The Turck Tarantula achieved fame when George Anderson made it his choice for taking first place in the 1990 Jackson Hole One-Fly. It is a highly versatile pattern as a general attractor or for approximating stoneflies and hoppers. It may be fished dead-drift, twitched, skated, or submerged as a streamer. Since it is a style as opposed to an exact dressing, the angler is free to change the colors of the various components. For instance, a golden stone tarantula could be tied with a golden-tan dubbed body, brown rubber legs, and gold-dyed deer hair. For the tutorial, I am tying the original dressing on a size 8 TMC 5212.
Material You Will Need
Hook: TMC 5212 or other 2XL standard or 1X fine, size 4-14. Thread: Tan 3/0. Tail: Silver Pheasant Tippet Fibers. Body: Natural Hare's Mask. Wing: White Calf, body or tail hair. Overwing: Pearl Krystal Flash. Head: Natural Deer Hair.
Step 1: Select a small bunch of tippet fibers for the tail. Even tips prior to cutting from stem.
Step 2: Attach tail above barb, allowing the tippet to extend one hook-gape beyond tie-in point. Place one or two wraps of thread under the tail. Secure base of fibers along top of shank.
Step 3: Dub a tapered body from the tail to a point 1/4 to 1/3 behind hook eye. When body is complete, wrap a short thread base for securing wing.
Step 4: Select a bunch of calf hair, either body or tail depending on size of fly. Even tips in hair stacker.
Step 5: Measure wing so it extends to tip of tail and tie in with several firm wraps. Hold wing fibers while you trim butts.
Step 6: Attach two strands of Krystal Flash to sides of wing. Cover wing butts with several more thread wraps. At this point, you may wish to add a penetrating cement to the wing butts.
Step 7: Select a bunch of natural deer hair. Since this bunch and the next bunch will form the deer hair collar, I like to use a generous size clump. Even tips in stacker, and attach the first bunch on the far side of hook with three progressively tighter wraps, using fingers to prevent clump from rotating under the shank.
Step 8: Attach a similar clump on the near side with three more wraps.
Step 9: Tie on a strand of rubber on each side at the same location you secured the hair collar.
Step 10: Pull butt ends of hair collar rearward and make several wraps immediately in front.
Step 11: Continue adding clean deer hair along the shank, either by spinning or stacking. As you progress along shank, use a tool to compress and pack the hair. In the photo, I am using a delrin packer.
Step 12: When you are finished spinning the head, whip finish and trim thread.
Step 13: The simple way to trim a muddler-style head is with a razor blade. Keep the rubber legs away from blade at all times to prevent amputation. Make your first cut along the bottom of the head, close to the shank but clear of the securing thread wraps.
Step 14: Your second cut is on top of head, angling up toward the rear. If you cut too far back, you will cut into the hair collar.
Step 15: Trim sides of head at an angle.
Step 16: Finish trimming to desired shape.
Step 17: The completed Tarantula. You can vary the size of the head and length of rubber legs to suit your fishing.
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Hatches Magazine Subscription
Price: $6.95 for each issue
The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.
