Snipe & Spindrift soft hackle

[davidriley]

Here is a fly tied using Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift wool, which has become quite popular in the fly tying community, especially since Chadwick 477 darning yarn, used in Frank Sawyer’s grayling bug, is no longer available.
I like tying with Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift wool. It is very ‘buggy’ .

50653655937_58dec78ba5_c.jpg (74.34 KiB) Viewed 2551 times

50652830763_788677c17f_c.jpg (68.58 KiB) Viewed 2551 times

You can also see what it looks like wet.

Hook : Kamasan B405 size 14 (tied in 14/16)
Uni-thread 8/0 black.
One ply (strand) of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift Fog (272) wool tightly twisted for the body.
Starling hackle.

David

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Stunning wee fly. I do appreciate the photo of the fly wet as well. The Jamieson's Spindrift yarn has quite a following here on the forum as well. I believe it was Ray (Letumgo) that first introduced it to us. Since then, several folks have purchased skeins of it in various colors and passed it around to other forum members. Love the multiple colors in each strand. As you say, quite buggy.

[joaniebo]

Although I've cut the Shetland Oyster wool into small pieces and made dubbing out of it, I've yet to tie many flies with it. I wonder how a Shetland Spindrift dubbed dressing would look with a red wire underbody and red thread?

Bob

[davidriley]

Although I've cut the Shetland Oyster wool into small pieces and made dubbing out of it, I've yet to tie many flies with it. I wonder how a Shetland Spindrift dubbed dressing would look with a red wire underbody and red thread?

Bob

Bob

In my opinion the beauty of the Spindrift wool is that it is sufficient a dressing in its own right. I see no need to have a material underneath ‘showing through’. Unless you are tying a bug/nymph and require weight there is no need to use wire. The wool if twisted carefully is tough stuff. You can ‘rough’ it up to make it look even more buggy. This also helps it to retain air bubbles in the dressing - making it look even more natural - translucent even. Also by twisting it that creates a form of ribbing, again making it look even more natural.
You will also find the wool quickly absorbs water creating weight.

When you use the Spindrift wool you will notice it is made up of two strands. If you are tying a size 12 there is usually no need to split the wool, but for anything less I suggest you use one strand, certainly down and including an 18 or maybe a 20. However be aware that when you separate the two strands quite often you will find one weaker than the other, which is very irritating when you are halfway wrapping and it disintegrates!!! I usually give each split length a slight pull to check for a weak link before tying in.

However as you are creating a fly for yourself that will be lethal the beauty of tying your own is that you do it how you want. I do
Happy tying
David

[joaniebo]

David

The reason I mentioned the red wire underbody and / or ribbing is that the popularity of the Shetland Spindrift #290 Oyster wool yarn probably originated for use as a replacement for the Chadwick's 477 yarn used by Frank Sawyer in tying his original Killer Bug.

The #290 yarn then became popular as the yarn to use in the Utak Killer Bug (using Pink threads and / or some variations with a copper wire underbody) and Sawyer's Killer Bug (using red copper wire as both the tying medium and underbody) dressings,

From my own personal experiences tying the Sawyer Killer Bug (exactly as stated in Sawyer's book "Nymph and the Trout"), the pinkish / fawnish color (per Oliver Edwards' description) of the wet Killer Bug, shows through best with a red or copper colored wire underbody. I've even tied a few with a red thread underbody and, again, the color change is much more noticeable.

Bob

[letumgo]

Jaimeson’s Spindrift has become an obsession with me. I use many different colors for fly patterns. The multi color blends are very nice. Just wish it was easier to get, here in The States.

[davidriley]

David

The reason I mentioned the red wire underbody and / or ribbing is that the popularity of the Shetland Spindrift #290 Oyster wool yarn probably originated for use as a replacement for the Chadwick's 477 yarn used by Frank Sawyer in tying his original Killer Bug.

The #290 yarn then became popular as the yarn to use in the Utak Killer Bug (using Pink threads and / or some variations with a copper wire underbody) and Sawyer's Killer Bug (using red copper wire as both the tying medium and underbody) dressings,

From my own personal experiences tying the Sawyer Killer Bug (exactly as stated in Sawyer's book "Nymph and the Trout"), the pinkish / fawnish color (per Oliver Edwards' description) of the wet Killer Bug, shows through best with a red or copper colored wire underbody. I've even tied a few with a red thread underbody and, again, the color change is much more noticeable.

Bob
I am sure you are correct about the grayling bug / Utah Killer bug and the reflective properties of coloured wire and thread . I have tied flies since 1968 but confess my tying of Frank Sawyers grayling bug is some what sparse, even though I used to fish not far from where Frank Sawyer was the keeper.
My use of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift wool over the last few years has been centred on wet flies. Yes I have tied flies with a coloured silk body which I wanted to feature in the dressing but the Spindrift wool over body has been tied sparsely enough to allow it to happen. However in most instances I want the different colours in the wool to feature, which is the case in the ‘Snipe & Spindrift soft hackle’ . I should have made that clearer.
By all means use a red wire/silk in the dressing and see what happens.

Kind Regards

David



Bob

[davidriley]

Jaimeson’s Spindrift has become an obsession with me. I use many different colors for fly patterns. The multi color blends are very nice. Just wish it was easier to get, here in The States.

Ray

I think DRAGONtail have some.
Have a look at this link from Jamieson’s website giving you details of their retailers in USA & Canada.

https://www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk/spindrift-1-c.asp

If you still can’t get what you want I can always buy it direct from them in Lerwick, Shetland Isles and post it on to you.
David

[joaniebo]

Jaimeson’s Spindrift has become an obsession with me. I use many different colors for fly patterns. The multi color blends are very nice. Just wish it was easier to get, here in The States.

Ray

I have a full skein. Let me know if you want any.

Bob