DRY FLY ON THE YORKSHIRE BECKS
by
Pat Regan
Being a total dry fly addict, most of my previous trout fishing has been undertaken as near to
home as possible. As home is in Southport Merseyside, this meant that the Lancashire
Rivers, most especially the Hodder and Lune, have been my personal angling magnet for the
past twenty or so seasons.
We all need to progress and my urge to, like the Salmon, move upstream finally got the better
of me. Curiosity frequently gets its deadly talons into our quarry via a well presented fly. The
very same inquisitive wonderment often drives an angler upriver and I was naturally no
exception to this time-honoured, golden rule.
I wanted To know what came next after the Lune split off East towards Burton-in -Lonsdale to
become the River Greta. I just had to find out first hand what lay above Ingleton where the
Greta itself divided, like a large letter 'Y', to become those beautiful Yorkshire limestone becks,
the Rivers Twiss and Doe.
What secrets would I discover in the higher reaches of these lovely streams, where great
waterfalls spilled into deep dark mysterious gorges cut cruelly into ancient, lichen-encrusted
rock?
I knew that these rivers were extremely ancient places. On one on the Greta's rocky pools I
had previously discovered a 'Caninia' which is a fossilised coral from the Ordovician/Permian
era. This little find is possibly over 500 million years old which really makes you think about the
vast age of these upland streams,
After three exciting seasons of exploring these marvellous waters I can share the following
morsels with those fidgety souls who, like myself, love roving after ultra wild trout in even wilder
locations.
The single most essential ability is walking when fishing these rough streams with a dry fly.
Much of the fast, shallow pocket water, which may occasionally produce a brace to the wet fly,
can be hard work on a dry. Nevertheless, fine sport can be had if if you are lucky enough to
detect risers in these quicker runs. On most occasions though I find that it's better to seek out
the somewhat slower glides at the neck, run-off and centre of deeper pools. The first clumsy
footstep will see trout rushing for the safety of deeper water, ergo big fish often like to have the
safe assurance offered by these shady situations.
After seeing a rising trout, one needs to get into position to make the cast. Being slightly down
stream of your target fish is not always possible on rough streams as overhanging trees often
dictate the way which you present the fly. When faced with the awkward trout that rises only
about once every five minutes then I usually plonk myself down on the bank and, if it appears
to be a big fish, wait it out.
Constant impatient casting at a fussy riser is both tiring and pointless. By wisely studying its
rise pattern, deciphering the diet which is causing it to be on the fin then waiting for the right
moment, success is frequently at hand.
If a good hatch is underway then naturally you can afford to tempt your riser with several well
placed casts. If he is busy, greedily feeding, then chances are that you won't spook him. This
latter point is especially true when trout are tucking into duns or spinners in rapid flows. Herein
they are given little time to either take or reject one's feathery offering due to the speed of the current.
With experience, one intimately becomes accustomed to knowing just where and when a pool
will produce good sport. Water levels and general temperature too are crucial to success or
failure. In summer, I find the best days are had on the Yorkshire becks when the sky is
overcast with light to no wind. Hot days merely drive the big 'uns into the deeper pools,
although a nicely presented terrestrial dressing will occasionally tempt one out if he's resting
under the shade of an old oak or alder.
As to water level, well to be honest these spate streams fish very well indeed, even when its
hot so long as one has a good head of water. I get extremely excited when I arrive at the
water's edge to discover that the previous night's downpour has forced a couple of foot of
floodwater into the stream. Forget the lush Southern Chalk stream, this is a different ball-game!
Northern becks soon jettison any excess spate water so before long the trout, that have been
lying out of the main torrent, will be eager to get to grips with virtually any imitation that dares to
invalidate their field of view.
Fish can of course be highly selective at the best of times on these becks, however, during the
warm months any half decent B.W.O./Rough Olive dressing, tied on a number 14-18 light wire
hook will usually suffice. Add to this a selection of terrestrials, something to ape the Pale
Watery on a 18-22 hook, Sedges and an assortment of spinner patterns for late afternoon and
you're in at the sharp end of business!
