Tying a March Brown Spider Soft Hackle Wet by Davie McPhail

[@drude007]

I'm impressed by the use of hare's ear on the body because less is more segmented.

[@stillwater62]

Another great pattern I will have to add to my fly box. Thanks, Davie.

[@kentw.897]

Very Nice Davie. Thanx 4 sharing this video. Aloha🌴🎣🏄‍♂️

[@MyPancho1]

Your attention to the details while tying these flies makes the video so much more instructive, Thanks Davie!

[@christernordstrom4527]

Amazing how a simple pattern always turns into a piece of art in your careful hands. Thank You Davie

[@derekcunningham9993]

Cracking wee fly. Woodcock are delicate feathers to work with. You make it look easy.

[@alanrobertson7407]

Cracking fly Davie, definitely going to tye some up

[@davidfraser4083]

Great fly Davie. Been good to me for 60 plusbyears on the upper Clyde. Thanks again, stay safe, Big Davie.

[@comesahorseman]

This type of soft-hackled spider has become my go-to fly; I've had more takes with flies like this than anything else in my box, even during a hatch. 👍

[@fiestamans]

I'm with you on that, wets for me are more successful. I've tried the dry dropper and euro nymphing but it's hard to beat wet fly fishing with spiders and winged wets

[@comesahorseman]

@@fiestamans there you go!

[@bobjohnson7207]

Hi Davy I was recycling some old hooks and tied them up went fishing and sharpened them but they'd already been sharpened once already. Not thinking I grabbed my little paddle diamond Stone. I gave it the usual 10 light rubs on three angles with a bit of a chisel point Barb removal hook point stop it from bending final touch. So I'm at the boat launch and a fella comes up and asked me can I see her fly yes. Then my hand has blood on it where's that blood coming from oh it's the hook I thought to myself and said oh that's a sharp hook. I thought I knew how to sharpen a hook as I've been doing it for 50 years. Oh well it's good to learn something new. I have had sharp hooks in the past but now they're all Sharp. Mind you some come sharp right out of the box and when you're tying and you feel it you say to yourself this fly is going to catch a fish. I find a diamond Stone fairly fine one will actually put a microscopic serrated edge on the point which sinks into the vomer meaning it was a happy bite I don't think I would catch the big ones if they were not that sharp. There's the old fingernail test of which my hooks go right through my nail sometimes and boy does that ever hurt. LOL. Nice fly you tied up there.

[@jimflynn466]

As per usual the master at work, lovely dressing so simplistic and worth the effort, will have a few for next season. Cheers Davie regards Jimf

[@bok9201]

Thank you for the detailed demonstration of yet another gorgeous, sparse and promising pattern, Sir! This fly will soon join my fly box. I can't wait to fish it!

[@colindick639]

Great video Davie.Just getting back into fly tying. Getting box filled up with black spider,pennell,s and march brown,s for 15th March.

[@dominiqueleblanc2193]

Simple, easy and great looking! Great video once again.

[@craiggranquist1848]

Hi Davie We had a night tying spiders on Tuesday night. 😁 Nice tie. I liked the technique is spinning on the Hares Ear👍

[@retsdon]

A very, very effective looking fly!

[@duderoony]

As always Davie, sparse soft hackle spiders are my thing so this is one more to go into my ‘flies to tie’ folder. Thank you for another one dude. 😊

[@jeffprice4611]

Thanks for sharing. Now you’ve forced me to make a spider box. I always have a few but these look like they’ll hunt.

[@robertbaker8164]

thank you I always wonder how your feathers lay back so nice

[@metubewot]

Beautiful tying as always Davie.

[@Fischer67]

Wonderfull pattern. Thanks a lot Davie

[@AllanMHutton]

Brilliant Davie! I've been tying few soft hackled patterns recently so this demo will be a good source of reference to me. I hope to do more river fishing next season with these style of flies! However I'm a but of a novice when it comes to fishing rivers. I've also found that North Country spiders work very well in in small Highland lochs and lochans too particularly Loch Ba and Loch Na H Achlaise on the west edge of Rannoch Moor. Great Vid!👍

[@wingman8447]

Great variations

[@roberta.k4213]

Awesome fly!!! Thanks

[@christopherkarpacz2119]

Really like that one Davie, never applied dubbing like that so I'll really work on that 👍🎣

[@bentpolski]

Perfect Davie as Usual! I usually tie a size 14 Hares Ear soft hackle with Fine Silver tinsel ribbing. You should try them on Brown Trout early season!

[@jeromefynaut8177]

👍👍 nice spider

[@dryflyman7121]

The March Brown is a good generic pattern for early olive nymphs/emergers and has many local variations. I remember tying this for early Spring fishing on the River Ure where it was a very reliable pattern particularly in the early 1980’s, even though the actual March Brown fly was never seen hatching. On a wet cast, which would be three flies and include, in rotation, other patterns such as orange partridge, purple snipe, Greenwells spider and waterhen bloa, it was deadly. However the pattern was different. No larger than a size 14 sproat hook, heavy gauge, pale olive waxed Pearsall’s thread, no tail, hares ear dubbed body ribbed with gold wire and a partridge brown back hackle (well marked). It was always a good wet pattern when large dark olives were starting to hatch. Once the hatch started you switched to a dry Blue Dun. Happy days !! Now, very sadly, you rarely see large dark olives or any other olives on the Ure.

