Tyne - When and where to fish

When to fish

Length of season

The salmon season begins on the 1st of February and runs right through to the 31st of October, with fishing available from Monday through to Sunday (though some beats now operate a policy of no Sunday fishing). The length of the season is indeed a compliment to the numbers of migratory fish that run the Tyne system and good sport can be enjoyed from the first to the very last day of the season.

The sea trout season runs from 3rd April to 31st October and for brown trout 22nd March to 30th September. Coarse fish can be caught from 16th June to 15th March.

Spring fishing

Spring fishing opens up on the river on 1 February and although not for the faint hearted, this month can offer the salmon angler a good chance of catching a 'springer'. Fish are frequently caught on the opening day and whilst less numerous than their later running cousins these fish are invariably in pristine condition. March sees the beginning of true spring with trees starting to bud heavily and the water temperature beginning to rise steadily. With the increased temperatures and the longer daylight hours, salmon start moving more readily upstream and lower Tyne beats should begin to enjoy increased catches.

Recent trends with warmer temperatures are improving the opportunities for catching early-season fish well up stream in both the North and the South Tyne. April and May tend to be the months of transition on the river when often the cream of the spring fishing can be enjoyed. Sink tips, intermediates and full floating lines become the most effective fly lines for presenting the fly to the salmon. As the water begins to warm up through May, classic floating line techniques with small flies close to the surface, can induce some heart-stopping sport. But, occasionally reverting to larger sizes often produces good results!

Dilston beat at Corbridge.

Summer fishing

The warm weather months of June, July and August bring sustained runs of fish which means they have become very popular amongst Tyne anglers due to the simple fact that some excellent fishing can be enjoyed for very reasonable prices and is readily accessible. There is great potential for good sport throughout the system but like most rivers a falling spate brings fish in from the estuary.

Autumn fishing

Autumn fishing on the Tyne draws visiting anglers to cast a fly for its famous run of big back-end fish. This is the time of year when the river can be literally stuffed full of migratory fish heading for the upper reaches of the river system to pair-up and spawn. The runs of fish increase steadily from August through to October; given fresh water good sport can be had at any beat in the system. Large runs of sea trout make their way up the river at this time, though the principle quarry is the top-quality autumn salmon.

Where to fish

Beginning at Wylam situated at the upper tidal limit, the Tyne is rightly famous for its early start to the season. In most years the first salmon of the season will be landed on February 1st, the opening day. These spring salmon are much sought after due to their high average weight and are caught throughout the Lower Tyne from Wylam through Ovingham and Bywell and upstream to Hexham. As the season progresses more salmon enter the river, lower river levels and cold water favour this productive section of river, although spates will continue to bring increasing numbers of salmon into the river with enough fish holding in these reaches to provide good sport. The Tyne enjoys sea trout often as early as March although most run in summer and autumn. Some good trout fishing can be had here with excellent coarse fishing in season.

North Tyne

Above Hexham the Tyne divides into the North and South Tynes. Upstream from the A69 Bridge the Waters Meet can be seen at Warden. Fish entering the North Tyne in March will provide sport up to Chollerford with a few early fish being caught above this weir. It is in April when rods can expect salmon above Chollerford through to Wark. Spring fish will be in these pools right up to the Rede confluence below Bellingham.

Sea trout are present in the North Tyne in April, with larger numbers appearing as summer progresses. The sections around Bellingham begin to fish consistently in late spring with more fish entering the Rede given higher water. Summer and autumn will see large stocks of both salmon and sea trout all the way up to Falstone. The river fishes well even in low natural flow especially when supported by releases from Kielder Reservoir. To view up to date conditions see the river levels page.

 

Chollerton

South Tyne

Above Warden and the Waters Meet the South Tyne offers good opportunities for salmon from March. The lower beats up to Haydon Bridge are generally the earliest to fish. Surprisingly the average weights of the South Tyne salmon are the heaviest in the system and a great place to start your campaign.

As a true spate river the South Tyne generally needs rains to encourage fish to enter the river, although recently salmon have appeared on low water. Above Haydon Bridge there are excellent pools which begin to provide fish consistently in April and continue throughout the summer. Summer floods see fish spreading quickly through the system with the Bardon Mill area giving extremely good sport.

If the rainfall is a little above average a surprisingly early run of both salmon and sea trout will access the pools in the lower part of the upper reaches, the secret is to react to the rains! In a wet summer salmon will run well upriver, with Haltwhistle and Featherstone holding fish due to the presence of weirs and pools. Late summer water brings sustained runs of migratory fish right through the system with splendid autumn runs all the way up to Alston. There is great sport to be had on the South Tyne.