Wilted Spinach Variation

Tied by Justin Watkins

Original pattern is here: http://www.westfly.com/fly-pattern-recipe/wet/wiltedspinach.shtml

Hook: standard #16 through #22 (I like to use scud hooks)

Thread: 8/0 or 6/0 thread of your choosing (red is good)

Trailing shuck: two loops of crystal flash

Body: working thread

Thorax: peacock herl

Hackle: for #16 or larger use partridge, for #18 or smaller use starling

Head: built up thread

Sometimes I set the fly back on the shank a bit, to tie a smaller fly than the hook I'm using would suggest.    it depends on what hooks I have laying around.

Many times instead of trying to match a hatch, I get upstream and swing this down and across.  I've found this technique to be absolutely deadly.  It seems that fish are more willing to take a soft hackle of the general size they're keyed on than they might be to take a non-matched dry fly.  Compensating for poor fishing you could call it.

I also use it often when there's no hatch.  Swing it through runs and riffles, down into the heads of pools.