Project Description

Black spider

Materials

Size 8-14 medium to heavy weight hook, black thread, black floss, silver wire or silver oval tinsel, black hen hackle

Tying Sequence

  1. Attach thread to shank 2mm behind the hook eye then wind in close touching turns down the shank to a position just in front of the bend.
  2. Tie in a 100mm (4”) length of silver wire.
  3. Tie in a 200mm (8”) length of black floss and bind these materials down and return the thread to a position approx. 3mm back from the eye. Trim the waste ends.
  4. Wind the black floss in touching turns up towards the eye then back down to the bend and then finally back again to the thread position trying to create a tapered effect. Tie off and trim waste.
  5. Wind the silver wire in open spirals down the body and tie off 3mm back from the eye.
  6. Select a suitable black hen hackle approx. 11/2- 2 x the gape width of the hook and prepare hackle to tie in by the tip of the feather.
  7. Trim tip of hackle leaving approx 3mm to tie in with the concave side of the feather facing down and secure with 3 tight turns of thread.
  8. Carefully lift hackle by the stalk to an upright position and gently stroke back all of the fibres to lay either side of the stalk.
  9. Wind the Hackle in tight turns towards the eye stroking the fibres back as you go three or four turns will be ok.
  10. Tie off and trim the excess hackle stalk and wind a neat head slightly over the base of the hackle to lay the fibres at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
  11.  Whip finishing and varnishing the head