Multi-bait fisheries
Bait fishing for trout is great fun! All the family can come along and enjoy catching trout, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Why not make a day of it and bring a picnic along? This is what fishing is all about and don’t forget children under 17 can fish free on their parent or guardian’s permit (terms and conditions apply). All in all, a great value family day out with the possibility of several trout for the barbecue!
Powerbait, ledgered or fished at various depths under a bubble float is a popular method, but the humble worm still seems to be the most consistent bait across our fisheries. Remember to only hook the worm on once, and fish at various depths until you get a bite.
Have you ever played quality trout on light tackle? During the quieter days, why not put the fly rod and bubble float away and try a match rod, 4lb line and a single maggot on a size 18 hook fished under a small quill or waggler? Just make sure that the clutch is set right to enjoy some exhilarating sport!!
Fishing at Derwent Fishing at Fontburn Fishing at Grassholme Fishing at Kielder Water & Forest Park Fishing at Scaling Fishing at Cow Green Fishing at Balderhead
Fishing at Derwent
Derwent located five miles west of Consett once again kept up its reputation for being one of the most attended game fisheries in the country, attracting over 12,000 angler visits last year.
The Derwent, with its easy access and gently sloping banks, is ideal for all the family to enjoy a great day out and a spot of fishing.
The reservoir is conveniently split into two, there is around six miles of bank, of which three miles along the south shore is available for both multi-bait and fly fishing, whilst the north shore is fly fishing only.
Directions to Derwent
Just off the A68 and four miles west of Castleside, turn south at the Manor House Pub and follow the road into the valley. Sat nav: DH8 9TT.
On arrival, there is a well stocked shop where you can expect to find all of the fishing equipment you need to get you started from scratch or to get essential bait and flies on the day. Snacks, ice creams, hot and cold drinks are available daily along with a range of toys and leisure items for the entire family to enjoy a day out. Our friendly team of rangers will be on hand to offer you advice and assistance.
There is a purpose built slalom style ramp suitable for wheelchair anglers. This is located at the main car park on the south shore near the dam. Even as water levels drop, the ramp can give good access to the water.
Recently the stock and retail offering greatly expanded at Derwent. You can expect to find most of the fishing equipment you would need to get you started from scratch or to get essential bait and flies on the day. Snacks, ice creams, hot and cold drinks are available daily along with a range of toys and leisure items for the entire family to enjoy a day out.
Best baits at Derwent
Powerbait and worm cocktail fished on the ledger.
Multi-bait tips at Derwent
Come prepared with suitable clothing and footwear. If using Powerbait paste, roll the bait into balls a day before fishing so the bait has a chance to dry out and thus stay on the hook much better. Try ledgering on windy, sunny, warm days and use a float on cool and cloudy days. Keep varying the depth at which you fish but generally it is the ledger with a 2-foot leader which catches the fish. If Powerbait is not catching fish combine it with a worm to give the bait more movement in the water. Never use hooks smaller than a size 8. Hunter House and the First Fence on the south bank are the hot spots.
Mainly lures such as Black Fritz, Orange Fritz, Dawson's Olive and Cat's Whisker. Various buzzers and small traditionals work best in the summer months and the dry flies such as the Daddies can be very effective when the conditions allow.
Fly fishing tips at Derwent
Vary the depth and speed of retrieve until the feeding fish are found. Use differently weighted 5-foot polyleaders to govern the depth at which you fish. These are easily changed and present the fly very well when attached to a floating line. Don't be tricked into the idea of changing flies all the time; the less time the fly is in the water, the less chance you have of catching fish!! Keep moving to find the fish, if you have had no luck after a couple of hours in one area then move to somewhere that may offer better results. Try the bays on the north bank when the water is high or above the Sailing Club and Cronkley when the water is lower.
Fishing at Fontburn
Fontburn is one of the most popular fisheries in the country. This is due partly to it’s close proximity to Tyneside, but more importantly to it’s worthy reputation for producing large numbers of quality home reared trout throughout the season.
Check out the on-site shop for where you will find a wide range of fishing and leisure items on sale.