Occasionally a really fussy riser can be coaxed with a fancy Grayling fly such as the Witch or
a Red Tag. Previous experience on the Hodder and Lune taught me that Sea Trout also like a
bit of Red incorporated into the pattern. I have taken many good sized 'silver bullets' even in
very low water during the day with these two old time imitations. A fresh-run 3lb+ Sea Trout
on lightweight 6' midge rod with 2 lb leader is a thrilling experience to behold for sure!
Without doubt though, floods certainly give trout a lusty appetite as my best sessions have
most always been had after these events on Yorkshire/Lancashire rivers.
When it comes to fishing under large waterfalls like Thornton Force above Ingleton, the angler
can virtually adopt stillwater tactics on occasion. Here the Browns frequently cruise, sipping
spinners and duns, along the margins away from the main spill impact of the waterfall.
Thornton Force is some sixty odd feet high and the shock of all that thunderous water coming
over from the higher flat rocks is immense. Nevertheless, browns do feed in this awesome
swell.
Even when the water level is low in high summer the spray from this magnificent waterfall
quite takes your breath away. It's as if the old Celtic Gods of the place themselves were
blowing natural liquid life energy into your face and very exhilarating indeed it is too! The
whole place has a strange aura of sheer power that is reflected in the beautiful sporting fish
dwelling therein.
Although viewing one's dry fly certainly isn't easy in such a choppy swell, the need to cast far is
not vital to success. The main requisite is that your fly must float high and dry. If it doesn't
then you simply don't see takes until it's just too late. Therefore a good supply of Gink is
necessary.
You also need to be very sure-footed as it's quite easy to do a 'whoopsie-do' and slip badly
around these waterfalls. A signpost at the top of Thornton Force reminds walkers that there
have been fatalities at this location. Depths can be deceiving too and what appears to be a
safe place to cross the beck may suddenly drop into a dangerous watery abyss. You have
been warned!
The wild fighting trout of these falls hit the fly very fast and you're often not granted a second
chance to make contact so at all time keep your eye on the job!
As to equipment? I find that I get more takes by using lightweight gear. My 6' 1" home-made
Midge rod with number 3 DT floater and 2-3lb 'double strength' tippet have served me
adequately for years. This trusty little outfit is great for pitching a dry under overhanging
branches or betwixt awkward rocks on the waterfall becks where longer rods are just a liability.
Nothing is worse than trying to deftly flick a dry to a fast rising fish with one of those great big
slow 9' so-called river trout rods! Why any serious angler should adopt such a cumbersome
monstrosity for a limestone beck is beyond my comprehension! Maybe it's got more to do with
machismo (mine's bigger than yours!) than the sporting desire to catch crafty fish on tiny
streams!
Although I've personally had numerous trout over 2 lb on the larger River Lune, my best
Yorkshire beck brownie yet has been from the lovely River Twiss.
I'd promised to take my young son Kyle up to this beck and on arrival we were greeted with
hatches of both Medium Olives along with sparse showings of Blue Winged Olives. There
was fortunately about a foot of slightly coloured water in the river which brought a smile to my
face.
On the third cast at a rising fish the fly was sucked under. Soon he was in the creel, a nice one
for eating at just over a pound in weight. For a short spell, good trout seemed to rise all over
the place. Anxious Wagtails and Dippers attacked each and every dun that drifted by while
Swallows and Martens skilfully mounted spectacular aerial dives, like little blue Spitfires
strafing an enemy convoy!
We walked a few hundred yards upstream after landing two more trout. The afternoon wore on
and sport calmed down. A nice twisting run, treeless on my side yet well branched with
overhanging alders on the opposite side, looked promising. Sure enough, I soon spotted what
appeared to be a decent fish rising quietly just behind a dangling bough some ten yards above
me.
With head bowed, I carefully flicked my pattern in front of his nose. I cursed as drag instantly
set in. With the next attempt I snaked out extra loose line to combat the rippled current. The
take came slow, not like one attempted by those feisty rough half-pounders. This was
different and altogether heavier. Kyle had previously netted the other fish for me and was
eager to have a go at this one too. However I refused his kind offer, knowing that I'd be bad
company if he fluffed landing this bigger specimen. I couldn't put much pressure on the trout as
I was, as usual, fishing with a light leader.
