Are you Arachnaphobic?

Maybe you just never bother with them, or maybe you really are afraid of them, but they can be really useful, and can get some great results. I have to admit that I thought that North Country Spiders were not much use down here in the extreme South. In fact the main reason I tried one a few weeks ago was that I'd tied a few Partridge hackle Spiders at the last Fly-Tying evening, and I caught a lovely wild brown in the sort of skinny rapids where I normally never catch anything. I decided to buy a few more Spider patterns (I will tie some more myself when I can) and last week, I decided to fish 2a almost exclusively with Spiders and see what happens.

I have to say it was great fun, and at least as successful as my usual contact-nymphing, but a lot more rewarding. I caught another wild brown in the rapids again, on a Snipe and Purple this time, and several more rainbows and browns on a few other spider patterns. As it happened, another member was fishing with Snipe and Purple spiders on 3C on the same day, so it was definitely a good day for them.

In case you aren't familiar with Spiders, they are very leggy with reasonable stiff long hackles, but the hackles are soft enough to provide a lot of movement when they're in the water. They're designed to drift just below the surface, so they'll attract anything that's thinking about rising, but will also tempt those sub-surface feeders that are a bit sneakier.

Some people use them as droppers above a nymph, though I prefer to fish them singly, rather like a dry fly, but one that's sunk, and let the current take them but keep a fairly short line with most of the fly line off the water. I must admit it did remind me a bit of the Tenkara style, especially upstream Spider fishing, and indeed the flies bear a lot of similarities, although the Tenkara Kebari (flies) often have their hackle tied mid-shank. The aim is the same however - to create a lot of movement.

As it happens, Keith also used some Spiders recently and had a lovely Grayling on 3B (accidentally of course), but his were hand-tied naturally, and he used Guinea Fowl feathers to great effect.

Obviously I'm no expert on Spiders, indeed barely a novice, but I do like the fact that they are very easy to fish, and will probably attract fish that you're not aware of. They also tread that fine line between dries, which are definitely best where you can see rises, or target a fish, and nymphs, which are effective, but much more likely to get snagged and lost, and is perhaps not as exciting

I'm very glad I've discovered Spiders, and they'll definitely be my preference for riffly waters, but don't take my word for it, give them a try. You don't want to be an Arachnophobe forever.

Tight Lines

PeterB