Interesting jottings Robert.
As a child I also used catch flies with my hands and throw them into spider webs. The resident spider would suddenly emerge and pounce on the captured fly. What happened next was fascinating.
The sticky spider threads that are so entangling to prey insects is expertly woven around the fly. With surgeon precision, the fly is enveloped in a cocoon of web material.
Sometimes I was able to move an intruding spider to a web. The resident spider would chase the trespasser out. Although when a fight emerged that was something else to see.
This process of capturing flies and feeding them to the marauding spiders went on frequently for a few years in my childhood. Eventually I grew bored of it.
I threw flies into aquariums to see the fish reactions. Wow! they were quick.
I grew up with little fear if any of spiders. Fascinating creatures. I found people who had little exposure to the eight legged fellas tended to be scared of them. Some people are scared of dogs. Yesterday my Border Collie encountered two such people. Rambo is a very humanly social dog. He likes to "say hello" to strangers. Yet these two persons were visibly scared of Rambo's friendly advances.
Same applies to people and spiders. A fear of insects I believe is an unnecessary stress to have to live with. Its easy to overcome. Saves a lot of screaming. I taught my kids to have no fear for insects. They used to scream if a cockroach ran through. I offered monetary rewards to "thong the roach" and eventually no cockroach was safe in the house.LOL
Do think when you do go to kill that next spider. You are allowing diease ridden mossies to live. Spiders may only scare you but mossies, they can make you very sick.