RIVER WHARFE AT BURNSALL
 

 

 

 


The fishing on the River Wharfe at Burnsall is about 25 miles from Leeds and 45 miles from York. It is set in the middle of Wharfe Dale amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in Yorkshire. The fishery is run by the Appletreewick, Barden and Burnsall Angling Club (founded in 1873), the club is steeped in fly fishing history and whose President is still His Grace the Duke of Devonshire. The village of Burnsall stands on an early Saxon possibly even a Viking settlement. It has a 12th century church (St. Wilfrids) but it is thought a wooden church was here long before that around 700 AD. There is also an American connection, Mary Craven was baptised in the church in 1635, she married Sir Edmond Andros who was Governor of New England in 1685. It is said it was she who persuaded her husband to build an Anglican Church in Boston, the first to be built on American soil. 

 

The River Wharfe in this area is very much a free stone spate river running mainly off limestone-dominated land, this makes it quite fertile with good populations of aquatic invertebrates.  The river has a good stock of brown trout (both wild and stocked) and some grayling in the 8oz to 1˝lb size range, the fish are quite free rising but also respond to nymph and traditional wet fly.

 

The fishery is upstream of Bolton Abbey and is approximately 7 miles long with no beat system but the numbers of tickets are limited so early booking is essential. Again because of public access to the river banks in places we would urge clients to fish mid-week if at all possible and keep away during the weekends and/or public holidays for the best fishing and to capture the tranquillity of the dale.

         

TROUT SEASON: JUNE 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30

                                                                              

GRAYLING SEASON: NOT AVAILABLE