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Starling & heron spider

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:16 am
by davidriley
I can’t resist tying up spider flies. I have fished them for years whether on the river or in lakes.
Here is a new one that I hope will attract a few fish once this COVID virus fades away and I can wet a fly again.

Starling & heron spider
Kamasan B410 size 14 ( actually the hook is a coarse fishing hook and is equivalent to a size 16 trout hook)
Uni-thread 8/0 purple
Body of 2 or 3 herls from a heron wing (a grey goose will do fine) ribbed with fine gold wire
Thorax of a couple of wraps of Hends green dyed peacock herl.
Starling hackle.
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5C669413-41CF-4A3C-953E-2A047605A30F.jpeg (258.45 KiB) Viewed 2561 times

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:33 am
by Roadkill
Good looking fly! Does the purple show under the body when wet?

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:04 pm
by letumgo
I’m really glad you found this forum. Your post are inspiring. I love tying and fishing similar patterns.

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 6:36 am
by davidriley
Roadkill wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:33 am Good looking fly! Does the purple show under the body when wet?
Thanks.
No the purple does not show under the body when wet.
I think if you wish to achieve that then the heron herl should be added as a rib but if you do that I would advise wetting the body with varnish and wrapping the herl in open wraps to the wet varnished body, as the herl is quite delicate.

David

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 6:40 am
by davidriley
letumgo wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:04 pm I’m really glad you found this forum. Your post are inspiring. I love tying and fishing similar patterns.
I am flattered. I just tie simple flies that anybody can tie

David

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 3:36 pm
by Theroe
letumgo wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:04 pm I’m really glad you found this forum. Your post are inspiring. I love tying and fishing similar patterns.
I have to agree with Ray - great addition!!

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 3:43 pm
by DOUGSDEN
Yes David, you are inspiring many of us unawares! Very simple yet beautifully built patterns! Way to go friend!
Dougsden

Re: Starling & heron spider

Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2020 10:21 am
by joaniebo
It reminds me of Oliver Kite's "Imperial" that uses a heron herl and purple silk body.

Quite a few years back, I met a fellow from the UK who was fishing the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. We fished together and have become friends. When he saw my fly boxes contained a bunch of Oliver Kite's flies (with up-eye hooks) plus some Tup's dries, he took a few back with him to England.

Next thing I knew, I had a request for a couple dozen of those flies for his local Angling Club. I thought it funny to have a Yank tie English flies and then mail them to England to be fished!

Bob

PS - SInce heron isn't legal here in the USA, a light Canada Goose feather or Blue Earred Pheasant feather makes a suitable herl (Thanks Ken for the BEP!)