a tiny black tunsten bead fished 18" under a dry in fast riffly water, and also a simple black CDC dry which is equally effective pulled under. I think I have a fair understanding of trouts reaction to midge on rivers, their location and restrictions on how I can reach them will often dictate how I fish them.
Often success on my local river can be at extremely long range with controlled skating of a size 22 CDC midge - not textbook, and other anglers give me weird looks, but in some circumstances it can be highly effective. Strange thing about midge sippers from dead water, sometimes you could slash the water to a foam and most of the trout will be back sipping in 10 minutes. To me that can only mean one thing, the midge and other similar small stuff are vital to their survival.
So for close range oppurtunites I'll be giving stewarts black ago.

LDO's & Iron Blues are the other main target for early season. So patternwise Ill not need a whole lot which is good, and means Ill not have to worry too much about them and be able to concentrate more on techniques and play around with tactical rigs.

Theres always sometime new to be learned in this obsession ridden sport, great eh ?

[Otter]

They is gone all technical

Took a look at the silk stuff Mike, thanks.

Interestingly I have a spool of orange silk floss and a spool of purple - wooden spools and I think pearsalls, which I would have purchased around 25 years ago.

I tied up an o&p using the floss as a body , twisting it is a bit of a bitch but when i stuck finished product in the sink it did turn a very reddish chestnut colour. I think a 1/2 dozen of these will go in the box as an alternative to current pearsalls orange - the difference between the two is quite startling.

[letumgo]

Otter - The darkened body coloration is likely caused by the coloration of the hook shank underneath the silk body. If you want to have some fun, try tying up a couple under-wrapping the body with some silver mylar tinsel. You will be surprised by how much brighter the color of the silk is after it gets wet. Keep in mind, however, that the original P&O pattern may be so effective because of the color change (darker may be closer to the color of the local insects). It is just one of those variables that makes fly tying so much fun.

[Otter]

Mike, now you are starting to scare me.

[gravelbed]

HI Mike...

Out of personal choice, I like to fish my spiders as a single fly,I normally fish them on as short a line as possible and also use a realativly short / light leader. As I say this is the method that gives ME! the greatest pleasure, with this in mind, how would YOU! dress spiders to fish in this way.

[flyfishwithme]

Ohoh sounds like we are heading for a discussion of "Sunshine & The Dry Fly" by JW Dunne who advocated painting hooks white.

[skunkaroo]

One final point which is largely overlooked nowadays, a "dry" wet fly, say on the first cast over a fish, can be absolutely deadly, so don't neglect to try this. Don't be in such a hurry to sink your flies. This will often work on a good fish when a wet wet fly wont!

It's funny but a lot of individuals have a very set opinion of how a soft hackle "must" be fished. I'm always amazed at how otherwise knowledgeable fishers automatically ascribe a single method to the soft-hackle and assume this is the best and or only way to fish them (not surprisingly this is often the same group who claim they are not as effective as other fly types).

For my part I often fish my spiders "greased" before I look to a true wet presentation. Mind you I fish them dry, wet, upstream, down and across, greased line, Czech, Polish, dibbling, etc. No sacred cows in my barn.

Aaron

[Jim Slattery]

Amen Aaron !