The Magnet

[overmywaders]

How many of you use spiders as a searching pattern. I'm not talking about the foam bug with legs, but think of a variant sans wings on steroids. It is a must have on our streams but I seldom see them for sale.

See http://www.overmywaders.com/articles/preppingthewater.html for the fly I'm describing. A.J. McClane dedicated most of a chapter in The Practical Fly Fisherman to spiders.

Best rgards,
Reed
www.overmywaders.com

[FishcaneNH]

Hi there, Reed~

I've never tried it, but the article on your website make the process sound like an interesting one- do you use the technique often, or does it tend to be a tough situation only tactic?

Dan

[fessiewig]

Are you talking about flies like the Gray Fox Varant At Flick proposed?

[overmywaders]

fessie,

A normal variant has short wings (used to, anyway) and hackle 1.5 to 2.0X the normal size for the hook. Thus a #16 hook would have #12 hackle. With a spider I measured the hackle at 1.5" in diameter for a #16, which might be somewhere around a #2. The tail is also longer but not to match. The result is that the bend of the hook rides .25" to .375" off the water. A puff of wind sends it dancing. I use only thread for the body to keep the weight down.

dan,

I tend to save the tactic for those days when I can't get anything to the surface, but I know they are there. This always brings them up (often straight out of the water) and then I can decide how to handle them.


Here is a phot I took of some spiders:
http://www.overmywaders.com/images/spiders1.JPG

Best regards,
Reed
www.overmywaders.com