What flies are useful on the River Wharfe.

Any suggestions would be great.

I normally use

• Black Klinkhamer
• Wickham's Fancy (wet)
• Partridge & Silver
• Black & Peacock Spider (with a pearly tail)

....ArcticFox....

I was on the Wharfe at Bolton Abbey last month and had 14 to spider patterns, mainly Partridge and Orange with a couple on Waterhen Bloa, fished across and down. Had the good fortune to bump into a local guide called Stuart Minnikin who has an excellent website detailing fly patterns, beats and general advice. It's a really good site.

http://www.yorkshire-dales-flyfishing.com/index.htm

There's also a DVD by Oliver Edwards called something like 'Spiders and Upstream Nymphing', with demonstrations of tying and fishing which is well worth watching.

Tight lines
Marra

Which part of the Wharfe? I fished Bolton Abbey for a couple of seasons. It's also the home river of Oliver Edwards (lower down) so any of his patterns are good.

Fishing traditional style, traditional flies work very well. I had some spiders tied by former river keeper Charlie Hoyle on dry fly hooks - very lightly dressed. Most effective 'banker' patterns were Waterhen Bloa, Partridge and Orange, Snipe& Purple and a tinsel-bodied spider on a bright day.

All types of Klinkhammer used to work for me but my standard dry was a Grey Duster. Then sedge patterns in the evening later in the season.

Nymphing, as I remember PTN worked as well as free-living caddis patterns (especially Oliver Edwards Rhyachophila nymph and pupa).

Must get back there!

I fish the Addingham stretches.


....ArcticFox....

I have recently used Klinkhammers (dark colours size 14-16 in addition to my more normal choice of grey duster (size 16). These both have the advantage of being easy to see.

The main fly on my stretch is the sedge so I tend to use light brown and black wet flies. Of course the partridge and orange, snipe and purple and waterhen bloa all do consistenly well as does anything small and black (size 16 or less)

Lbayorkie

Thanks for the replies everyone.