The Black Widow Spider
Tied by Agust Gudmundsson, agust@bdsgate.bdsi.com
Instructions for a Size 13 Black Widow Spider.
(Hope you're not superstitious.)
Tying instructions as follows.
Hook: Size 13 TMC 102Y. (TMC 103BL barbless alternative).
Thread: Black 8/0.
Hackle: Black webby saddle or hen hackle.
Body : Black foam strip 1/4" or so wide several inchs long.
Extra : Red Nail Polish. (Any cheap garish red.) (optional)
Secure hook in vise.
Attatch thread to hook but only cover middle third of shank. Leave bare
shank at bend and near eye.
Tie saddle in with shiny side up. (So that slight concave cups over shank.)
Round the end of foam. Place foam on top of shank so that rounded end lines
up with the bend of the hook. Secure foam to hook with several wraps of thread.
(This should form an abdomen like a large foam ant.) Make sure you tie down
tight, wiggle back and forth to get the thread close to the shank.
Wrap a few turns underneath, while pulling up on foam.
Do not cut foam yet.
Leave the thread behind(and under) the abdomen hanging on far side of the hook.
While pulling up on foam, wrap saddle parachuute style under foam body.
Finish by laying last wrap under the hanging thread. Let go of abdomen.
Pull on long piece of foam (gently) and trim to form a small head.
Whip finish under foam head. Trim saddle.
Turn fly over and place a small drop of head cement on thread at tie in point.
When dry put a small drop of red nail polish on abdomen.
The red nail polish is optional, more for the fisherman than the fish.
The shape is very beetle like and makes a pretty good generic dark terrestrial.
If you trim the saddle's to form rear legs and short sides and front, it make a
pretty good cricket imitation too.
Luck,
Agust Kr. G.
agust@bdsgate.bdsi.com
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