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Spring Fishing (Part Two): Spring and Summer Fly Fishing for Trout on Rivers in Northumberland & County Durham

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RiverWansbeckat Morpeth2Trout Fishing on Rivers in The Northumbrian Region

Fly Fishing on North East Rivers:

The season for trout fishing in the Northumbrian Region begins again on March 22nd, and not a moment too soon after those long months of winter! However, that longing to just get out there and start fly fishing in earnest has more often than not to be put on hold, as, sadly, the inclement weather can last right through March and on into April. For this we can blame our close proximity to the still freezing cold North Sea and rivers throughout the region will usually bear more resemblance to those observed by the winter grayling angler than any of the rapidly recovering streams further south.

Even if we do get an ‘early spring’, the water in the rivers will still remain stone cold until the strengthening spring sun had been on the hills for a few weeks longer. Because the temperature of the water will usually take several weeks to rise, the first problem the trout angler will encounter in March and early April will be the near complete – or absolute – absence of any insect life above the surface of the river. As a direct consequence, the conclusion many a spring angler will draw is the absence of any trout – those same ones that so readily give their presence away with characteristic dimpled or splashy surface rises later in the season. However, this is rarely the case, and besides the worming tactics outlined the companion trout fishing article to this, there are a number of fly fishing techniques the angler can employ while the fish are still stationed deeper in the stream.

Fishing nymphs low in the water will be the best bet in the early weeks, with Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail Nymph patterns old favourites in these parts; but as temperatures rise, olive hatches will increase and the trout will head for the surface. By that time, dry fly fishing will have come into its own, with Dark Olives and Iron Blue Duns the first  types to appear. Look out, also, for Grannom, an early sedge that will be seen on many rivers from early April. Hatches from then on throughout the season are summarised here (source The Derwent Angling Association). All that’s needed then is the right tackle. For the smaller rivers in the area, a 7-8 ft fly rod taking a #3/4 AFTM fly line will suffice, for medium-sized rivers an 8½-9ft rod and a #5/6 line is sufficient, while for the Tyne and the Tees, a 9½-10ft rod and #7/8 line may well be required.

Listed below are most of the beats available to the river trout angler in the region, with information on all the main trout rivers found in Northumberland and Durham.

Northumbrian Trout Rivers map2

Trout Fishing Rivers in the Region (from North to South): Fishing Locations on the Trout Rivers of Northumberland and Durham

River Aln: A small river that runs through Alnwick and on to the sea at Alnmouth in north Northumberland. Regarded primarily as a sea trout and salmon river, it is nonetheless of interest for brown trout as well. Fishing is available on five miles of banks downstream of Alnwick through the Aln Angling Association (1 – see map). Permits can be obtained through Hardy & Greys Ltd, Willowburn, Alnwick, tel:01665 510027, or Jobson’s of Alnwick, , Tower Showrooms, tel:01665 602135.

River Coquet: An excellent medium-sized game fishing river famous for salmon and sea trout but also an excellent brown trout water as well. The Northumbrian Anglers Federation have three stretches available to trout anglers, 2a, 2b &2c on the map, with inexpensive season permits available to fish for brown trout only, if you don’t want to fork out extra for salmon and sea trout. The beats in question are a short stretch at Harbottle in the upper reaches, a five mile mostly uninterrupted stretch between Rothbury and Pauperhaugh, and three miles immediately downstream of Felton. The NAF website is here with all the ticket information and contact details.

River Wansbeck: A small to medium-sized river, the Wansbeck is a trout stream, with no coarse species present and negligible numbers of sea trout or salmon running it. The Wansbeck Angling Association (3) have a mile and a half of single bank water upstream of Morpeth and five miles downstream running through the hamlet of Bothal and on beyond to the tidal limits at Sheepwash. WAA permits and day tickets can be bought from Game Fishing Supplies, 3 Fawcetts Yard, Morpeth (opposite the new bus station), tel:01670 510996, and McDermott’s Fishing Tackle, 112 Station Road, Ashington, tel 01670 812214. There is also a mile of ‘free water’ in the centre of Morpeth -see The Credit Crunch List and Spring Fishing Part One. In recent years, this river has turned up an 8½lb brown trout. See also the detailed description of Scots Gill, further down the article.

River Blyth: Slightly smaller than the Wansbeck, and only a few miles further south, the Blyth, too, lacks any significant run of migratory fish but is an excellent trout stream with grayling and a scattering of coarse fish also present. Several miles of fishing on this river, from the A1 bridge near Stannington down as far as Bedlington, is controlled by the Bedlington & Blagdon Angling Association (4) .

