Hello.

I’m amazed at how few wet flies figure in the step-by -step lists here. Are they too “easy” ? Hope I’m not preaching to the choir if that’s the case.
Not that I’m preaching - I can see already that there are some pretty heavy-duty “soft-hackle” enthusiasts reading these pages.

Apologies in advance:

Just the way I tie ‘em : is there a “definitive” dressing for either of these two flies?

I don’t like Pearsall’s silk Just a personal preference

For brevity, I’ve only figured the dressing for one of the two flies. The tying sequence I use for both is identical.

Dubbing spinner - the steps here illustrate the process in greater detail than I can.

Dubbing techniques

I just like the even “mist” of dubbing, and the segmentation achieved at the same time using this method. Others may find this approach laboured and unnecessary.



Dressings


Woodcock and Hare’s Ear Spider/ Soft hackle

Hook : ? I like a fine wire, either Partridge SLD, or TMC 902BL #14-18
Thread: Danvilles Flymaster 6/0 pale yellow
Body : Sandy brown fur from a hares ear , chopped to 3mm lengths ( 1 cut!) Applied in a dubbing loop.
Hackle: From underside (leading edge) of Woodcock wing

Partridge and Hare’s Ear Spider/ Soft hackle

Hook : as above
Thread: Uni-thread 8/0 yellow
Body : Brown speckled fur from a hares ear , chopped to 3mm lengths ( 1 cut again, short staple!)Applied in a dubbing loop.
Hackle: Well marked Partridge Back feather


So I end up with a pale olive spider pattern with lightly mottled wings, and a dark one with strongly marked wings ( assuming the hackle represents wings! ).


Instructions.

1. Slap on the thread, and mount the hackle by the tips




2. Trim gubbins. Take thread to …………….wherever you like the body to end on your “spiders”



3 Catch in dubbing loop



4. Take main thread to eye end



5. Wax one side of loop - I’ve used BT’s dubbing wax - one pass being more than enough (you can just about see it on the right side of the looped thread)



6. show dubbing to waxed side of loop



7. Hold the loop in e.g. a hooked dubbing needle, or a finger. I’ve used the tip of a whip-finish tool. Spin it up - it isn’t necessary to spin it that tight. The more it is spun , the fatter the body



8. Wind the spun cord up, in regular turns (I don’t think they have to be touching, necessarily) just on the eye side of the hackle stalk. Tie off with a few turns of thread.



9. Sweep back the hackle fibres, then wind them on.



10. Trim waste. Whip finish.



Woodcock and Hare’s Ear Spider/ Soft Hackle

Job done.


Partridge and Hare’s Ear Spider/ Soft hackle (steps as above). I've shown this even less dubbing






YAWKSHEER lynch mob welcome


.D.

Very nice .D. More please and don't forget the technical terms.... "slap on the thread" "trim gubbins" "take thread to......... wherever you like" .... love em

You're right there are not enough wet flies on here, so fire away and fill it up.

__________________

ukflydressing A UK based fly tying site packed full of flyting tips and photographic step by steps. Now with added fly fishing section.

thanks ,d
nice photos and good instructions looks a great fly just going to tie some up ,
they both look lethal



cookie

Cookie, Scotfly

Many thanks for your kind words

.D.

Nice looking spiders. Am I being lazy, or doing something seriously wrong - I have given up trying to sweep hackles back before winding. You need too many fingers for that. I just wind them on then sweep them back and form the head. Should I mend my ways?

From an aesthetic point of view I like to sweep them back.
From the fishes point of view when they are in the water, I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference.
However, some of our spider/soft hackle/flymph (wingless wets ) experts may differ and I will graciously bow to their knowledge.

__________________

ukflydressing A UK based fly tying site packed full of flyting tips and photographic step by steps. Now with added fly fishing section.

Ditto I certainly don't bother when using things like Starling body/neck feathers.

.D.

D., Why didn't you split the thread to form the dubbing loop? makes for a finer body on the 'spiders', great step by step though.

I just think they're fine enough (to my eye, and compared with flies tied using Pearsall's silk,say) with the dubbing loop ( and I used Unithread* for one of them - it doesn't split that easily for me).

You're right though, it would make for finer bodies, especially when you get down to the #18s.

Thanks for the feedback

* and I can't forsake Unithread for spiders - they do the best purple!

Cheers,

.D.

'UTC' is the best for this method, its in 70 and 140-being the heaviest.