Fishing on the Upper TeesDale and Harwood Beck. 25th August 2023
This complementary day ticket was given to me as a result of my last visit on the Lower Tees and having to compete with atrocious weather, which in simple terms was a wash out. However it did in fact give me the first time opportunity to fish the high bolder scattered moorland streams of Harwood Beck and the Teesdale river between Cronkley Bridge down to the last pool before the quarry towards Lune Foot, all on the west bank as I was fishing on the Strathmoor Estate waters.
The Upper Teesdale, to give it its correct name, rises on the slopes of Cross Fell, a remote moorland area between Durham and Yorkshire, a land of Basalt and Limestone rock and falls into the River Tees drainage basin along with the River Skerne and Leven.
I had never realised how remote and rugged this area is. I purchased my day ticket from the butchers shop in Middleton in Teesdale for £6.00, and this ticket gave me 9 miles of water and a map, and now driving another 28 miles of narrow Yorkshire lanes to reach the starting point. As I turned off the lane on to a type of bridle path, or track, there was a sign which read, Fisherman go slow, livestock around you, watch your sump and exhaust and keep to the right as you cross the cattle grids. A further 2 miles of track and I park up, the track consist of steep ups and downs hairpin bends a ford, with camber completely the wrong way, slippery slate rock, track surface awash with running water. The track would have been ok if you’re in a John Deer tractor or a 4×4.Jeep.
I was again with Jonathan, a local of these waters and knows them like the back of his hand. We set up 2 x 3w, 10ft rods with double tapper line, 5ft furled leader, then 5ft of 5lb mono tippet, one dry fly and the other a duel set with dry, and wet flies. The flies were a black magic nymph, on the point and a type of F fly on the dropper made of a mixture of CDC, with a peacock body all on size 14 and we stayed with them all day.
I am used to wadding on Welsh bed rock for hours at a time, with a stick, but these shallow waters of slim covered boulders are something else. The plan was to walk up the edge of the river for about 2.5 miles, then on the return we would fish the pools and then pocket fish, the small pools.
It took me a good 2hours to pick my way along the bank, some times in the water where fences mark boundaries. I took 2 ducklings along the way, got tangled in a gorse bush, found myself lying on the bank absolutely exhausted twice. My thoughts ‘I am getting to old for this, and could I get mountain rescue to get me back.’ Up I get and off I go again and 20 mins latter I am at the point where we start to fish.
The sport was fantastic, all thoughts of the walk gone the sun is out and I am drying out, we both caught fish at one point Jonathan hooked a 3lb approx. trout it jumped out landed back and snapped the 5lb Tibbet, we caught a total of 26 fish, my best fish for the day was 1×1.5lb and 3 all between ¾ and 1lb, lost a few, some self-despatched themselves, all wild and fighting hard to get them in the net. And then it’s the return journey, I have never pocket fished before, well now I know you fish the same set up although shorten the distance between the flies to a max of 14inch. Basically you fish a lagoon type area between the boulders off the main flow of water. If I was fishing the Wye on the pylon beat I would just wade out over this area, never realising it holds fish.
I had to rest again but eventually I got back to the car. What a day! I got back to base 9hours after I started and short rally stage to get back to the lane, on the 2nd attempt I got up the slippery stones.
On reflection a great day, fabulous sport, Fantastic River just shows you’re never too old to learn other fishing ways. Only problem the mind is all go, but the rest of the body is slowing down.
Andrew Ayres
Total mileage 565
Grayling Society, WFD, C&GFD, Ludlow fly dressers and FDG member.
Worcester Fly Dressers 