I don’t usually share patterns in the development stage, but the energy of these flies and the promise of spring has me feeling reckless. I’ve been prototyping some Hendrickson spiders, playing around with different colored threads and silks, hackles, and tailing materials. The one constant is the body fur, a moderate dusting of muskrat over the waxed thread or silk. These will get a test run this spring, and I’ll let you know what I — and the trout — think.
A nod to the tradition of North Country spiders and legacy American patterns like the Dark Hendrickson winged wet.
currentseams.com 
Can’t wait to hear the outcome. Love those soft hackles!
I suspect they will all meet with favor, and it will be the tier’s judgement as to which one(s) get the public glory. I do like that I have kept them with legacy tying materials.
I’m using more thread bodied soft hackles with fur thotax.
Easy to tie and cover a wide range of sizes down to 26-28 and extremely
effective.
Hi Dick,
I also tie some of my spiders with a fur thorax. I do like the dusting of fur over thread effect in the tradition of some North Country spiders — clearly Smith’s book is influencing me — and it’s cool to see both thread and fur as part of the body.
I read this too close to my aquarium-the fish tried to jump out to get to the flies. Love your work. Your messages are helping me get through the winter. Is that partridge hackle on some of them. Great idea – you get the hackle and wing from one feather. 😉 Jack Swegel
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Thanks, Jack. The hackles here are either partridge or hen.