On the Dun Spider

[DNicolson]

I decided to do a bit of research on the suggested colours of silk by other authors.
Generally yellow or primrose is the given silk,
and when I looked at W. H. Lawrie's book on Scottish Trout Flies, he gives a list of eleven flies by Mark Aitken [1802 - 1863?] in which all, except one, are
dressed with yellow silk.
http://www.dtnicolson.dial.pipex.com/page144.html

In John Younger's list of Tweed flies (1840), he only gives the silk colour on one fly, #4 Dark Blue, but does not name the silk on the others.
http://www.dtnicolson.dial.pipex.com/page143.html
I believe the silk used was yellow.
Yellow seems to have been the most commonly used colour in the 19th century.
This may be why, when, Stewart did not name the silk colour for the Dun Spider, yellow was used by anglers after his book was published.

[Roy]

Makes sense to me Donald,
cheers,
Roy

[Niklas Dahlin]

Than you for sharing this Donald, i really appreciate it. It does make sence.... BTW..NIce little page you got there, now bookmarked..