Proportions for Traditional North Country Spiders

[ForumGhillie]

Beauty!

I don't recall ever seeing a Catskill style head on a wet fly pattern before, only dry flies.

John

[upstatetrout]

Very informative and entertaining thread so far and John you realy should visit the Catskills some time.
A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. John Shanner my friend you are a wealth of knowledge about a subject I am fascinated with. Thank you very much.

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[ForumGhillie]

Tom, someday I hope to get back out there. It has been about 25+ years since I fished out there.

John

[joaniebo]

Bob, I have seen you post those before on the Classic forum. I have never tried a soft hackle with bead in the thorax. Interesting concept.

I was once handed by a guide at Trout Hunter a size #18 PT nymph with a small black bead buried in the thorax. When the wind started to really blow during the PMD hatch out of desperation I tied it on and on the second cast I got torpedoed by a big rainbow.

John

John

You should tie a few with the bead thorax and fish them. My local TU buddies and I use them all the time in the Driftless Area and catch a bunch of fish with them. There are days when I put a Crackleback as the dropper and a bead thoraxed soft hackle as the point fly and fish those two flies virtually all day.

Bob

[ForumGhillie]

Bob, I have seen you post those before on the Classic forum. I have never tried a soft hackle with bead in the thorax. Interesting concept.

I was once handed by a guide at Trout Hunter a size #18 PT nymph with a small black bead buried in the thorax. When the wind started to really blow during the PMD hatch out of desperation I tied it on and on the second cast I got torpedoed by a big rainbow.

John

John

You should tie a few with the bead thorax and fish them. My local TU buddies and I use them all the time in the Driftless Area and catch a bunch of fish with them. There are days when I put a Crackleback as the dropper and a bead thoraxed soft hackle as the point fly and fish those two flies virtually all day.

Bob

Bob, thanks. I will give it a try.

It will be interesting to see with the Namekagon / Brule Rivers being freestone streams in the Northwoods. I can't say much about the SW WI driftless streams because I have never fished them.

[Bazzer69]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a Catskill style head?

[redietz]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a Catskill style head?

One with enough bare hook between the head and the eye to seat a Turle knot.

[Greenwell]

Bob,

That is perhaps the best and most succinct definition of a Catskill fly head I have ever heard. And I'm a Catskills guy from way back.

Thanks!

John

[Mike62]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a Catskill style head?

One with enough bare hook between the head and the eye to seat a Turle knot.

I learned something new today. Thank you.