A channel dedicated to the tying and fishing of North Country spider patterns for trout and grayling on the rivers and streams of the Yorkshire Dales. I have contributed articles to many fishing magazines and am the author of The North Country Fly: Yorkshire's Soft Hackle Tradition. I am also a proud member of the Ahrex Hooks Pro-Team and have demonstrated the tying and fishing of traditional north country wet flies at numerous fishing and flytying shows throughout the world.
Hello Robert Just subscribed. Been watching your videos this week and have throughly enjoyed it! I like what your doing keeping an old tradition going. Respect for that. I tie my own flies but mine are more modern patterns but you have inspired me to find some feathers I don’t have and try some of your patterns! Many thanks Ollie
@@thedalesangler I remember watching these about 37years ago on VHS tape which I hired out from a video store these angler's were the grand masters of fishing thanks again for sharing
Hi - just recently found your you tube channel and enjoy the videos - been making up some of the patterns and looking forward to see how they work on some of my Welsh streams - I have a question if I may - I notice in majority of the videos the hook is a dry fly hook- can you give me a reason why you use that as oposed to a wet fly - I suspect its because you want the fly to ride the current but would be fascinated to know - many thanks
Absolutely wonderful video, so much more hackle and body to these flies than todays versions, are we missing something. I mean are we more caught up with perfection in dressing flies that anything else. My fly dressing always consists with some spiders and they look nothing like these do. I might have to look a bit more into this and try some out.
Nicely done. I have just bought your book, "The North Country Fly: Yorkshire`s Soft Hackle Tradition" and cannot wait to receive it. Thank you for the wonderful videos and the book.
Excellent work and a beautiful looking fly! 👍 Please can you let us know what you are using either side of the wooden Pearsall Silk bobbin to make it wider in order to fit what looks like a standard bobbin holder?
@@thedalesangler No worries, Rob. Can I ask, are you still doing demonstrations? I attended one you did for Brian Clarke in 2023, I think. I'm the Secretary of the East Riding Fly Dresser's Guild and we're planning our programme.
Mr. Smith, when you say "as with all North Country spiders, we tie them in at the tip", I've come across a half dozen other variations of tying the hackle in the historical and current literature. Why do you prefer this method as shown in your video?
Because it is easier to wrap the hackle when it is tied in by the tip. It also illuminates a greater part of the bulk and creates a neater looking fly.
Hi Robert, a lovely fly. I'm intrigued by the 'blue' in the name as you don't leave any silk in view apart from the darkened down blue whip finish. Feels like you could have used any colour silk or other thread. As I don't have any heron feathers, would grey goose do the same job? Cheers
Wynn doesn't mention a shade of tying silk. I just used a vintage blue Pearsalls just to keep it in line with the fly's name. In theory you could use any colour and type of silk or tying thread.
