Overview
The River Ouse, often regarded a continuation of the River Ure, runs through North Yorkshire for a combined distance (Ure and Ouse together) of 129 miles. The river winds its way down from the dramatic uplands and waterfalls of the Yorkshire Dales National Park down to the wide open fields where it finally joins the River Trent.
The river passes through idyllic Yorkshire villages and several towns and cities, most notably the historic city of York. If you include all the Ouse tributaries (the Rivers Wharfe, Swale, Aire, Derwent, Don, Rother, Nidd, and Foss) this is a huge valley to explore and cast a line.
Asides from the wonderful fishing opportunities (both coarse and game), the area also offers outstanding countryside and natural wonders (caves and waterfalls a plenty!), walking, watersports, heritage, parks, gardens, and other activities for all ages to enjoy.
Accommodation
The Stables, Leger Lakes - Yorkshire, Yorkshire Ouse Valley
From £80 / night
Middlehead Cottages and Fishery - Yorkshire, Ouse Valley
From £175 / night
Leger Lakes - Yorkshire, Yorkshire Ouse Valley
From £70 / night
Angling
What's on offer
As mentioned above this area comprises the Rivers Ure, the Ouse, and the major tributaries of the Wharfe, Swale, Aire, Derwent, Don, Rother, Nidd, and Foss. These rivers offer fishing of all types. Head to the upper reaches for renowned game fishing catching wild trout, grayling and even salmon. Alternatively try the middle and lower reaches where some game fishing remains but also offers excellent coarse fishing for barbel, chub, roach, dace, perch, pike, and bream. You can be stood mid river in Wensleydale casting a fly for the grayling, sat on the banks of the Swale waiting for a barbel to pull the rod round, enjoying the huge shoals of silver fish that congregate in the cities of Leeds and York in the winter months, or sat in the wild lowlands in pursuit of huge pike.
In addition to the river you also have the choice of an array of canals offering unique and largely untapped coarse fishing. These include the Aire and Calder, Pocklington, Selby, Ripon, and Leeds and Liverpool Canals.
In terms of stillwaters there are far too many options to mention. You have the stunning natural lakes in the Yorkshire Dales (truly wild and unspoilt game and coarse fishing) through to reservoirs, lakes and ponds dotted across the valley. Whether you’re after specimen carp, bags of silver fish or wild trout you will find it all here.
Angling
Where and how to get fishing
A number of angling clubs, private fisheries and organisations operate day tickets for river sections and stillwaters. Day tickets can be pre booked online (at many of the sites below) or can be purchased at / or near the fishery:
- York and District Amalgamation of Anglers – 6 rivers, 3 canals, 7 stillwaters
- Ferryhill And District Angling Club – 3 rivers, 2 stillwaters
- Keighley Angling Club – 1 river, 1 canal, 1 stillwater
- Nidderdale Angling Club – 1 river, 1 stillwater
- Richmond & District Angling Society – 2 rivers, 1 stillwater
- Hawes and High Abbotside Angling Association – 1 river
- Ripon Piscatorial Association – 3 rivers, 1 canal, 2 stillwaters
- Ilkley Angling Association – 1 river
- River Wharfe, Bolton Abbey – Day tickets purchased from the Estate
- River Cover – Day tickets purchased from the Cover Bridge Inn
- River Ure, Bainbridge – Day tickets purchased from the Rose and Crown
- River Ure, Wensleydale (3 beats) – Day tickets purchased from the Bolton Estate
- River Swale, Morton on Swale – Day tickets purchased from Royal George Pub
- River Wharfe, Kilnsey – Day tickets purchased rom the Tennant Arms
- River Swale- Fawdington
- River Swale- Helperby Village Fishery
- River Swale- Skipton Bridge
- River Swale – Catterick – Day tickets purchased from Catterick Post Office
For those looking to visit on a regular basis or for longer stays you could look at purchasing a season ticket from fishing clubs (typically £20-£50 but can be over £100 for some of the game fishing only clubs). Some of the larger clubs (in addition to those listed above) include:
- Bradford No 1 Angling Association – 8 rivers, 4 canals, 9 stillwaters
- Leeds and District Amalgamated Society of Anglers – over 40 waters! (river, canal and stillwater)
- Bradford City Angling Association – over 30 waters (river and stillwater)
- Ripon Fly Fishers – 4 stillwaters
- Pickering Fishery Association – 3 rivers, 2 stillwaters
- Bingley Angling Club – 6 rivers, 4 lakes and 1 canal
- Darlington Brown Trout AA – 4 rivers, 3 stillwaters
- Middlesbrough Angling Club – 4 rivers, 2 stillwaters
- Saltaire Angling Association – 2 rivers, 1 canal, 1 stillwater
- Appletreewick, Barden and Burnsall Angling Club – 1 river, 1 stillwater
- Reeth and District Angling Club – 1 river
- Northallerton Angling Club – 1 river, 1 stillwater
- Yorkshire Fly-Fishers Club – 6 rivers
- Harrogate Fly Fishers – 1 river
- Jervaulx Fly Fishers – 2 rivers, 2 stillwaters
You will need to contact the clubs well in advance of your trip to understand availability and joining rules.
