The River Ure, North Yorkshire

The Ure is one of the loveliest rivers in Yorkshire. It flows down from the Pennine hills above Hawes, for over seventy miles through the picture-postcard Wensleydale landscape of barns and drystone walls, to become the Ouse a few miles upstream of York. The river has a varied character of pools and riffles, interspersed with bedrock sections and waterfalls. Our fishing is above the market town of Masham, where the Ure’s water flows with a peaty tinge reminiscent of the beers produced by the famous Theakston brewery there.

Salmon fishing on the River Ure

The River Ure has experienced something of a salmon fishing resurgence in recent years. Few alive today can remember the pre-war days when the Ure was a salmon fishery of national repute, but most of us are familiar with the near total collapse of the migratory fish runs, starting around the 1950s, when pollution of the Ouse system created a barrier of deoxygenated water, rendering the Ure effectively unreachable by salmon.

However, times have changed and thanks to modern day improvements in water quality and the efforts of the Ure salmon Group, salmon are running into Wensleydale in numbers once more.

Salmon fishing on the River Ure is to some degree an untapped resource. There are one or two estates on the middle river which have woken up to the potential their fishing now offers. Despite this, many anglers are still unaware that there are very respectable numbers of salmon now running the Ure and that a great opportunity exists to fish for them and in doing so becoming part of a pioneering band of anglers to rediscover this once great salmon fishery.

Our River Ure beat is not far downstream from the Bolton Castle Estate where annual catches of up to 50 salmon have been returned in recent seasons, for relatively light rod effort. Our water consists of numerous pools and glides, easily covered with double or even single-handed rods. The fishing is left bank and extends to over 2 miles. It is very lightly fished and offers real potential for the adventurous salmon angler – a great chance to be part of something special!

Trout & grayling fishing on the River Ure

The River Ure has long been renowned for its trout and grayling fishing. It is a lovely river to fish, with much variation – rocky pools, gravelly runs and slow glides. This variety of water allows the angler to use the full range of fly fishing techniques at appropriate times, from traditional north country wet fly, to dry fly, even streamer fishing for the large trout which inhabit the deeper pools.

There is a strong tradition of spider fishing in this part of Yorkshire. One of the method’s better known exponents Francis ‘Max’ Walbran is buried just down the road from here in the village of West Tanfield, and many of the famous north country patterns – waterhen bloa, partridge & orange, snipe & purple etc – are said to have been fished in Wensleydale, right from the earliest days of their development. Many of the pools on our Ure beat lend themselves perfectly to the gentle art of north country spider fishing and it is possible to experience a real sense of connection to our fly fishing tradition when swinging a team of wet flies through the pools of the Ure, in much the same way as our forebears, many generations into the past.

The River Ure is particularly well-known for its grayling fishing, which at one time was as good as any in the country. Members of our club will recount times not that many years ago when it was possible to catch dozens of fish in a day, sometimes even from a single pool, so extensive were the shoals of grayling.

Sadly - and in keeping with many other rivers in the north of England - the grayling stocks have declined. Despite this they are still very much worth fishing for and can offer absorbing sport later in the year. Much of our beat flows through mature woodland and to fish dry flies for rising grayling in October and November whilst surrounded by the beautiful colours of autumn trees, is a sheer delight.

YFFC Image Gallery - Fishing On The River Ure

 

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