Stewart's Black Spider

[Hans Weilenmann]

May we have the traditional version too, please...?

Hmmm... not sure I can oblige. Hook snelled with gut, and lumpy half hitches... *shudders*

Cheers,
Hans W

[letumgo]

*laughing out loud*

[Silver Doctor]

Silver Doctor,

The hackle was tied in, by the butt, as the first material and immediately behind the eye. After completing the body the silk was left dangling at the 1/3 point. Spiral hackle back, catch tip with silk, then open spiral to eye with the silk, before finishing the fly. Does that description make sense to you?

Cheers,
Hans W

Makes perfect sense, thanks Hans.

[DNicolson]

Here is Stewart on spiders -
http://www.dtnicolson.dial.pipex.com/page174.html
http://www.dtnicolson.dial.pipex.com/page9.html

Here is a version I tied some time ago.

[flyfishwithme]

Yes, a very good tie and I don't think it matters how we modern anglers tie in the hackle. But a couple of points:- (1) the tying silk body needs to be shorter. Stewart kept his to the point of the hook. (2) Brown should be used, otherwise it is a variant. Sorry to be picky but if it is a classic, then it needs to be the same as the original.
Stewart did not invent the patterns he used. They were given to him by a James Baillie who was a commercial trout fishermen in the scottish borders.

[CM_Stewart]

Ah, but who gave them to Baillie? I think I'll continue to call them Stewart spiders.