The
fishing on the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey is approximately 20 miles from
Leeds and 40 miles from York. It is set in one of the most beautiful parts of
Wharfe Dale in the grounds of Bolton Abbey on Chatsworth Estate land, which is
owned by the Duke of Devonshire, the family have controlled the Estate since
1748. The Abbey itself was founded in 1120 by monks from the St. Augustine
Order and was surrendered to King Henry VIII in 1538 at the time of
Dissolution.
The River Wharfe is
a free stone spate river running mainly off limestone-dominated land, this
makes it quite fertile with good populations of aquatic invertebrates. There
are also plenty of trees by the side of the river supplying good numbers of
terrestrial insects to the fish during the warmer months of the year. All this
means that in general the fish are free rising giving good sport to the dry
fly. The river has a good stock of brown trout (both wild and stocked) and
Grayling in the 8oz to 1˝lb size range.
The fishery is about
five miles long and is divided into six beats (two rods per beat). Fishing is
permitted between the hours of 9:00am & one hour after sunset. The numbers
of tickets are limited so early booking is essential. Because of public access
to the riverbank we do not recommend fishing at the weekends or during public
holidays and would urge clients to fish mid week if at all possible.
TROUT SEASON: 1ST APRIL TO 30TH
SEPTEMBER
GRAYLING
SEASON: UNDER REVIEW