Directions to Fontburn
From the south follow signs for Scots Gap from the A696. On entering Scots Gap turn immediately right to Rothbury. After five miles the signed entrance will be seen on the left of a right hand bend. From the north travel down the A696 to Knowsgate Hotel, turn left then left again at a T-junction. Follow the road to a crossroads then turn left again. After three miles the signed entrance will be seen on the left of a right hand bend. Sat Nav: NE61 4PL.
Multi-bait fishing tips at Fontburn
In the early months of the season try ledgering with a worm off the dam wall. Later on try Powerbait around the shallower parts of the reservoir. Lighter tackle usually catches better quality fish, try using size 12 hooks and a stick float.
Most fish are caught near the bank side so don't be tempted to fish a long way out and do not stay in one place all day, keep moving around!
Fly fishing tips at Fontburn
When fly fishing try a Cat's Whisker on a sinking line or later in the season try a floating line and a Bibio. Various boobies are productive especially off the dam wall.
Fishing at Grassholme
Grassholme is our premier multi-bait fishery in Teesdale. It is a very pretty reservoir set in typical Pennine Dales scenery. It is not a really large water at 57 hectares (140 acres) but it is deep off the dam going down to 38 metres (120ft). The deep water ensures that Grassholme fishes consistently even during the warm summer months. During the early season as the spring air warms the water, the shallows and the stream mouths are the places to fish.
The tackle shop and retail outlet is located in the ground floor of the Visitor Centre. Here you can expect to find all of the fishing equipment you will need to get you started from scratch or to top up on essential bait and flies on the day. Snacks, ice creams and hot and cold drinks are available daily along with a range of toys and leisure items to ensure that the whole family have an enjoyable day out.
Directions to Grassholme
From Bishop Auckland take the A688 to Barnard Castle then the B6277 to Mickleton. Turn left as you are about to leave the village onto an unclassified road to Kelton, one mile up the road you will see the entrance to Grassholme on your right. Sat nav: DL12 0PW.
Yellow, Orange and Chartreuse Powerbait are the colours preferred by most anglers when ledgering. Worm, especially the larger lobworm is still a very good bait for float fishing and using on the bottom when the margins are coloured.
Multi-bait tips at Grassholme
Ledger using a trace length of 45 cm from hook to Arsley bomb. Keep the rig simple; use a single AAA shot or ledger stop between the hook and bomb so that fish can take line freely giving good bite indication. When using a bubble float put the line through one eye only and retain with an AAA shot either side. Start at a depth of 70cm. Use PVA bags instead of swim feeders as you will get fewer snags. Add pebbles to the PVA bag to increase casting weight. Add weight to aid casting, to a bubble float by partially filling it with water. The Witche’s Hat to the sailing club ramp and the nature reserve bridge to Spring Bay for float and ledger methods.
Fly fishing tips at Grassholme
Start with a 9' 6" rod rated for a 7/8 line with a no 8 weight forward floating line. Use a tapered leader to aid turnover. Fish into wind lanes. Allow the line to sink a little, count it down so you find the feeding depth, it varies at different times of the day. Early season don't worry about casting large distances, cast along the banks and work around in a fan shape to cover all the water in front of you. Long distance casting will improve your results in the hot days of summer. Try using small dry fly size 18 on summer evenings. Add a sinking polyleader to a floating line when using buzzers. Try using a floating polyleader on a slow sinking line when using floating fly patterns to avoid surface disturbance.
Grassholme does offer the fly fisher some exciting sport. The faithful Dawson's Olive, Black Fritz and Nomads take plenty of fish early season. Late summer sees good hatches of Stone Fly, try Snipe and Purple or Woodcock and Yellow in size 12s. Heather flies come off in numbers in August, so remember your Bibios and Hoppers then.
For general day to day use have Cat's Whisker, Gold Humungus, Orange Fritz, Rainbow Fritz and a selection of black wets in sizes 10 down to 14, also Soldier Palmer, Invicta, Silver Butcher and Zulus are all worth trying. East Close, Brock Scar and Low Rigg are the places to try for the wandering fly angler.
Fishing at Kielder Water & Forest Park
The mighty Kielder Water, is a very big 1,093 hectare (2,700 acres), deep (maximum depth 55 metres -178 feet) reservoir which forms part of the vast Kielder Water and Forest Park.