Some free fishing is also available at several locations on the rivers, in particular the city centres like York, Leeds and Doncaster.
For the stillwater angler your also spoilt for choice with reservoirs, wild lakes, gravel pits, and ponds. These are available through many of the listed clubs but also at a range of private waters on a day ticket basis. Some of the most popular include:
Game Fishing
- Malham Tarn, Settle
- Semerwater, Wensleydale
- Kilnsey Park Estate Fly Fishery, Grassington
- Coniston Hall Lake, Gargrave
- Maran Lakes, York
- Scar House Reservoir, Nidderdale
- Tanfield Lodge Lake, Ripon
- Leighton Reservoir, Masham
Coarse Fishing
- Oakland Waters, Goole
- Woodland Lakes, Thirsk.
- Semerwater, Wensleydale
- The Catterick Complex, Scorton
- Brafferton Carp Fishery, York
- Pottery Pond, York
- Pool Bridge Farm, York
- Willows Carp & Coarse Fishery, Leeds
- The Oaks Lakes, Sessay
Angling
Tackle and Guiding
Some of the main tackle shops in the region are listed below:
There are a number of local guiding services including:
- Boatfield Fly Fishing – guiding and tackle
- Fly Fishing Yorkshire – guiding and tackle
Top 10 things to see and do
Other than fishing!
Here’s a list of some of our favourites:
- Enjoy a day out in historic York and take your pick of things to do. Enjoy a boat ride on the Ouse, soak up the beauty of York Minster, visit the National Railway and York Castle Museums, explore the cobbled streets and unique shops on the Shambles, or take a step back in time in the Yorvik Viking Centre.
- Visit the famous spa town of Harrogate to enjoy the Turkish bath, Bettys tea room, RHS gardens, the theatre, or see the giant rock spectacle at Brimham Rocks.
- Explore one of the many caves in the Yorkshire Dales National Park such as White Scar, the longest show cave in Britain.
- Visit what some regard as the most beautiful valley in the Yorkshire Dales, Wensleydale. Here you will find lush green countryside, waterfalls, mouth-watering views and rivers, and chocolate box villages. You can of course see how Wensleydale Cheese is made too.
- Take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge and climb Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.
- Spend a day at the races such as Catterick, Ripon and Thirsk.
- Visit the market towns of Leyburn, Richmond and Middleham (with castles, riverside walks, quaint local shops, cafes, and picturesque cobbled streets) or maybe visit one of the famous breweries in the town of Masham.
- Visit one of the Dales wild, natural lakes such as Semerwater or Malham Tarn. Here you can just enjoy their serenity or go canoeing, sailing, swimming and of course fishing.
- Have a day out with the family at Bolton Abbey, situated on the banks of the River Wharfe and surrounded by woodland and moorland. Enjoy the cafe and award-winning restaurant too!
- Visit the Swale Valley taking in Richmond Castle, the River Swale, waterfalls, the family friendly Swale Trail cycle route, or have a drink at Britain’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn.
Itineraries
See our tried and tested itineraries
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