[@kenelliott6458]

Great to see you tying the north country spiders mate. I think it’s a great wet fly . How’s the family doing ? Thanks for sharing another great video. Best Regards from West Virginia, Ken 🦆🐜🎣

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Ken, We are all fine thank you and I hope all is well with you are your family too and I am glad you liked the fly.. All the every best Davie

[@jamesferguson5218]

Should I fish the march brown In South West Scotland in the month it.describes.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi James, The March Brown normally hatches on our rivers in the month of March though the further north you go it can be two or three weeks behind depending on the weather..I saw your message earlier on and you mentioned that it came off in June and the fly you may be seeing is the Claret Dun and when hatched it does look a little like the March Brown so if you are going to fish a wet fly then you would need to change the body of this fly to claret as I have done this and it works really well...Normally a Mallard and Claret would be the fly to use and a good dry fly would be a Ginger Quill..I hope this is of some help to you.. All the very best Davie..

[@robertsnell5367]

It's the first time I have ever seen a cut & blow dry on a fly. absolutely great video's another excellent pattern many thanks! p.s. just a quick question why do modern fly tyers not mask the hook point in the vice? not a criticism , just wondering.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Robert, I know I should have been a hair dresser😂...I would recommend beginners to mask the point of the hook to be safe but after time we can work round the hook with the point showing which can make tying materials on easier at the back..I'm glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the kind words.. All the very best Davie..

[@davidwillacy4796]

Great fly Davie. In general is it best to whip finish towards the eye where the thread may fall down the slope as it were, or away from the eye where each wrap is supported by the previous turn whilst travelling up the slope or am I just being a fuss arse?? Cheers

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi David, The whip finish will pull together far better if wound down towards the eye especially when using traditional tying silks though with the finer and flatter modern threads you can get away with this as they pull together far easier..I'm glad you liked the fly.. All the very best Davie

[@krallmi48]

I did enjoy it Davie, thank you... Would you say, please, what Pearsall's number the yellow thread you used here is? I'd like to see if I can find a spool of it or another makers version. Mike

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Mike, A good sub is Yli Silk so I have attached a link to a spool of the colour I feel is close to the primrose yellow that I used in the video..I'm glad you liked the fly.. All the very best Davie.. quiltdirect.co.uk/products/yli-silk-100-thread-200m-daffodil-yellow-214

[@krallmi48]

@@DavieMcPhail Thanks, Davie... Mike

[@colincampbell5181]

Thanks for another great fly Davie I was wondering if you can still buy pearsall silk.? Or is lagartun silk the only option

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Colin, I have attached a link to Morus-Silks for you to see though I have none of their silks to compare to the original gossamer silks I have..There's another company that I have tried which are called Yli Silks and they are very good, you get a lot more on a spool and at a good price..I have also attached a link to it for you to see...I hope this is of some help to you.. All the very best Davie.. www.broadlypatchwork.co.uk/yli-silk-thread morus-silk.com/shop/?v=79cba1185463

[@ejones4765]

How many colour combinations of the March Brown is there please Davie?

[@Rustyboyyy1]

Perfect!🤙

[@mikelundrigan2285]

I recent met 2 bird hunters on a trail who had harvested 4 ptarmigans (famous red grouse) and I asked if I could get some of those mottled red feathers which they kindly allowed!! Can you recommend any patterns that use or could use these feathers? As usual you have added another pattern for me to put in my box! Thanks!

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Mike, I've used many a grouse feather on a fly as it's just a good colour that you could add to many a pattern and I'm sure you will catch with it, I have attached a couple of links to patterns I have tyed for you to see.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX-TdKqNraqqoLM kzbin.info/www/bejne/poGpgYtpZbGWmrc All the very best Davie..

[@Ger886]

Lovely fly Davie brilliant tying are the tail fibres from the bronze mallard flanks ?

[@krallmi48]

Hello Davie, I was watching this video again and noticed you using what looks like a different small spool bobbin than the one I'm used to seeing. Would you say who the maker of this bobbin holder is, please?

[@crs1321]

A braw wee beastie Davie. Quick question if you don't mind. You've used many different types of scissors in your videos over the years so you probably know which are the best. Can you recommend any really good curved scissors for trimming deer hair on muddlers? Thanks for the tips. 👍👏🎣

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Clark, The curved pair of scissors that I use for the deer hair I bought in 1990 from a well known tier called Davy Wotton though I do have another small pair that are really good which I bought off ebay but I can't find them as they seem to have sold out..I'll keep an eye out for them for you and I'm glad you liked the fly... All the very best Davie

[@crs1321]

@Robert Pelletier Thanks for that ip Robert I will try that. 👍👏🎣

[@АнатолийЗайцев-я1щ]

Великолепно 👍👍👍🤝🙋‍♂️

[@АлександрПлахотный-е4у]

Класс! 👍🇰🇿

[@jamesferguson5218]

The March brown. Does not.hatch in.scotland.untill.june.