Stewart's spiders

[Irv]

Hello - It's been a while since I've been on the forum - hand and arm back in sufficient shape to begin tying again. I've been thinking about tying up a bunch of W.C. Stewart's spiders. They've always appealed to me because of their simplicity, their beauty, and their effectiveness. I would like to get any advice that y'all care to share about materials. Stewart's Red Spider calls for landrail hackle, and his Dun Spider calls for dotterel or light starling. Questions: What could I use as a substitute for landrail and dotterel, since these birds may not be available in the US? By "light starling" does he mean bleached starling?

I plan to tie the flies on a down eyed wet fly hook in sizes 12-16. Any suggestions as to this plan and as to hook manufacturers.

Thanks very much for your time

Irv

[Ruard]

I plan to tie the flies on a down eyed wet fly hook in sizes 12-16. Any suggestions as to this plan and as to hook manufacturers.

Thanks very much for your time

Irv

I should use a Kamasan B175 in 12 or 14 make the barb down and the eye straight, but before you can make it straight make it hot, till it is red but only the eye, after that you can make the eye straight

if you want a hook less heavy try a Gamagatsu F314 also in 12 or 14

Greeting

Ruard

[wsbailey]

From Edmonds and Lee: "If the dotterel feather is unobtainable a feather from the under coverts of a young Starling's wing makes a fair substitute".
For the red spider chukar tail and jay wings have suitable feathers. http://softhacklepatternbook.blogspot.c ... pider.html

Bill

[wsbailey]

The jay feather is the best sub for landrail hackle.

[Old Hat]

Spendy...but my favorite Stewart spider hook is the tiemco 2499sp-BL

[hankaye]

Irv, Howdy;

May be a straight eye hook but, the Diachii (sp?), 1640 helps make a very nice Spider.

hank

[William Anderson]

Questions: What could I use as a substitute for landrail and dotterel, since these birds may not be available in the US? By "light starling" does he mean bleached starling?

I plan to tie the flies on a down eyed wet fly hook in sizes 12-16. Any suggestions as to this plan and as to hook manufacturers.

Thanks very much for your time

Irv

Irv, welcome back and thanks for reviving a favorite topic. In regards to the feather substitutes, as impressionistic as these patterns are, it would be easy to view them more in terms of shade and mobility. Some hen hackle capes can get pretty close on both of these accounts. You mentioned the lighter starling, and I hope I'm not speaking out of context, but Stewart and his contemporaries would have had access to a range of specimens of starling. Juvenile birds and early season birds appear quite different than late summer adults which show the classic deep, black, iridescent feathers. The reference might have suggested using the juvenile birds. If you're interested, Mike Hogue, of Badger Creek, always carries a batch of bleached and dyed starlings that provide a sub for a host of game birds no longer available. Or...jump off the ledge and start collecting a pile of hen variants from Charlie Collins. It's fun and he throws in the saddle free.

On hooks, you'll get as many opinions as there are members, and they are all good, but I suggest you'll want some to ride higher, tied on a dry fly hook, and some to drop more quickly tied on a heavier gauge wet fly hook. Maybe you want the spiders when fished as a cast and the hook selection will effect how each effects the others, if that makes sense.

Really glad your back. Please let us know how your flies turn out.

[William Anderson]

Can someone find Niklas Dahlin's step by step tying this fly? It's excellent. We likely have several great sbs's here as well. If I wasn't on the road on my phone I'd track them down.

[wsbailey]

https://youtu.be/UeprxcgxUbk

[tie2fish]

...jump off the ledge and start collecting a pile of hen variants from Charlie Collins. It's fun and he throws in the saddle free.

Only if you buy it from him at a show. Some dealers split them up and I'm pretty sure if you order from him by phone or mail you don't get the free saddle.