North West

The North West offers a wide variety of excellent fishing in some of the most spectacular locations the UK has to offer. The region makes for a truly wonderful venue for salmon, sea trout and trout on the fly.

Eden

The River Eden is entirely Cumbrian and is one of the few large rivers in England that flow northwards. The Eden rises on Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang. Two other great rivers arise in the same peat bogs here, within a kilometre of each other: the River Swale and River Ure. The Eden makes its way across eastern Cumbria, with the hills of the North Pennines to the East, and the fells of the Lake District to the west of Carlisle. Here its merges with other rivers to form the great Solway Firth estuary, before reaching the open sea, 90 miles (145 km) from its source. The river Irthing and River Eamont are major tributaries of the River Eden. The Eden is a salmon river with a good head of trout and grayling.

Derwent

The river rises at Styhead Tarn underneath Scafell Pike and flows in a northerly direction through the valley of Borrowdale, before continuing through Derwentwater, giving the lake its name.The Derwent then continues into Bassenthwaite Lake, picking up the waters of the River Greta just outside Keswick. Another tributary is the River Cocker, which joins the Derwent at Cockermouth, through which the Derwent flows after exiting Bassenthwaite Lake on its now westerly course. The river flows into the Irish Sea at Workington. The river supports a range of wildlife and the predominant fish species include salmon, sea trout, brown trout, eels, minnows sticklebacks and the stone loach.

Lune

The River Lune is formed at Wath, in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, at the confluence of Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck.

The river then passes the remnants of a Roman fort near Low Borrowbridge at the foot of Borrowdale, and flows through south Cumbria, finally meeting the Irish Sea at Plover Scar near Lancaster, after a total journey of about 44 miles (71 km). Sea trout, trout and salmon can be found in both the River Lune. Away from the riverbank Lancashire has some of the finest fisheries in the land, including Stocks Reservoir at the head of the Hodder Valley, the largest fishery in the north west of England.

Hodder

The River Hodder rises on White Hill 400m above sea level and flows for approximately 23 miles to the River Ribble, of which it is the largest tributary. The confluence of the rivers is an impressive sight, particularly when both are in spate.

The Hodder drains much of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and all but the last mile of its course is through this scenic area. The upper reaches of the river feed the large Stocks Reservoir, which provides much of Lancashire's water supply. After exiting the reservoir, the Hodder continues in a general southward direction. It collects many tributaries from the valleys of Bowland and, lower down, parts of the Ribble Valley. Most notable among the feeders of the Hodder are Croasdale Brook, Easington Brook, the River Dunsop, Langden Brook and the River Loud.

The River Hodder eventually joins the River Ribble near Great Mitton, close to the River Calder.

Lune in flood by Paul Procter

Ribble

The River Ribble runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.The Ribble begins at the confluence of the Gayle Beck and Cam Beck near the famous viaduct at Ribblehead, in the shadow of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. It flows through Settle, Clitheroe, Ribchester and Preston, before emptying into the Irish Sea between Lytham St. Annes and Southport, a distance of 75 miles (121 km). The Ribble enjoys a good run of salmon and sea trout. The upper reaches of the Ribble has an excellent population of trout and grayling.

Other rivers

Irt: Flows from the south-western end of Wast Water, the deepest lake in England, leaving the lake at the foot of Whin Rigg, the southern peak of the famous Wastwater Screes.On its short journey to the coast, the Irt flows through the Drigg Dunes and Irt Estuary Nature Reserve before joining the River Esk and River Mite at Ravenglass.
Ehen: A designated Special Area of Conservation, the River Ehen supports the largest freshwater pearl mussel population in England. It is also a breeding ground for Atlantic salmon.
Esk: The River Esk is one of two River Esks in Cumbria, and not to be confused with the River Esk which flows on the Scottish side of the border. The Esk has a reputation as a very good fishing river, offering fine angling for sea trout and salmon. It was made famous by the writer and broadcaster Hugh Falkus who lived in the Esk valley and used the river as a basis for many of his books and films. It rises in the Sca Fell range of mountains at a height of 800 metres. The river then flows southerly through wild and picturesque countryside to join the Irish Sea at Ravenglass.
Leven: (pron. levven) is a short river in the county of Cumbria. It drains Windermere from its southernmost point and flows for approximately eight miles (13 km) into the northern reaches of Morecambe Bay. The river and it's estuary are the boundary between the Cartmel Peninsula and Furness Peninsula in the area once known referred to as 'Lancashire north of the sands'. The up-river limit of the tidal flow is close to the village of Haverthwaite. The Leven is a noted salmon river. At spawning time the fish can be seen jumping up the waterfalls at Backbarrow.
Duddon: Rises at a point 1,289 feet above sea level and descends to the sea over a course of about 15 miles (24 km) before entering the Irish Sea at the Duddon Sands. For its entire length the Duddon forms the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cumberland. The poet William Wordsworth wrote extensively of the Duddon, a river he knew and loved from his early years. He wrote his lyric sequence "The River Duddon, A Series of Sonnets" between 1804 and 1820. The River Duddon is a salmon river.
Kent: Originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles (32 km) into the north of Morecambe Bay, having passed through Kentmere, Staveley, Burneside, Kendal and Sedgwick on the way. The village of Arnside lies alongside the Kent estuary. Near the source of the river is Kentmere Reservoir, which was constructed in the mid-19th century to control the flow of the river for the benefit of water mills. It is also a salmon and trout fishery.