River Tyne: The main River Tyne is extremely large by comparison with all the other rivers in the area, with the exception of the Tees. It is widely regarded as the best salmon fishing river in England and, as such, several of its finest beats are preserved exclusively for this type of fishing. There are still some places you can fly fish for brown trout, however, and around Wylam, there are several such stretches – firstly the river close to the village itself which is controlled by the Wylam Angling Club (5), for whom information and day tickets are available from the Spar shop in the village or by phoning 01661 852214. The Northumbrian Anglers Federation (6) controls two sections of the Tyne near Wylam and Ovington – details as for the Coquet. Upstream at Hexham, the Tyne Green beat (7) is controlled by the local council and day and season permits are available from the Hexham Tourist Information Centre, Wentworth Car Park, Hexham, tel:01434  652220. Around a mile long, this stretch is more suited to fly fishing in its upper reaches.

The Tyne Angling Passport is a scheme run by the Tyne Rivers Trust which gives access to a number of fishing beats in the Tyne catchment, including some of those listed here, through the purchase of tokens from the trust. Full details of the passport can be found here. The Tyne has very many tributaries, some of them important rivers in their own right.

The River South Tyne has two beats open to trout fishing, at Haltwhistle and near its headwaters at Alston in Cumbria. Tickets for the Haltwhistle Angling Club’s six miles of river fishing (8) can be obtained from Gregg’s Sports, Main Street, in the town, tel:01434 321297. Permits for the Alston & District Angling Club’s stretch of the river (9) between Alston and Langley Viaduct can be bought from Alston Post Office and Tourist Office.

On the River North Tyne, trout fishing is less accessible, with only a stretch about four miles from Bellingham (10) bookable in advance on 01434 240239. On its tributary, the smaller River Rede, the situation is similar, with fishing on the Otterburn Tower Hotel’s beat (11) available at a special rate to residents.

The River East Allen (not marked on the map) is a tributary of the South Tyne which flows through the Pennine foothills a few miles south west of Hexham. A brand new angling club was set up there in 2011 to control several beats on this delightful trout stream. Allen Valley Angling & Conservation is based in Allendale offers full membership, as well as day and weekly tickets.To find Allendale, from Hexham, leave the A69 just before Haydon Bridge and follow the A686 for about three miles past Langley Castle. Bear left near the Langley Dam commercial trout fishery and follow the B6295 on through Catton to Allendale

The River Derwent is the Tyne’s loweermost major tributary and it offers excellent fly fishing for trout (and grayling), controlled by the two clubs on the river. The Axwell Park & Derwent Valley Angling Association (12), has around eight miles of the river’s lower reaches (the last half mile is tidal) running from Lintzford, via Rowlands Gill down to Swalwell. Details here . The Derwent Angling Association (website here) controls much of the upper river, which is divided into several sections. There is a long continuum of water beginning immediately below the dam at Derwent Reservoir and stretching almost all the way down to Shotley Bridge (13b). This water is preserved as a wild trout fishery above Allensford, but suffers frequent invasions by escapee rainbow trout from the reservoir, some of which can run to several pounds! The DAA also controls several miles of the river downstream of the village of Ebchester (13a), a beat that continues almost all the way to the commencement of Axwell Park’s water. Both clubs issue both day and season permits. The Derwent is similar in size and character to the Blyth.

River Wear: Regarded by many as England’s premier sea trout river, the Wear is also an excellent brown trout fishery and in addition contains grayling and numerous coarse species in its lower reaches. Chester-le-Street Angling Club has several miles of the lower river (14), beginning near the tidal limits, between CLS and Washington, and continuing to a mile or two upstream of Chester, with day tickets available in certain areas. Information is on their website here . There is also a short section of the lower river available to fishing by day ticket and by season permit, at Finchale Abbey (15), situated between CLS and Durham City. The river here is streamy and well-suited to fly fishing, but the Abbey is popular with tourists at weekends and on bank holidays in the spring and summer, so it may be best to try a weekday! Finchale’s website is here. Also located between Chester-l-s and Durham is a stretch of the Wear belonging the Felling Fly Fishing Club (18), a local club that has water on several North East rivers. This section is located near Frankland Farm, just outside of Durham City, details on Felling’s website here. The main club in Durham itself is Durham City Angling Club, which controls or shares the rights to four beats in and around the city (16), totalling around five miles. The pick of the fly fishing is found at the excellent Shincliffe Hall stretch. DCAC don’t do day tickets, details about membership can be found here. By now we are into the middle reaches of what ranks as the region’s third largest river and Ferryhill Angling Club (17) controls several miles of water between Durham and the next major town on the Wear, Bishop Auckland, including Croxdale (shared with DCAC) and the adjacent Brock Bank, which are both excellent fly waters. Information about the club can be found here . Bishop Auckland is home to another River Wear-based angling club, named after the town itself. Bishop Auckland Angling Club controls some twenty miles of bank on the middle and upper reaches of the river (19), with information about how to join the club available here. There are also several other stretches of the upper Wear available to fly fishing, with the Upper Weardale Angling Association controlling six miles of fishing from Cowshill, in the upper dale, down to Westgate (21). Permits can be obtained from the Post Office in St. John’s Chapel or the Blue Bell Inn. Weardale Fly Fishers have four miles between Eastgate and Stanhope (20). Day tickets for this stretch can be bought from Stanhope Newsagents in Front Street, Stanhope. Last but not least, on the River Wear’s tributary the River Browney, the Malton and District Angling Club controls about two miles of the upper river near Lanchester (22).

