Angler's Paradise - The Lake District in Spring

Last weekend saw the opening of the Brown Trout Season in the English Lake District, a date that many anglers still consider as the traditional opening day of the new season though in fact many Rainbow Trout waters are open twelve months a year. However, there are some Rainbow Trout waters that open their gates on 15th March.

Sheltered bays for the early season
Until temperatures rise a little one of the favourite spots in the early days of the season is Ghyll Head. There are some well sheltered bays which provide good chances to catch Rainbow Trout. The area is well stocked with fish and lures will attract attention. Boat anglers should consider visiting Esthwaite Water to begin the season. Once the weather improves and the days grow longer in April Knottallow becomes a likely spot for Brown Trout while the upland Water of High Newton is worth trying for Rainbow Trout. A week or two further down the line Lake Windermere and Ullswater will be the hot spot for boat anglers hunting for Wild Brown Trout. Meanwhile the rivers Kent and Eden provide opportunities for Wild and stocked Brown Trout for those who do not want to go out on a boat.

Prime Time in May
If April allows for a good start into the season as long as you know where to try, May is definitely the prime angling month on the lakes and rivers in Cumbria. You will find it pretty hard to afford enough time for all the great spots readily available. Stocks are well fed at this time on huge swarms of insects buzzing over the water. Boat anglers should spent warm evenings out on Lake Windermere - it will be time well spend! If you are headed for Ullswater, traditional wet flies will prove successful for you. Olive hatches have been in decline in the past years, but some are still to be found on Ghyll Head, Dubbs or Bigland. Some locations also see good falls of Terrestrials - Hawthorne Flies, Black Gnats and the like. This makes trips to Knottallow and Esthwaite Water rewarding on days with little or no wind.

…and there is still more!
The Lake District and the Cumbrian waters are an angler's paradise, not only in spring time. Thus any brief summary of fishing in this region is always an injustice to the waters mentioned as well as those excluded. Waters such as Ennerdale, Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater or rivers like the Derwent or Lune are always worth visiting. Also there are numerous locations for coarse anglers that have not been included here at all. The area also offers a rich choice for flyfishing. To visitors who are not yet acquainted with the region, the mere choice of places and times of promising angling spots must be daunting. But give it a try whenever you are around - it is well worth the time that you spend here in a gorgeous landscape.

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