Beautiful golden flanks shot through with deep red spots appeared vital yards from my out
stretched ABU flip-net. However, on seeing this object the fish had other ideas and deftly shot
out into the middle of the run once again. Several minutes later an old man appeared as if by
magic behind us. "Looks like a good fish lad!" he grunted. "Yeah, and it's taken some gettin' in"
I replied, quickly glancing at the chap whilst keeping my main attention on the job at hand.
As I finally slid the trout over my waiting net, my little audience looked on in appreciation. Two
full pounds of wild Yorkshire trout lay glistening on the damp grass. In these days of intensively
reared stillwater leviathans this may not seem such a big fish. However that afternoon in the
warm August sunshine, it was a giant fit for a king!
The old gent was suitably impressed. "A've lived up 'ere over forty year and it's biggest trout
out o' this watter a've ever sin! Be reat tasty we a plate o' chips!" he exclaimed with a wry
Yorkshire grin as he walked off up the riverbank.
We never found out who he was and never saw him again. Who knows? Maybe he was an
ancient angling ghost sent to bring us good luck. Looking back over my past fishing records,
it's odd how often a stranger heralds a change of fortune when fishing. A quiet word is had with
a lone traveller then wallop!, your rod arches over as a fish struggles to get free. Funny old
lark this fishing is for sure!
I had six nice fish that memorable afternoon and since then Kyle has got the bug and caught his
first two Yorkshire brownies on dry fly. And what has Dad had to make him for Yuletide? You
guessed it! A nice little dry fly rod which is 5«' long. To be honest I'm rather jealous of this
nice piece of equipment and so is my pal Victor who kindly supplied the blanks.
Its tiny dimensions will make it so handy for flicking a BWO under branches. Come to think
about it, Kyle will be able to reach trout where my 6' 1'' midge rod will be, like those 'orrible
poker-like river rods, just too clumsy and large!
Now, for those adventurous souls who wish to know what sort of dressings do the trick on the
often bleak limestone becks, the following special creations (by me) should be observed.
INGLETON DUN
HOOK: 14-18 light wire.
SILK: Grey/Olive, fine waxed.
TAIL: 3 whisks of Grey Cock.
BODY: Grey Silk.
WING: Starling (split & advanced.)
HACKLE: (2) Ginger and Cream Cock twisted through each other.
THE DOE DUN
HOOK: 16-18 fine wire, up eyed.
SILK: Olive.
TAIL: Blue Dun Cock, 3 fibres.
BODY: Fine black silk.
HACKLE: Olive Cock.
WING: Starling, split and advanced.
WHITE & GINGER YORKSHIRE SPIDER
HOOK: 18-16 up eyed fine wire.
SILK: Olive waxed.
BODY: Medium Olive SLF dubbed.
HACKLE: Ginger and White Cock twisted through each other
USEFUL ADDRESSES AND PLACES TO FISH
INGLETON ANGLING ASSOCIATION
Secretary, Ian Crack,
57 Burnmoor Crescent,
Ingleton, Carnforth,
LA6 3BS
Season Permits: Adult £37.50 Junior £20.00
Tickets for IAA waters day, week etc. can also be obtained from Denbigh's newsagents
in the village of Ingleton.
Ingleton A.A. have around seven miles of the Rivers Doe, Twiss and Greta which amounts to a great variety of differing runs and pools to thrill the heart of any fly fishing fanatic.
The secretary, Mr Crack, has been campaigning for some time now to restore the rivers Twiss and Doe to their rightful names. On modern maps one will see that the Doe is the 'Eastern' stream. This is incorrect and seems to be due to some error with the map compilers several years ago.
The Doe is in fact the 'Western' stream which runs through Thornton Force with the Twiss being the Eastern river running past the famous White Scar Caves!
Both rivers hold big trout but the Western stream proves harder to fish because if is somewhat more barren, making specimens rather difficult to approach in the higher reaches!
The Greta is a lot wider than the two smaller rivers above Ingleton.
In this book the rivers are located by their 'original' names which is in contrast to the erroneous modern descriptions. It is important to bear this point in mind to prevent any confusion.
Another club holding a few miles on waters 'above' the Ingleton region is Mitre Angling Club. Contact Mr R.D. Halstead, Secretary, 32 Parrock Road, Barrowford, Nelson, Lancs, BB9 6QF.