A guide to north country flies and how to tie them - Mike Harding

As a keen fly-fisherman and columnist for Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine, Radio 2 DJ and comedian Mike Harding lays out his considerable expertise on one of the most well-loved and beguiling traditions of fly: the Northern Spider.

These designs of fly, conceived in the north of England around Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales, are renowned for being both simple to tie and excellent for catching fish. They are characterised by using brightly coloured silk threads and the feathers of birds like snipe, woodcock and pheasant techniques employed by fly-fishermen around the world: from northern England and the lochs of Connemara to the freestone rivers of the Appalachians in the US.

Mike Harding covers some 140 variants of fly, from traditional designs to his own unique variations like the Ribble Rouser'. The guide is rounded off with the techniques of tying and an introduction to the history of the North Country tradition. The book features his own superb close-focus photography and is laid out in a convenient wiro-bound style.