# making rubber spiders?



## duckman#1 (Sep 22, 2002)

I use rubbers spiders mostly and have a couple questions I was hoping some of you fly tiers might answer: How hard is it to make them? Can I make them cheaper than I can buy them? I would make 100+ for friends, etc.
I've never made flies but these seem to use glue to assemble? Where do I get the suppiles?
Thanks


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

An easy way to make them if you don't have to have a shaped body is as follows

cut closed cell 2mm craft foam in to 1/4" strips. (choice of color)
Tie in foam off back of size 10 or 12 hook using a criss cross thread pattern covering the rear half of the hook.
Fold foam forward towards hook eye.
Soft wrap the foam twice just ahead of foam that is secured to the shank.
Fold the foam forward and back securing again at previous wrap point.
Triim foam strip and tie in indicator on top if desired.
Tie in rubber legs.

If you send me your email I will send you photos.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

Very easy, and once you buy the supplies, you'll have an almost endless supply of spiders. A little goes a long ways!


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

I recently purchased the pre made foam bodies to start making spiders. They do work good, but at the same time I bought several sheets of foam for dirt cheap, in a multitude of colors. The foam is much easier to work with than the bodies and the bouyancy is great. As was stated above, just use the foam, cut into strips, and experiment with body shape and size. I made one the other day out of bright orange and bright yellow foam by glueing 2 pieces together and putting a heavy book on them....it turned out awesome looking. For 15 bucks, including buying some economy hooks, you could have hundreds of spiders, ants, etc. I also have been monkeying with making chernobyl style ants (without using a cutter, just scissors) and they have turned out phemonal looking.

Take a stroll through Hobby lobby, michaels, etc....its a hidden gem of fly tying materials at a fraction of the cost and you normally get a ton of whatever you are buying compared to a small little bag at a fly shop.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Super simple.

Depending on how many you plan on going through, easier to just buy the bodies IMO.

Things to buy:
1) Fly tieing vice.
2) Waxed thread.
3) Bobbin.
4) Size bodies you want.
5) Legs.
6) Hooks.
7) Epoxy

Here is a video. I think he is inefficient at making them, but you'll get the idea from watching.

http://youtu.be/_iA_ex-nVX0

Pretty fun watching panfish sip spiders.


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

What do you use the epoxy for?


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I've never been a whip finisher. 3 half hitches, drop of expoxy and move onto the next.


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

I gotcha, Whip Finishing drives me nuts on some flies, I was attempting to whip finish some real small elk hair caddis the other night and it never failed everytime it would spin something out of whack and practically ruin the fly. I normally double half hitch, single, double, cement. I bought some cement that came in a bottle that has about a 3 inch long "needle" almost like a hypodermic needle that was the best 3$ I have spent on gear...its refillable too.

Gene, do you do anything special to the spider bodies to anchor them down? I make my wraps in an X Fashion, but some of them, especially when I put legs, tend to want to slide around. Too heavy of thread and it builds up way too fast and too light and I break it and spew a few curses.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

TSS Caddis said:


> I've never been a whip finisher. 3 half hitches, drop of expoxy and move onto the next.


 Me either. I am much wuicker just doing a couple half hitches. And "hard as nails" clear fingernail polish works good in a pinch, instead of epoxy, lasts forever, and is cheap on sale.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

wartfroggy said:


> Me either. I am much wuicker just doing a couple half hitches. And "hard as nails" clear fingernail polish works good in a pinch, instead of epoxy, lasts forever, and is cheap on sale.


I read in Kaufmans once I think to just put in 3 half hitches and no head cement. They said by the time it comes undone you would have already lost it anyway


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

Duckman, per your PM, here are some examples of some spiders and other creations from over the last week. All were tied with closed cell foam. There are a few crude spiders in there when I was first getting the hang of it, but I guarantee a bluegill will not discern between them.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

That's some damn fine work. Fantastic bugs.


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

Thank you!!


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## Wellston (Dec 28, 2000)

gunrod said:


> That's some damn fine work. Fantastic bugs.


I agree, nice job!!!!
Jim


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## Pork Chop (Jan 21, 2003)

If you don't mid doing a bit of trimming, my favorite material is flip flop flop foam. A dollar pair will tie up at least a couple hundred bugs. They float well and are VERY durable.


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## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

Pork Chop said:


> If you don't mid doing a bit of trimming, my favorite material is flip flop flop foam.


 I picked up some foam in the craft secion of Walmart not long ago. It was a variety pack of colors, and they were those foam brims for making crafty hats. A couple of bucks and I have enough foam for a ton of flies. I've been making spiders, ants, hoppers, even used for bodies on some Hex flies. Also, shredded up some pieces into thin strips, threw on a couple of O-rings, and now I have a handful of different sized strike indicators.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Pork Chop said:


> If you don't mid doing a bit of trimming, my favorite material is flip flop flop foam. A dollar pair will tie up at least a couple hundred bugs. They float well and are VERY durable.


I never thought of that, I will have to give it a try since I can never find the pre-cut bodies anymore.


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