Greenwell's Spider

Sparsely-hackled olive wet

Trout · GraylingFilm

A spider version of the Greenwell's Glory: sparse hen hackle, yellow silk body with an olive cast. On Border and Northumbrian rivers where olives are present, this swung or drifted through a glide covers a range of emerging nymphs and emergers without committing to any of them specifically.

Fish this when

When olives are about on northern rivers — especially the Teviot, Tweed and Eden. Swung downstream or trotted upstream. Also effective as a middle dropper on a loch team when olives are showing.

Why it works

The split hackle creates life-like leg movement through the water while the thin body allows the fly to sink naturally at the speed of a real insect.

Naturals it imitates