Winter Fishing

As the clocks have now gone back and the days grow shorter, with the brown trout and salmon seasons behind us, it’s easy to get nostalgic for the warmer months. The shorter daylight hours and often grey, gloomy skies of winter can leave you yearning for those sunnier days on the river. It’s far better to get outside and embrace the weather than to stay indoors and watch it from the window. Just spending a few hours outdoors can make you feel a world of difference and lift your spirits—at least, that’s how it feels for us!

While the River Ure’s trout and salmon seasons may be closed, winter brings with it a fantastic opportunity for a different kind of fishing—the Grayling AKA 'Lady of the Stream' season. With the temperature dropping and the first morning frosts appearing, it’s time to focus on the Lady of the Stream. Grayling are starting to shoal up in the waters of the River Ure, offering great fishing ahead.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get a few Grayling sessions into my diary on the Swinton Beats of the River Ure, experimenting with different methods and enjoying a solid average size of fish, with some larger ones thrown in as well.

The pools offer a variety of fishing conditions, from deep, still holes to shallow, fast runs, with everything in between. I’ve been using three main techniques this season: dry fly with small flies (sizes 18 to 24), an adapted indicator system, and euro nymphing. Each method has proved highly effective, and I’ve tweaked them to suit the waters I’m fishing.

So far this year, my go-to patterns have been the White Hare’s Ear in size 16, the Perdigon Firestarter in size 18, and a Black Midge in sizes 22 and 24.

If you would like to sharpen up on your winter Grayling approach we offer either 4 hour or 6 hours sessions during the winter Grayling season where we can help you sharpen up on your old faithful or new techniques to add another string to your bow.

We have a few Winter Grayling Master Class sessions with rods available for anglers of all abilities to attend (14th December 2024 and 18th January 2025) Lunch and refreshments are provided with the days fishing Equipment can be provided if required, why not use these days to get the most out of your winter fishing. Demos, guidance and assistance will be provided by Stephan Dombaj the owner and founder of Fly Fishing Nation and Sam Harrison, Operations Manger from The Northern Fishing School.

Contact us for availability and to book your place on either or both days.

Contact Us

To wrap up, we want to wish you all tight lines and wet nets. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new techniques, styles, and flies. While it’s easy to fall into familiar habits, having a range of tools in your tackle box is always a good way to stay flexible and adaptable on the river.