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I’ve been posting a series of
hairwing patterns lately & will continue, as I’m planning to post some
smaller versions, but while I’m in the groove featuring mostly larger hairwing
attractor patterns, I thought to put up a wingless type most often
seen on streams holding sea-run fish, yet, like the hairwing wetfly, mostly overlooked as a trout lure. But spiders can be good when swung on pre-spawn trout that are not in the mood for anything fat yet inclined to bite
something fancifully sexy – the same as their sea-run kin. I love tying low
water spiders. They are like soft-hackle nymphs on hallucinogens. The possible
creative variations are limitless. The pattern featured here is the basic
formula. Typically, I use two contrasting hackles for the collars. I
usually tie these in #6-#8 for fishing smaller coastal streams & upper Columbia trout, but the concept can be scaled down to as small as #12 (reasonably) to meet smaller streams holding
smaller fish. Freestone brookies & cutthroat love these in the smaller
sizes.
Low Water Spider
Hook: #6-#10 TMC 200R
Thread: Orange
UNI 8/0
Tail: Golden pheasant tippet
Body: Orange
Pearsall’s tying silk underbody & butt, copper tinsel, peacock herl twisted
with the orange silk
Hackle: Orange
guinea hen / gadwall ~ & finish with jungle cock nail cheeks.