River Tees: The second largest river in North East England, the Tees is essentially a river of two halves – in its upper and upper to-mid reaches, it is a game river, and on its mid-to-lower reaches it is a coarse river. The river offers excellent fly fishing for trout at several points in its upper course. Near Middleton-in Teesdale (23), Upper Teesdale Estates have a couple of miles of single bank fishing just to the west of the small market town. Permits are available from Raby Estate Office, High Force Waterfall Gift Shop and Raines Ironmongers in Middleton. Telephone 01833 640209 or email teesdaleestate@rabycastle.com for further details. Further downstream, there is fly fishing at Barnard Castle controlled by the Barnard Castle Angling Association (24). Permits can be obtained from Wilkinson’s Gun Shop, Castle Café and the Tourist Information Centre in the town, and just a few miles further down, the Bishop Auckland Angling Club has a stretch of the river above and below Egglestone Bridge (25). For details see entry 19 above. Similarly Ferryhill Angling Club controls around a mile of the river at Middleton One Row (26), near Darlington – see entry 17 for further details.

Featured Beat: River Wansbeck The Wansbeck at Scots Gill Scots Gill is the only section of the Wansbeck Angling Association’s water that is fly only for the entire season. It consists of about half a mile of classic trout fishing water, with the whole beat well featured. There are two short pools and two longer ones, with the uppermost reaching depths of around ten feet in places. All of these pools have their individual merits, but the uppermost reaches of the top one is arguably the best place to try for a bigger trout. Parking is in the public car park for ‘Scotch Gill Woods Nature Reserve’ (no charge), situated next to Morpeth Rugby Club. This is just before you get to the first bridge over the river on the B6343 Mitford Road, which itself is found by taking the road north out of Morpeth Town Centre and turning left towards Scots Gap. The beat is about a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre, following either Mitford Road, or the Lady’s Walk footpath and crossing over the bridge opposite the rugby club. From the car park, follow the footpath that goes down the hill towards the river and you’ll immediately come across the second pool on the beat (the first one being just upstream of the road bridge and a scramble down the high bank that’s topped by the car park’s access road!). A set of rapids ensues as the path heads upstream, crossing an area of boggy ground as it goes, with the third pool (which is a bit longer than the second) mainly comprising a slow-ish far bank run. At the top end of this pool, a very shallow glide separates it from the uppermost pool, which begins as the woodland to your right starts to become more dense

Map of Scots Gill

Scots Gill Map

The path moves a few yards away from the riverbank at this point, with access to the deeper parts of this pool by following the tracks that lead down to the river. If you continue on a hundred yards or so, however, the path moves back towards the river and you’ll see the point at which the main river and a mill race (now dry owing the collapse of the weir half a mile upstream!) converge as they break into the top of the uppermost pool. There is a shingle bank on the nearside and wading towards the deeper run hard in on the far bank is relatively straightforward. You can either head a few paces downstream, wading as deep as you can go and then work back, casting upstream at the deepening run at the head of the pool, or you can fish across and down, allowing a team of flies to swing across the dark water where the whole pool begins to deepen. Tickets: Wansbeck Angling Association Membership or Day Tickets from Game Fishing Supplies , Fawcetts Yard (near the bus station), Morpeth. Flies: Iron Blue Dun, Black Gnat, Snipe & Purple. ©The Fishing Archives 2017. All Rights Reserved. _________________________________________________________

◙OUT IN SPRING 2017:

When the Float Comes In: A Year’s Fishing on River Lake & Sea in North East England

By Peter McParlin
Spanning a single calendar year, the book relives fishing forays throughout all twelve months from January to December, the author celebrating key events along the way. In fresh water, there’s the arrival of the trout and the coarse fishing seasons in March and June, respectively, the mayfly hatch in May-June, as well as a bit of dabbling in some sea fishing from the shore along the way. Other key times for the North Country angler, such as the upturn in both trout and coarse fishing at the beginning of autumn, are given similar emphasis.
 
Over the course of twenty chapters the unique character of North East England, an area rich in its industrial heritage, is observed from an angler’s perspective. The traditions and history of the lead and coal mining industries, iron and steel making, and even the commercial fishing trade, are all examined, looking at the way they have affected the sport of angling. The author explores the whole region, including the rivers Derwent, Coquet, Swale, Wansbeck, East Allen, Wear, many still waters, and beautiful coastal locations.
 
More than anything, though, the book seeks to capture the magic of fishing throughout the year in one of the most varied regions of the British Isles in terms of geography and natural history. From Northumberland down to the Vale of York, the North Pennine Dales to the East Coast, no two places are ever quite the same.

£22. ISBN:978-1-907110-69-6. Available from The Medlar Press.

 


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