Kielder Water offers some very rewarding fishing both from the 23 miles of shoreline, or from the fleet of 15, 17 foot "Orkney Longliner" boats. Kielder Water may seem a daunting venue to some, however it is soon cut down to size due to the extreme depths. The reservoir is stocked from various points on a weekly basis. Luckily for the angler once stocked, the fish stick close to the shore, looking for terrestrial insects that fall into the water from the overhanging bushes or trees.
Kielder Water is a unique venue, it can offer some fantastic sport for fly anglers especially off the top. The fish never really seem to be that far below the surface, a floating line or intermediate will cover most situations. Try the bays and drift the margins for some exciting sport, the wild browns are growing well and are a welcome addition to the stocked rainbows. Toilets, parking, two wheelyboats (pre-booking essential) and a hearing loop are available for disabled users.
Fishing at Scaling Dam
Scaling is a very popular fishery serving Teesside and North Yorkshire. It is relatively small at 42 hectares (105 acres) and is shallow with a maximum depth of nine metres (30ft). This makes the fishing relatively easy, making Scaling an ideal place for beginners.
Directions to Scaling
Scaling is located adjacent to the A171 some nine miles west of Guisborough and 11 miles east of Whitby. Sat nav: TS13 4TP.
The visitor centre at Scaling is well stocked with fishing tackle, confectionery hot and cold drinks and other leisure items which can be purchased to enhance a family day out.
Scaling also contains a population of pike, specimens over 20lbs have been recorded. These can be targeted by the pike fly angler, or by more traditional methods. If you wish to fish with large plugs or dead baits ask at the lodge for a £11 pike permit.
Toilets, parking, a fishing jetty, a hearing loop and wide door access are available for disabled users.
Best baits at Scaling Dam
Worm popped up using a polyball, Green/Chartreuse Powerbait and swim-feedered maggot. Or any combination of these fished as a cocktail.
Multi-bait tips at Scaling Dam
Ledgered bait is the preferred method, try different leader lengths and distance from the shore until the feeding fish are located.
Best flies at Scaling Dam
Lures: Dawson's Olive, Black Fritz, Black/Green Montana. Nymphs and wets: Invicta, Damsel Nymph, Bibio, Black and Peacock Spider, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, sunken Daddies. Dries: Bibio, Daddies.
Fly fishing tips at Scaling Dam
Floating lines are a preferable method as the reservoir is shallow. Fly choice changes from day to day, so enquire with the Rangers on the day. Long leaders and mixed wet/nymph tactics often prove successful.
Fishing at Cow Green
If size does not matter and a walk on the wild side is required to wind down after the stresses of the week, Cow Green is for you. It is a large reservoir at 312 hectares (770 acres) located high in upper Teesdale.
Directions to Cow Green
From Bishop Auckland take the A688 to Barnard Castle, then the B6277 through Middleton-in-Teesdale towards Alston, turn left at Langdon Beck just before the hotel. Two and a half miles up the road you will reach the car parks for Cow Green. From Alston take the B6277 to Langdon Beck, turn right after the Langdon Beck Hotel.
Use a light rod and only carry what you need, a waistcoat or small backpack is best to carry your tackle in. You need to walk a lot to get the best out of this water. Brook fishing methods with sparsely dressed spider patterns work well. Keep on the move with the wind behind you so you fish the areas where the insects are blown on to the water.
The stream mouths fish well after a spate, but you may find larger flies are required, a size 12 Silver Invicta or even a mini Viva would be worth a try.
Black and Peacock Spider, Bibio, Hare’s Ear, Daiwl Bach, Black Ant and Heather Fly are all that are generally required but sizes down to a 16 or 18 would be worth a try especially on the calmer days.
Fishing at Balderhead
Directions to Balderhead
From Bishop Auckland take the A688 to Barnard Castle, then the B6277 until you enter Romaldkirk. Turn left onto an unclassified road to Hunderthwaite, continue approximately four miles up this road and you will see the entrance to Balderhead on your left.
Balderhead contains a very good population of wild browns, light tackle and small flies are all that is required along with a very mobile cast and walk approach.