TIPS
Here are a some tips for fishing for trout and grayling fishing on Penrith Angling Association waters:
We hope that you find these tips helpful, but before fishing PAA waters we recommend that you please check: Penrith Anglers Safety notes for members and their guests
Seasons for trout and grayling: The trout season starts on the 15th March and ends at midnight on the 30th September.
Grayling can also be fished for during this time except for the period from and including the 15th March to and including the 15th June, for further information on winter fishing for grayling go to Grayling. (Anyone who is unsure about closed seasons and fishery byelaws should go to Environment Agency rod fishing bylaws: north west region where they can get the information they require.)
Fishing is by fly only, with the exception that worm fishing will be allowed by junior members for trout only on selected stretches and spinning for Salmon is allowed on selected beats, see Regulations
There is a bag limit of 2 fish per day in total, except on the Rivers Petteril , Leith and Lyvennet which are catch and release only.
Early season - Hatches of Large Dark Olives or March Browns predominate in the early season and sport can be available to surface and sub-surface imitations (dry fly, wet fly or nymph fishing)
By mid May, day time hatches start to become more regular with a wider variety of insects to be found. Regular evening rises don't generally begin until the latter part of May, with the Olive Upright being the most predominant species along with the midges and several species of sedge.
June and early July produce sport all day and evening, with large hatches of Blue Winged Olives and Pale Wateries. Bustard fishing also begins at this time - this is a form of nocturnal wet fly fishing particular to this area.
Late July and August finds day time fishing becoming less productive, but searching the faster water with nymphs works well, particularly between ranunculus. Nevertheless, some exceptional sport is to be had in the evenings, with large falls of spinners. Sometimes sport may be difficult when fish are preoccupied on reed smuts, hook size 20 to 26 with low diameter leaders are a must.
September can again provide better daytime sport for both trout and grayling.
SUGGESTED FLIES
All season (AS)
Early season (ES)
Mid season (MS)
Late season (LS)
Wet Flies: Waterhen Bloa (ES), Snipe and Purple (AS), Greenwells (AS), various Black Spiders (AS), Partridge & Orange (ES), Partridge & Yellow (MS), Dark Watchett (AS), Hares Ear (AS), Bustards (MS & LS).
Dry Flies: Rough Olive (ES), Blue Winged Olive (MS & LS), various Olive Comparaduns (AS), Black Gnats (AS), Sherry Spinner (MS & LS), Pale Wateries (MS & LS), GRHE (AS), beetle imitations (MS), Hawthorn (ES), Pheasant Tail (MS), Ginger Quill (MS), CDC patterns (AS), Grey Duster (MS), Adams (MS), midge patterns ((AS) and tiny smut patterns (MS).
* Size can matter depending on what species the fish are feeding on, so a variety of different sizes can help.
Nymphs: Various beaded (gold, silver, copper or black beads) nymphs can be effective, including effective generic patterns like Pheasant Tail (AS) and Hare's Ear (AS). Olive Nymphs (AS), stonefly imitations (ES & MS) and various czech nymphs and shrimp patterns (AS) can also be very effective.
*Depth can be critical when fishing sub-surface so a variety of different weighted nymphs can be handy.
ENTOMOLOGY FOR ANGLERS COURSES
Andrew Dixon & Stuart Crofts have been running the ‘Entomology for Anglers’ course at the Freshwater Biological Association each year since 2009. The course is to help anglers increase their knowledge of entomology which will aid in the success of catching fish more consistently.
Click here for more information