Part Five – Spider Fishing

32-36 River Trouting
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Game Fishing
River
Trouting
Part Five – Spider Fishing
Angler File
Name: Andrew Ryan
Occupation: Instructs at
Clonavav Fly Fishing
Centre and runs courses
on all aspects of fly fishing
Location: Clonavav Fly
Fishing Centre, Nire Valley,
Ballymacarby, Clonme, Co
Waterford
Telephone: 00 353 (0)
52 36141
E-mail:
andrew@flyfishingireland.
com
Web:
www.flyfishingireland.com
32 Irish angler
Qualified fishing guide Andrew Ryan
concludes his series with a look at the
traditional wet-fly art that is spider fishing.
did not begin fly fishing with spiders until two
years ago, as I favoured more modern
techniques, such as nymph fishing and New
Zealand style. However, I now believe that every
technique has its time and place and on those days
when fishing the spider is best, there’s just nothing
to touch it.
North country spider patterns originated in
I
Yorkshire in the late 1880s and were first written
about in Mr T E Pritt’s classic book, ‘Yorkshire
Trout Flies’. Since then, they have been in and out
of fashion at various times. Spider patterns are
unusual looking flies but they are successful. There
are many arguments as to why they work so well,
but I believe it is because the translucent wings,
along with a very slim body, make the fly look
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similar to an emerging or crippled insect. Also, the
hackles on the flies pulsate in the current, to give
the impression of life.
Similar wet flies are used in Spain and France
and use similar speckled feathers. For example,
some of the Spanish wet flies are very much like
the Partridge and Orange or Partridge and Yellow,
so this style of fly seems to work in Europe very
well, too.
I like to use two different styles when fishing
spiders – downstream, with a sink-tip fly line, a
nymph and a spider pattern and upstream, using
three flies, one dry as an indicator, and two spider
patterns.
Spiders can be made
to work under
virtually any
conditions – even
warm sunny days!
Downstream
This is an easy way of
fishing as you are casting
across and down. I find it
works very well when the fish are not
rising and there is very little action on
the surface. The advantage of
fishing across and down is
the amount of water that is
covered. The flies
practically comb the
width of the river, so a lot
of fish get to see the flies.
1
➜
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Game Fishing
Equipment
I use a 9ft 6-wt fly rod and a weight-forward,
sink-tip fly line. The sink-tip line ensures that the
flies are allowed to sink a few inches under the
surface. The flies are not weighted, so it is a real
advantage to use the sink-tip line.
I use a 9ft leader with a single dropper about 18
inches to two feet back from the point fly. On to
the dropper I tie a Gold-Headed Flashback
Pheasant Tail and on the point a north country
spider of choice. The nymph often acts as an
attractor, but the fish will take the spider 80 per
cent of the time.
John Agnew with
a beautiful River
Nire trout taken
using a Partridge
and Yellow.
Type Of Water To Be Fished
I like to fish spiders in fast streamy water. The
flies will have more movement in the current and
look more like insects. Fishing in very slow water
is difficult, but it does work, provided there is at
least a moderate flow.
Setting The Hook
As you are fishing downstream there is no need
to set the hook, fish will usually hook themselves
if the line is taut. Setting the hook and lifting the
rod results in a lot of lost fish!
Fishing spider
patterns
upstream is a
skill well worth
mastering.
Andrew Ryan’s Favourite Spider Patterns
William’s Favourite
Black Magic
Snipe And Purple
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Black Pearsall’s Gossamer
Rib: Fine silver wire
Hackle: Black hen
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Black
Thorax: Peacock herl wound over a
ball of wound wire
Hackle: Short-fibred black hen
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Purple
Hackle: Upper wing cover of snipe
34 Irish angler
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Fly line
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Braided loop
Spider 2
Dry fly
Spider 1
Fluorocarbon droppers tied on
more or less 18 inches apart
Leader for Upstream Spider Fishing
Leader for Downstream Spider Fishing
Sink-tip
fly line
Braided loop
Spider 2
Fluorocarbon droppers tied on
more or less 18 inches apart
Nymph
Upstream
There are several schools of
thought on how to fish north
country spiders upstream.
Purists prefer to fish three spiders on a
fairly short line, retrieving slightly quicker
than the speed of the current. When the
fish takes, it is often hard to see, and I
would advise this technique for
experienced anglers.
Those who are not so experienced
should try using a large dry fly on the top
dropper along with two spiders. The dry
fly will act as an indicator and help to
2
identify takes lower down. This ensures
that you miss less fish. It is not the
textbook way of fishing spiders, but it is
very effective.
Equipment
Again, I use the 9ft 6-wt rod but this
time it’s coupled with a weight-forward
floating line, and on this I use a 9ft leader
with two droppers. On the top dropper I tie
a large dry fly, such as an Elk Hair Caddis,
Muddler or Humpy. On the bottom
dropper and the point I tie two different
spider patterns.
➜
This angler is using a sink-tip line to
present a team of spiders downstream.
Irish angler 07
35
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Game Fishing
More Of Andrew Ryan’s Favourite Spider Patterns
Light Snipe and Yellow
Waterhen Bloa
Yellow Partridge
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Yellow
Hackle: Snipe underwing
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Primrose thread, waxed and lightly
dubbed with mole fur
Hackle: Waterhen underwing
Hook: TMC or other fine-wired hook –
sizes 14/16
Silk: Yellow Pearsall’s Gossamer
Hackle: Grey speckled feather (without
a brownish tinge) from the back of a
grey partridge (English)
Type Of Water
Slow-moving or moderately paced water is most
suited to this technique, as you will be able to see
the fish breaking the surface to take your flies.
Fishing this style in water that is too fast will mean
that you will miss a lot of takes.
I also like to use spiders for rising fish. They
work exceptionally well just before a hatch on
summer evenings. Trout are often feeding on the
emerging insect and have not yet moved onto the
adult fly. This can be great sport, as your evening
fishing can start much earlier, and you are not just
depending on having everything right for the last
hour or 30 minutes of manic dry-fly fishing.
Flies
The flies themselves are very easy to tie. Their
inception was very simple and innovative. The flies
should be slim and lightly dressed. Often, anglers
tend to overdress them, making the flies very bulky
and losing their ability to imitate the natural insect.
The feathers used on the flies are very specific, so
I would advise looking up the exact location of the
feathers somewhere online, such as www.sexyloops.
com/flytying/northcountrywets1.shtml. This is a
traditional style of fishing, but is still very successful
on rivers today. I rate it very highly, because, on his
day, an angler experienced with spider patterns can
often outfish any other angler on the river.
Even shallow
sections of river
can be searched
effectively with a
light set-up.
36 Irish angler
To the victor
the spoils
spoils.