my wife and i are planning a few days camping around may time at ullswater. can anyone give me any info on the bank fishing possibilities at ullswater or surrounding tarns? hopefully terry c will read this! many thanks, terry.

Terry C Ain't here any more - but he did cover this in a previous thread last yr - do a search!

Edit: Try here: Lake District - Mountain Tarns

had a look on the thread, very helpful regarding the various tarns etc. but it was info on ullswater itself i really need. whats happened to terry c?

Quote TC "

Hi', All. Fishing Ullswater from a boat has always been regarded as being superior
to wading. I have owned my own boats, have used a float tube, in the mid-1980s,
and both methods caught me more trout than I ever had fishing dry or wet from
the bank by day.
Regarding privacy and fishing ownership, the owner of a piece of land bordering
the lake owns the right to fish the water from the bank. He/she can't stop you
drifting down the bank and fishing, as long as you don't anchor up, because then
you would be mooring in effect, and you do not have the right to go ashore on
private land. Since the owner of land that is fronted by a river owns the bed out to
the middle of the river, I suppose it is possible that the owner of a lakeside plot
owns the bed out to the middle of the lake. If there is a limit, I wish someone more
knowledgeable than I would let me know, because I have often anchored way out
in the lake, and have waded there, also, and caught fish in the shoal area, which
measures about 80 yards by 40 of fishable water. Fishable in that it is not too deep
to fish, but it's too deep to wade very far.The cormorants go there, too.
If wading, the north bank, from near the Outward Bound School on towards Aira
Green, is pretty accessible and has far more parking points than the south, or
Howtown, shoreline. I don't fish off the shore these days, didn't fish the lake at all
last year, but I used to like some of the north bank bits. Some of the nicest wading
is in Glencoyne Bay, which also has a car park. From there back down to Aira has
some pretty rocky wading inshore, but it can be good in a south-westerly. The
bank, as you approach Aira Bay, has fewer trees. There is a car park at Aira.
However, Aira Point has been private as long as I can remember. The fishing
around the beck mouth can be good when there is a freshet, but watch your feet,
there is a fast roll-off in Aira Bay, about 45 degrees!!
Back again towards the Outward Bound, there is a succession of pull-ins, from
which you can cock a leg over on to the gravel, if you have long legs.
In the stretch known as Dobbinwood, there is, again, a fast roll-off, but the bay
nearest the O/Bound has fair wading.
Generally speaking, if there is just a narrow strip of non-productive land between
the road and the water, you will be OK, but the attractive bit of fishing between the
'concrete harbour, ( near Rampsbeck Hotel ) and that picture postcard boat house
on the notorious bend in the road, where you can park, is said to be private,
although there is only one notice, up past the cottage at Floshgate, where there is
a private jetty.
I would advise anyone wishing to fish the lake to buy an OS map. Also, don't quote
me if you are caught on private land. I wish the owners would erect Private Fishing
signs, if they don't want anglers on their property.
Cheers.TC "

thanks very much, very informative

....of course the locals tend to have access to a boat. As a visitor, unless there's more choice since when I last fished it, you only have one option boat hire-wise for fishing and thats Jared at Glenridding Marine at the southern end. He has (or did have) 2 boats, kitted out with electric motors, for full day hire. A bit pricey - £30 or maybe more now I think - but the fishing itself is free at least. All the other boat hire places really just hire motor boats by the hour for tourists. If you call Norris's in Penrith first, depending on when you're going, they should be able to tell you if the mayfly are out, if so get some big wet patterns and fish on the drift, hugging the shoreline. Otherwise black pennels and other traditional wet, mainly black/dark patterns caught for us. Nice way to spend a day - motor half way up and spend the rest of the day drifting back!

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There are a number of campsites at Pooley Bridge. Not sure if you can fish from the bank of the campsite on the lake.

Take the road from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding. After Watermillock watch out for various laybys a bit further on the left. If you've got waders you can slip in there and will catch all day long (in the right month)

BE VERY CAREFUL IT SHELVES OFF IN PLACES - PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED.

In my experience Ullswater fishes best with total cloud cover. The gloomier, the better. If you don't get these conditions at the times when you can fish, consider a visit to Haweswater where there's free fishing. But then there are the Rivers Lowther and Eamont nearby too. Penrith AA sell tickets.

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cumbriafishingfestival.co.uk

Lifejacket!

Not much I can add to this Terry, TC covered most of it in his usual style.
I bought a float tube last year, and hope to use it this year on Ullswater.
I live quite close to the lake, and have fished it many times, but have never done well on it, it can be a frustrating water at times.
It fishes best in the shallows, and I intend to paddle out maybe 30 yds and fish back in to the shore line.
A friend of mine Geoff Johnson, a local guide does very well on the lake, he seems to have cracked it.
There was an article in T&S last year which was good reading, Geoff was guiding the boat for them.
As david states, some good day ticket water to be had on the Eden, Lowther and Eamont, and if you go into John Norris's in Penrith, they will sort you out.
Hope that helps, enjoy.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.