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 The River Ure offers some exceptional fly fishing for trout and
grayling. The River Ure rises in the hills above Hawes in Wensleydale and flows 45 miles to its confluence with the River Swale at Boroughbridge. The River Ure is unique among the main Yorkshire Dales rivers in that
it does not share its name with the dale that it flows through e.g. the River Wharfe in Wharfedale and the River Nidd in Nidderdale, etc. The River Ure flows through Wensleydale
and provides us with some fine fly fishing. I used to consider the River Ure
one of the best trout and grayling rivers in Yorkshire, maybe the whole of
England. It must be said that over recent years the quality of fly fishing
on the River Ure has declined somewhat. Many reasons have been put forward
for this decline. I don't think there is a single cause, rather, a
combination of factors. Don't let this put you off, the River Ure still holds
good stocks of brown trout and grayling, probably as good as other Yorkshire Dales rivers, but it is the huge grayling stocks that
the Ure was once famous for that have declined. The River Ure held shoals of grayling to equal any river I have ever fished
(possibly with the exception of the River San in Poland and, Kupa and Curak rivers in Croatia). It is these large shoals of grayling that appear to have declined in the last few years, but there are still good numbers of
brown trout and grayling to be caught.
Fly fishing on the River Ure improves significantly below Aysgarth Falls. This is not to say that the fishing above is poor because it certainly is not, but below the falls, for some 20 miles, is prime River Ure fly fishing where
trout and grayling are prolific. I have access to the River Ure below Aysgarth Falls, on the famous Masham Angling Club Club beat. This is a private beat with no day tickets
and long waiting list for membership. I also fish the upper river, around Bainbridge
and Hawes, which is one of my favourite places in the dales to fish. It doesn't have the numbers of fish that Masham has, but it makes up for this with
stunning scenery and relatively un-fished pools. I give fly fishing tuition and I offer a fly fishing guiding service on the River Ure, but availability is strictly limited for these quality stretches and I am only able to offer them on
a 'first come, first served' basis. Both stretches fish well throughout the year, but April/May and September/October are probably the prime months.
The middle
Ure, around Masham, is a medium sized river with fantastic hatches of fly right through the season, but with particularly good hatches of large dark olive, yellow may dun, pale wateries, stoneflies and sedges. Fly fishing on the
River Ure, 'matching the hatch', can be particularly rewarding, though not always easy! Dry fly fishing for grayling from early summer through until mid-winter is top class, with grayling reaching close to the magic
2lb weight. Small flies, such as midge imitations and small CDC flies are usually key to your success. Czech nymphing, (or bugging) is also a useful tactic when the water is carrying some colour,
a method that the brown trout are fond of too.
The River Ure has 2 tributaries well worth fly fishing in Upper Wensleydale; the
River Cover and the
River Bain.
Both these small rivers offer good fly fishing for wild brown trout. I have
read that there are grayling in the Bain and Cover. I have caught very large
grayling from the River Cover, but never caught or heard of any being caught
from the River Bain. Chances are that you won't see another angler all day
on these rivers.
RIVER URE GUIDING AND FLY FISHING HOLIDAYS
With all of the best fly fishing on the River Ure unavailable to day ticket visitors it is essential to have a guide who has access to these areas if you are to make the most of your visit to
Wensleydale or fly fishing holiday. I can guide you on 3 of the very best stretches of the river that are well placed to provide good fly fishing whatever the conditions. My first stretch is in the
Bainbridge area, which is
upper River Ure, or Upper Wensleydale. This beat can fish well the day after rain when the lower river is un-fishable, but is slightly exposed if it is windy and does drop very low during prolonged dry weather.
The River Ure at Masham is almost 20 miles downstream and has the main advantage in the summer months of not dropping very low. It is also quite sheltered in places
from the wind. So not only do I have access to the best fishing on the River Ure, but I have flexibility to work around adverse conditions. I can also guide you on the River Ure to many day ticket stretches. This is
still good quality fishing; don't be put off by what I have said above. It is just a case of the middle river being the cream of the fishing on the River Ure and because it has a larger population of grayling. A careful
approach and rivercraft are needed on the 'smaller' upper Ure and I can help you with this. Some of my earliest exploits with a fly rod were in these parts and I know what is required to catch the sometimes
difficult trout and grayling here.
Wensleydale is probably my favourite of the Yorkshire Dales. It does not quite equal the breathtaking beauty of Wharfedale or the contrasting landscapes of Nidderdale, but it does have that certain
something that you can't put your finger on. A warm feeling that draws you back time and again. It is quieter than some of the other dales; the fact that it is further away from the bigger towns and cities of industrial
Yorkshire must be a contributing factor in this. It does have all the characteristics of the other dales; the steep valley sides, evidence of the underlying limestone rock protruding through the fields and hills,
sheep, meadows, disused stone barns... Maybe it is none of these things, maybe it is just the fisherman in me and the River Ure that draws me back?
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