[Matt Henderson]

Right I was thinking today fishing spiders. Typically on a stillwater I would fish a team of spiders on a floating line. No on the river I typically end up fishing a weighted nymph on the point and one or more spiders on a dropper so fishing them deeper.  Are spiders supposed to represent insects at a particular stage in the life cycle? Or just generally dead insects that are being swept downstream? Also I seem to have more success on a river fishing them with a weighted nymph, in certain conditions could/would you fish them with no weighted flies? Would it be more productive to fish spiders upstream rather than down and across?

Millions of questions and probably not one simple answer but it might promote discusion to help a river trout beginner like myself!

Cheers

Matt

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Matt,

Spiders are suggestive rather than imitative and as such could be taken for emerging insects, drowned insects etc.  I would and do fish them without a weighted fly during a hatch in the right place.  I will often fish a single spider upstream as you would a dry fly and if fishing a team of them for searching the water I will fish the about 45 degree upstream and dead drift them down as far as possible with a high rod tip then let them swing, until the swing takes are visual and you are watching for them as much as feeling for them.  I tie mine of light wire hooks, such as B400's and will use a weighted nymph to take them down if required.

Cheers

Ben