Many thanks darrelln09! I tied a bit as a lad – wasn’t that great at it , but enjoyed hugely catching on my own flies. Having gotten back into my fly fishing since my kids got bigger, I have only started tying again. Currently getting my equipment and materials together and trying to practice most days. I am fascinated by the traditional patterns particularly and greatly enjoying exploring and researching them. Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi there, well done – you have tied perfectly fishable flies there for sure!
Your Kate McLaren looks great, the rib is perhaps a bit uneven and the body could be extended closer to the head of the fly, moving the shoulder hackle forward a bit in the process, perhaps the shoulder hackle could be a bit fuller too; but these are all very minor points and will not have any impact on the effectiveness of your fly. Palmered hackled flies can be tricky to tie, and I know I struggled with them, so well done again on your Kate Maclaren!
Perhaps the hackle on the Black Spider is a bit long and ‘thin’ in the fibre (for me anyway); but again minor points which will not affect the fish catching abilities of this pattern. I know of a lot of anglers who like a longer hackle on their spiders, and that hackle will have plenty of movement in the water – just what is needed!
I loved seeing your collection of spiders and again, all look perfectly fishable.
A good way to build up a collection of materials that you will use time and time again, is to choose a pattern you would like to tie and then purchase everything you need to tie that fly and then, repeat that process over different patterns; in no time you will have a collection of useful materials, ready to hand. And, If you don’t have all the materials required for a particular pattern, you can always substitute materials; I often substitute brown, mottled hen for partridge.
You have done very well there, and keep going with it. You will get to be where you want to be with your flytying I am sure. It just takes a bit of time, practice and patience. Well done again!
Many thanks for your feedback, kind comments and encouragement SoftHackles. I’m very much at the beginning of my fly tying journey! I was put off by poor eyesight and the ease of obtaining flies cheaply on line etc for a long time. Inspired by blogs like your own and kind local anglers I have started to get into it a bit now. It’s becoming an enjoyable element of the whole fly fishing ritual and I am seeing it more as part of the whole process of catching trout on insect imitations. Of course there is so much to learn and it takes time to learn about and acquire the right materials etc but I am fascinated by the history around traditional fly patterns and can’t wait to try out some of my own efforts this coming season. Your blog is both informative and fascinating and I hope to develop and refine my spider patterns to become a little more like your beautiful flies! Best wishes and tight lines for the new season and thank you!
Argyll Trout Fisher 
The Black Spider seems a little too sparse for me but all the rest look awesome, especially the Kate.
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Many thanks darrelln09! I tied a bit as a lad – wasn’t that great at it , but enjoyed hugely catching on my own flies. Having gotten back into my fly fishing since my kids got bigger, I have only started tying again. Currently getting my equipment and materials together and trying to practice most days. I am fascinated by the traditional patterns particularly and greatly enjoying exploring and researching them. Thanks for the encouragement!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there, well done – you have tied perfectly fishable flies there for sure!
Your Kate McLaren looks great, the rib is perhaps a bit uneven and the body could be extended closer to the head of the fly, moving the shoulder hackle forward a bit in the process, perhaps the shoulder hackle could be a bit fuller too; but these are all very minor points and will not have any impact on the effectiveness of your fly. Palmered hackled flies can be tricky to tie, and I know I struggled with them, so well done again on your Kate Maclaren!
Perhaps the hackle on the Black Spider is a bit long and ‘thin’ in the fibre (for me anyway); but again minor points which will not affect the fish catching abilities of this pattern. I know of a lot of anglers who like a longer hackle on their spiders, and that hackle will have plenty of movement in the water – just what is needed!
I loved seeing your collection of spiders and again, all look perfectly fishable.
A good way to build up a collection of materials that you will use time and time again, is to choose a pattern you would like to tie and then purchase everything you need to tie that fly and then, repeat that process over different patterns; in no time you will have a collection of useful materials, ready to hand. And, If you don’t have all the materials required for a particular pattern, you can always substitute materials; I often substitute brown, mottled hen for partridge.
You have done very well there, and keep going with it. You will get to be where you want to be with your flytying I am sure. It just takes a bit of time, practice and patience. Well done again!
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Many thanks for your feedback, kind comments and encouragement SoftHackles. I’m very much at the beginning of my fly tying journey! I was put off by poor eyesight and the ease of obtaining flies cheaply on line etc for a long time. Inspired by blogs like your own and kind local anglers I have started to get into it a bit now. It’s becoming an enjoyable element of the whole fly fishing ritual and I am seeing it more as part of the whole process of catching trout on insect imitations. Of course there is so much to learn and it takes time to learn about and acquire the right materials etc but I am fascinated by the history around traditional fly patterns and can’t wait to try out some of my own efforts this coming season. Your blog is both informative and fascinating and I hope to develop and refine my spider patterns to become a little more like your beautiful flies! Best wishes and tight lines for the new season and thank you!
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