Fly Tying Recipes

Golden Tarantula

Hook: Tiemco 5262 or Dai-Riki 710, sizes 4-14
Thread: 3/0 Tan
Tail: Golden Pheasant tippets
Body: 50/50 mix of hare's mask and yellow rabbit fur
Wing: White calftail topped with pearlescent Krystal Flash
Collar: Natural deer hair
Legs: DBL strand of brown rubber, medium
Head: Golden or light brown deer hair spun and clipped

Tying Tips

For extra durability cover hook shank with thread
Tail length = hoop gap width
"Spikey" body with lots of guard hairs is best
Wing length extends to tip of tail
IMPORTANT: Collar is tied in separately from head! Imagine tying an Elk Hair Caddis wing onto the top of the fly and you've got it. As with the Elk Hair Caddis wing, don't wrap thread over the butts of the collar hairs.
The rubber legs are tied in at the precise location that the collar is tied in at
The head hair is tied on in two separate clumps. After spinning, whip finish and trim to shape as shown in photo...flat on bottom, tapering from front to back on top and both sides

Fishing Tips

While a dead drift still may be the single best presentation method, the Tarantula is often very effective when twitched, skated or stripped under water
The Golden Tarantula is a good fly pattern for imitating stoneflies and grasshoppers
Despite the beliefs of some, the Tarantula can be great in slow glassy water as well as stillwater fisheries like lakes and ponds
The Tarantula is incredibly versatile and has been used to catch, not only all species of trout, but largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, grass carp, perch, seatrout, panfish and even northern pike
Read Tip #1 again