The rivers that flow through the Eden Valley offer some of the finest River Brown Trout fly fishing to be found in the whole country, as well as Salmon and Sea Trout in the right areas, we now also have huge stocks of Grayling, which can offer tremendous winter sport.

Early season (March/April) means the Brown Trout will be the main quarry of interest to the fly angler as the main runs of migratory fish have yet to arrive, and the Grayling season is at it’s end.

During these early months the main Eden offers you your best chance of a good day’s sport, the other two main rivers in the system, the Eamont and Lowther, can still produce fish, but sport can be patchy particularly on the Eamont as this is a relatively short river which is directly fed from Lake Ullswater leading to cold water and slow fishing, when compared to the Eden.

Early season sport is generally best between mid-morning and late-afternoon (11.30 am – 4.30 pm ish) and on a reasonable day you should expect to see good hatch’s of large dark olives (Bates Rhodendi), the inevitable midge (Chronimidi) and even a few March Browns (Rithogiva).

On an average early spring day I will generally start with an upstream nymph or combination nymph/spider wet fly rig of between 9 and 12 feet with either one or two droppers, however I will almost always have a nymph of some description on point position. More often than not this will be a suggestive pattern such as a Red Fox Squirrel Nymph or an impressionistic pattern, my current favorite being an Oliver Edwards Baties Nymph in 16 or 14 or Flat Stone Clinger in 12 or 14. As for the droppers traditional Spider patterns can take some beating when correctly dressed and fished.

Tippet size for this style of fishing should be approx 3 – 3.5lb, BI’s and either standard Mono or Copolymer, it is best to avoid fluro-carbon for this style of fishing, due to the inherent stiffness of this material, which can affect presentation with small flies.

The use of Bite indicators is a matter for personal choice, but in some circumstances can be necessary, especially in heavy water using heavy flies or when fishing at range. I tend to fish the yarn type indicators when necessary, in differing sizes, as these tend to be easier to cast and offer good bite detection.

Working upstream with a nymph/wet fly rig, searching likely looking runs and pools will usually produce a few fish before lunch, when hopefully a hatch should get under-way and bring the odd fish to the surface.

Under the circumstances either a representation of an emerging dun or newly hatched adult can be deadly, as early season fish are seldom highly selective unlike the well fed fish of late summer.

As with the nymph/wet fly techniques, it is generally best to work upstream, this is even more important during these early months when due to lack of weed growth and tree cover combined with “harsh” early season light, the fish can be skittish.

Even though they may be hungry – they are rarely stupid, so a cautious approach and careful planning will pay dividends.

Recommended Equipment

Rods A 9ft 5 weight is the best all round tool for these Cumbrian Rivers, having the power to deliver three Czech Nymphs or even a streamer one day – or fish spiders and small dry’s the next. I prefer 9ft but any 5 weight between 8ft and 9ft 6in is fine.

Lines I use weight forward lines specifically the Lee Wulff Triangle Taper but still have the ability to cast long, with little effort.

Leaders Any Braided/Tapered Leader is fine, whether you prefer hand tied or the knotless type, as long as it is tapered to a point at approx 3lb BI’s. Leaders for subsurface work should be between 9 – 12ft for drys 10 – 14ft.

Flys

* Wets. The old favourite can still fish well and a selection of the following in sizes 14 – 18 should suffice – Partridge & Orange, Water Hen Bloa, Black Magic, Snipe Purple, Greenwells Spider.
* Nymphs. Again old standbys such as PTN, and Hares Ear etc will work in both standard and Gold head versions, if you tie your own Oliver Edwards Baties Nymphs and Flat Stone Clineger are well worth a swim in sizes 14/16 12/14.
* Emerger/Drys. If you are fortunate enough to come across rising fish, various parachutes and cul de cunard patterns are hard to beat, my personal favorite being a “blade wing dun” in 16 or a similar size Comparis Dun in Dark Olive.

Additional Equipment Chest waders are a distinct advantage in reaching certain lies (The Eden is a large river in places).