The "Winter Brown" a North Country Spider. The fly has been with us since around 1790. Do you wonder why you never see it in the bins of fly shops? It's tied using orange silk for the body, just a dusting of hares ear and woodcock hackle. The head is formed by using peacock herl. Now in the photo above the images are in black and white, the reason is that is the way trout see the fly. Do you have an opinion?
This is the Winter Brown in color. It's a better than average fish taker and I fish it all year long.
Pearsall's Orange Gossamer Silk.
The Yellow Woodcock...again in black and white.
The Yellow Woodcock. Yellow silk body, with a dusting of hares ear. The hackle is woodcock.
Pearsall's Yellow Gossamer Silk.
Both of these flies embody "simplicity"...they are effective. The next group of spiders will incorporate peacock.
Hi Alan
ReplyDeleteSimple beauty personified........... What more can be said?
Thanks for sharing with us all.
Alistair
Alistair
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Alistair what really baffles me is how such simple wonderful patterns are not more widely used. These flies catch fish.
Alistair beat me to it. I learn so much from your ties.
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill all those flies are tied on Firehole sticks 609.
As Jay Fair told me many years ago, doesn't have to be perfect (although these are definitely perfect as fly tying goes) just make it look buggy. Mission accomplished.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark Mr. Fair is correct. Some of the worst tied flies seem to catch there share of fish.
Alan
ReplyDeleteI seldom fished a Spider until I started following your blog; now they are one of my go to flies on the Sipsey and Caney. I've used your Winter Brown on the Sipsey with success. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill the right fly, being a soft-hackle and an angler that can cast and fish it reasonably well will always catch trout.
Love those soft-hackles. So do the big & mean Coastal Cutthroat.
ReplyDeleteMatt Harding
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Matt I love hearing things like that.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I am awestruck by the beauty of your tying! Yes, their beauty lies in their simplicity and that cannot be denied! In this case, the way you apply materials to the hook is like no other! Your patterns (especially these two) look alive particularly when they are wet. Therein lies the beauty! I can't do this and I am glad to know that you and others have that ability! The black and white perspective is quite interesting. I'm afraid that I might have to disagree with you a bit on color and how fish (trout in particular) perceive it! More about this later my friend!
Doug in the Den
Dougsden
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Doug I welcome your thoughts on color and how trout see it. I myself have no science on the subject, I only have what I think. I read once that deer and turkey see in shades and not clear color. Streamer tyers have said that colors take on different shades as the fly drops deeper into the water. And then there's that old saying, "dark day use a dark fly, bright day use a bright fly"....
Alan - Great flies and a couple of my favorites! I do believe that under certain light conditions color can be a factor in a fly to a trout's eyes.
ReplyDeleteNJpatbee
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Pat I agree, but is actually color they see or shade variations, like dark and light?
Hi Alan- I love your blog. After seeing the black and white photo I did a little research (It's from the net so it has to be true lol).
ReplyDelete"Trout do indeed have color vision, but it is limited to relatively clear, shallow, water and short distances, so at close range, the trout can see the full detail of color. 2. ... In the low light conditions of dawn or dusk, trout can not distinguish color. Black, then, becomes the most visible".
Dean F
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Dean I have every confidence in what's the internet. What you found makes sense, with exception. Some of the best dry flies at dusk and dark are white flies. A size 12 Usual is a good example. I guess I have to pull out that book "What The Trout Said"....