North Country spider article

[daringduffer]

This is a typical British 'robust discussion'. Don't worry about the noise, just read the fine print. The end result just might add to our knowledge...


dd

[Anherd]

PS. When I buy Andrew a coffee at the BFFI I will put him right on when the number of hackle turns comes from. It certainly isn’t Mr Fogg!

I'll tell you what Rob, if you buy me a coffee at the Fly Fair, then I will be glad to drink it with you. We might differ on a few things, but if everyone always wrote exactly the same thing, then there wouldn't be much to read about. So come over to the Medlar stand!

[Anherd]

Perhaps he is the Skues to your Halford.... ?

Curiously, Skues and Halford got on pretty well for most of their lives. They had no choice, because they both served on the committee of the Flyfishers' Club, so they saw a lot of each other. It was only after Halford died in 1913 that Skues started having a go at him

[Anherd]

I will do Andrew, there may be a strange baked almond taste to your coffee, but just ignore that!
I am giving a PowerPoint on both days about North Country/Wharfedale Flies feel free to take a seat and grumble. I am also bringing down a small collection of items relating to the history of the patterns, you are free to have a rummage through them over a glass of wine in the evening if you are staying in the vicinity.
You may want to alter your previous post about Pritt founding a private syndicate at West Tanfield, as it was in fact Walbran who founded the club not Pritt
http://www.tanfieldac.co.uk/history/

If ever you want a few bits relating to the flies and such send me an email to rob@northcountryflies.com and I will with pleasure send you whatever I can.
Rob

Too right, it was Walbran—that was finger trouble. And don't worry, I'm not going to come and barrack you from the back at the BFFI!

[Anherd]

The difference between this and a robust discussion, is the inherent malice of Mr Herd which is fuelled by an unseen hand. I am fully aware of this and will say no more on the matter.
Except that Johno owns Mr Herd some money for a lost bet

It is not malice, Rob—we have never met, so how could it be?

If you publish stuff, then you have to live with other views. That's why I always footnote anything contentious in books, so readers can check it and make their own minds up.

[Anherd]

Curious that Skues took aim at Halford in the Fishing Gazette rather than The Field in which Halford wrote.

Skues had a go at Halford in The Field in 1904, just testing the boundaries, I guess. Then he had a real crack at him in The Field in 1911, but Halford died in 1913. So Skues did take aim at Halford on his home territory.

[Anherd]

http://www.fishingmuseum.org.uk/origins.html

Is it safe to assume that all the medieval anglers were bait fishermen, and that no anglers used the fly. Strange that these illustrations are in religious buildings given Mr Herd's view that they merely netted carp ponds. It is also strange that archaeological research at Bolton Abbey beside the River Wharfe shows zero evidence of the existence of fish ponds. Ponds that were once fought to be fish ponds have actually turned out to be Tanning Pits. Replicate a percentage of these findings across a small proportion of monastic buildings, and Mr Herd's statement about them not taking the opportunity to fish their local waters starts to crumble.

http://www.fishingbookreviews.co.uk/bul ... ermen.html

The question here is whether there is proof that medieval monks in Britain were fly fishermen, isn't it, Rob? If we can't prove that monks fished a fly, then we can't prove that they were involved in taking care of the North Country fly fishing tradition, and you still need to persuade me that a. the Romans fished a fly, and b. that they sent flies to Britain, and c. that they made their way to monasteries (why not everywhere else), so no trying to wriggle on this particular hook!

[Anherd]

I'm a blunt Yorkshireman, barracking has never stopped my from putting forth my point of view. Much to many's cost

From where I sit, Yorkshire's in the south of England. You are very nearly a Londoner, mate

[Anherd]

The question here is whether there is proof that medieval monks in Britain were fly fishermen, isn't it, Rob? If we can't prove that monks fished a fly, then we can't prove that they were involved in taking care of the North Country fly fishing tradition, and you still need to persuade me that a. the Romans fished a fly, and b. that they sent flies to Britain, and c. that they made their way to monasteries (why not everywhere else), so no trying to wriggle on this particular hook!
[/quote]

But there we have the leap of faith that I am prepared to take and you are not.
[/quote]

Which is perfectly fine, Rob. But it is a leap of faith. All I have said is that there is no proof for it, which isn't because of any hidden hand guiding me (scary or what?), and isn't hubris. And if you make a leap of faith, then you have to allow other folk to either leap the other way, or to point out that you have leaped.

[Anherd]

Anything south of Sheffield is technically France !

You are completely wrong there, Rob, anywhere south of Sheffield is Greece. Get out your atlas mate