Yorkshire spider spins a world wide web

Books dating back to the mid-1800s have been reprinted, and there are more experts on the subject than ever before. A favourite adopted (I stress adopted) Yorkshireman, Mike Harding, has published a new book dedicated to spiders and at first I thought, "Oh no not another book". But Mike, as an author, broadcaster and comedian comes across in an amusing and yet informative way.

This last Christmas, instead of my stocking, I put my waders out. Santa chose to ignore those and I found that he had left a little new publication giving descriptions and details of the flies used around 1807 by John Swarbrick.

John was a farmer who lived in Austby, near Ilkley, just a few hundred yards from the River Wharfe, and his manuscript is believed to be one of the earliest known lists of artificial flies for the Wharfe. The book takes some reading because of its size – about two inches by two inches – but it is a brilliant window into the past.

As Roger said back in 2005 many of the spider-type flies were devised in the Yorkshire Dales by Yorkshire Dales folk. They used feathers from birds that were abundant at that time and were often used for food, hence the feathers were a by-product. The threads they used probably came from their wives' sewing boxes. Typical Yorkshire folk eh! Waste not – want not.

Our streams and rivers in Yorkshire have stony bottoms and are fast flowing, falling comparatively steeply out of the hills and into lowland areas. The high moorland in which they originate is, or was, generally sheep country, with few inhabitants.

Fishing fast water like this requires special attention. The traditional outfit is a long rod – 9ft 6in or more, throwing a short length of line. The angler casts the fly, or flies, upstream (or up and across) and watches them, staying in touch by raising the rod tip and sometimes by retrieving line with the other hand. When a fish takes, there is often no more sign than a slight straightening of the line, but now and then there is a heart-stopping splash as a big trout moves in for the kill.

Most of the fly fishing and tying instructors born and bred in Yorkshire give lessons in tying and fishing the spiders in the traditional way. To cap it, we now have an Aussie instructor who I am sure thinks he invented them (sorry for that Phil). The enthusiasm is there for all to enjoy.

For February, John Swarbrick wrote: "Abought The 26 of Feby you May Begin Flie Fishing. Make the Winter Brown it is Made From underneath The Wood Cock wing one of the Large Feathers wich Covers the quill Feathers you Must Make This a Hackle Flie you must Make the Bodey with Red silk and a little peacock Harl in the Head."

So with all this in mind, taking into consideration the long history of the North Country Wet Fly and bearing in mind that the spiders were developed and tied in the Dales, I think it about time that we pooled all we have and set up some form of centrepiece in a local museum to save all the valuable old flies, fly wallets, manuscripts and books

from disappearing into green bins, discarded by unknowing relatives after we have gone.

Fly tied by Stephen Cheetham. 0113 250 7244. www.fishing withstyle.co.uk