LISTER

[Traditionalist]

Sylvester Lister moved to a small farm next to Barden Tower on the Bolton Abbey Estate in 1854. The river Wharfe is only a short way away at this point.Lister is regarded by many as the founding father of the Wharfedale fly-fishers and was a founder of the Appletreewick, Barden and Burnsall Angling Club in 1873.

He worked as a farmer and combined this with river keeping on the estate, and he is buried in the graveyard in front of Bolton Priory just a few yards from his beloved river. The "members only" beat at Barden is known to have been Lister's favourite beat on the river.

Edmonds who was also an advocate of the upstream method of fishing the North Country patterns lived near Bolton Abbey and regularly fished the estate waters at the time when Sylvester Lister was a river keeper. Many of the patterns in Brook and River Trouting closely resemble Lister's North Country Spiders.

These are Lister´s dressings;  ( I dressed the flies shown.MC)


1. Winter Brown  



HOOK - Size 14.
HACKLE - Light mottled feather from under a Woodcock's wing.
BODY - Brownish body well waxed.

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Comes on early in February. Kills well until the end of March.



2. Dark Bloa (Waterhen Bloa, or Blue Dun) ( I did not put a magpie head on this fly.MC)



HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Feather from under Waterhen wing as season advances, feather from Woodhawk's back.

BODY - Purple silk well waxed,

HEAD - Magpie's herl.

Remarks - Appears end of February. Kills well until April 10th, as season advances it becomes lighter.



3. Spring Black            



BODY  Waxed purple silk ribbed with magpie tail herl

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Bullfinch's wing,

Remarks - A very small black fly, appears latter end of March and kills well at times.



4. Freckled Dun (Moorgame and Orange)

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Well freckled feather from the back of hen grouse,

BODY - Orange silk,

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Appears about March 1st. Kills well all through the season in heavy brown waters.



5. March Brown or Drake

HOOK - Size 12,

HACKLE - Reddish speckled feather from a Partridge tail or outside Woodcock wing.

BODY - Orange and yellow silk twisted and dubbed with reddish fur from Fox's ear or Rabbit's neck.

Remarks - Appears about April 1st. Good killer until beginning of May.



6. Red Spinner

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Feather from under a Starlings wing, very light.

BODY - Orange silk ribbed with fine gold wire.



7. Olive Bloa

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Feather from Green Plover's rump,

BODY - Yellowish; same fly as No 2 but dressed lighter as the season advances.

HEAD - Brown silk,

Remarks - Good all through the season, good as a point fly.



8. Orange Partridge

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Brownish speckled feather from back of Partridge.

BODY - Orange silk, well waxed,

HEAD - Magpie herl.

Remarks - A good fly all season through.



9. Cowdung Fly "Lion Fly"

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Feather from quill of a Landrail.

BODY - Yellow dubbed with yellow and brown worsted.

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Well taken on windy days in April.



10. Poult Bloa

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Light silky feather from under a young grouse wing.

BODY - Yellow silk,

Remarks - Good general bloa all season through.



11. Grey Midge

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Freckled feather from a snipe rump,

BODY - Yellow silk, with a little fur from a water rat spun on,

HEAD - Magpie herl.

Remarks - Comes on about the middle of April, often of an evening.



12. Dark Spanish Needle

HOOK - Size 15,

HACKLE - Feather from a sandpiper's back or swift's underwing, or from the outside of brown owl wing.

BODY - Dark purple or copper coloured,

HEAD - Magpie herl.

Remarks - Capital standard fly all through the season, "best on bright days"



13. Light Spanish Needle

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Feather from under snipe's wing or under starling's wing,

BODY - Orange silk,

HEAD - Magpie herl,

Remarks Capital standard fly all season through.



14. Snipe Bloa or Snipe & Yellow

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Small darkish feather from under a snipe's wing,

BODY - Yellow silk,

Remarks - Appears about April 1st good on wild wet days with Dark Watchett.



15. Green Tail

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE -Feather from woodcock's wing,

BODY - Ash coloured with 2 or 3 turns of green silk at tail,

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Taken best on cold days in April.



16. Alder Fly "Orl" or Hunchback

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Feather from outside brown owl's wing,

BODY - Orange with brown peacock herl, ribbed with fine gold wire,

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Good from middle May to end of season.



17. Dark Snipe (Snipe & Purple)

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Speckled feather from outside of a snipe's wing,

BODY - Purple,

HEAD - Peacock herl,

Remarks - Appears about April 1st. A good general fly.



18. Blue Partridge "Gravel Bed Spider"

HOOK - Size 15,

HACKLE - Speckled feather (blueish) from partridge back or silver pheasant,

BODY - Light blue covered with heron's herl,

HEAD - Magpie herl.

Remarks - Comes on early in May, often kills well on bright days to end of July.



19. Light Bloa

HOOK - Size 15,

HACKLE - Feather from outside of Dotterel's wing,

BODY - Yellow,

HEAD - Yellow silk.

Remarks - Well taken middle of May to end of September.



20. Tree Fly or Green Bank

HOOK - Size 17,

HACKLE - Feather from golden plover's back, or green linnet's body

BODY - Yellow silk with a touch of green worsted,

Remarks - This is a very small fly. It often blows off plane trees (Sycamores), fish take it very readily.



21. Dark Watchett (Iron Blue Dun)

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Feather from back of merlin hawk,

BODY - Orange and purple silk twisted with a little mole's fur,

HEAD - Orange silk.

Remarks - A very small fly but a favourite on cold blustery days.



22. Light Watchett

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Feather from outside sea swallow's wing,

BODY - Straw coloured and gold tinsel.

Remarks - Same time as Dark Watchett , often taken better.



23. Yellow Partridge

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Fine speckled feather from back of partridge,

BODY - Yellow sometimes ribbed with gold wire,

Remarks -Large ephemera early in May. Capital throughout season. Well taken when Dark Watchet is on.



24.Stone Midge

HOOK - Size 16,

HACKLE - Feather from green plover's neck,

BODY - Light blues silk, bodied with dark heron's herl,

HEAD - Magpie herl.

Remarks - Beginning of May, used all season. An excellent fly, about same shap as housefly but smaller.



25. Yellow Legs

HOOK -Light feather from neck of a Norwegian crow (hooded crow), or inside of jay's wing or dotterel,

BODY - Yellow silk with gold tinselled body

Remarks - Sometimes well taken May or June.



26. Light Partridge

HOOK - Size 14,

HACKLE - Light freckled feather from partridge's back

BODY - Straw coloured silk with gold tinsel,

HEAD - Gold tinsel.



27. Knotted Midge

HOOK - Size 15,

HACKLE - Bronze feather from shoulder of starling,

BODY - Peacock's herl,

HEAD - Purple silk, peacock herl.

Remarks - Well taken on sunny days, especially in woody places. Appears about the same time as swifts



28. White Starling

HOOK - Size 15,

HACKLE -Feather from under green plover's wing,

BODY -Straw coloured silk,

HEAD - Magpie herl,

Remarks - Comes on about June. Kills well at times.



29. Green Drake

HOOK - Size 12,

HACKLE - Mottled feather from mallard, dyed olive, or green from woodpecker,

BODY - Yellow and green silk twisted,

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Comes on at the end of May or early June. Well taken in big waters.



30. Grey Drake

HOOK - Size 12,

HACKLE - Feather from partridge tail,

BODY - Orange and yellow silk twisted,

HEAD - Peacock herl.

Remarks - Comes on about the end of May or early June.


More info;
http://www.fishingwithstyle.co.uk/yorkhsire%20post.htm

As far as I am aware the above information about Lister has not to date been available on the web.

TL
MC