I seem to have become fascinated by spiders. I am waiting for Mike Hardings guide to North Country Spiders to arrive from Amazon.

I am new to river fishing and quite frankly haven't got a clue how to fish them. Not to clever with any form of river fishing really. I did get Paul Gaskells intro to river fishing dvd last week and can't wait to get out and have a go. I found the dvd ver helpful in a language I can understand.

So what do I do with the spiders? 2? 3? I should say I will be fishing one of two rivers both are narrow, maybe 5-7 metres wide. Varying depths but generally shallow. Both have lots of small browns and a good stock of Grayling.

I have a good selection of spiders tied by someone on this forum and easy see they are top draw.

My plan is to fish them like a team of nymphs, short cast, up and across fanning out as need be. Is that ok?

I guess my average depth to be no more than 2-3 feet so thought two about 18" apart?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Pond olive (&)spider





sorry thats no help, I couldnt resist it!

You will get lots of advice. I will send you an extract from the book I wrote last year.
You will get it later today.

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"A traditional wet fly addict"

Uk representative and Instructor for Fly Fishing Masters - www.flyfishingmasters.co.uk

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Try it like this like, Oliver Edwards style.

SharkeyP

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Often thinks not travel widens,
Stay at home the Trout obliges.

Practice Practice Practice.
Together with Philips booklet and the Oliver Edwards DVD if it’s still available (not sure)
Those together should give you a great start.

Gary ( nicho)

Bamboo Rod Maker

Oliver Edwards' dvd on north country spiders is well worth having as it details 3 different methods of fishing with them.I really like his square across method where you cast across and mend upstream then allow the flies to drift down in a straight line holding the rod high and moving it across your body.Its only possible to get short drifts but you get very positive indications.
cheers
Steve.

You could tell us where you will be fishing?

The rivers don't sound to me like obvious spider country just from what you've said.

Love the car in the dvd, fun being behind that if you are in a bit of a rush.

I'd have thought ptn or dry grey duster, cyb or dogsbody might be better.

and what would you describe as "obvious spider country"?????????

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

Thanks for the relies so far folks. They have fired my interest even more. The video was interesting and thanks to Philip for the info.

I thought anywhere wild brownies and grayling exist is spider country. The rivers I will fish are the Colne and Windrush. Maybe I'll have to educate them

Not the Colne and Windrush.

Given that they are sometimes referred to as North Country Spiders, at a guess, and this is possibly a tough one for you Bruce1, but I'd say, to help you out, as a first guess, The Ribble, and The Wharf.

I doubt if you're even allowed multi flies on the Cotswold streams.

Tight lines.

---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:42 PM ----------

I'd go back to the drawing board myself, so to speak, and you could start at The Bull Fairford by asking how people fish? Certainly spiders are similar to Skues hatching nymphs fished singly.

Multi's while probably not allowed, would be snagging weed I should have thought, not to mention the presentation/concealment problem, which, as you can see in the dvd with the old car, is not such a problem oop north sometimes.