After I started tying these old spiders, a new world of materials appeared, thin silk threads and gorgeous skins from various game birds. My latest supplements for tying these flies is a lovely Grouse skin that came in the mail a few days ago.
Soft hackle feathers that contain a vast range of barred ginger and brown hackles, perfect for tying some of the famous and not so famous flies from the past containing Grouse feathers. When you read the old and new books about soft hackle flies, there can be some slightly different variations in how to dress them. But if you stick to the book "North Country Flies" written by T.E. Pritt and Sylvester Nemes book "Two Centuries of Soft-Hackled Flies" there are plenty of original patterns to choose from.
Light dressed, short thin body with silk and maybe dubbed with soft fur. The hackle, two turns at the most....sure looks like a spider when you see it from the front.
The August Brown.
Body: Light brown silk, dubbed sparingly with hare's face, ribbed with yellow silk, dressed hacklewise with grouse's feather.
The Grouse Spider.
Dressed with a mottled feather from the grouse, and body of orange silk.
Lovely spiders Jan, the feathers with a finer barring look great.
SvarSlettThanks Ben.
SvarSlettYes, there are some beautiful feathers from that skin......smells good too..he he
Nice ties! I see you've been drawn into the past too. I really enjoy tying the old north country spiders and there's plenty room to experiment and improvise with different game bird hackles. Enjoy
SvarSlettA little late, but thanks Mark.
SvarSlettIm in to deep in this stuff....love it.