Washburn Valley Fishery

Washburn Valley Fishery covers three reservoirs run directly by Yorkshire Water: Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross, in the Washburn Valley between Otley, Harrogate and Skipton, next to the A59 at Blubberhouses. The valley takes its name from the River Washburn, which feeds the reservoir chain on its way down to join the River Wharfe.

Fewston and Swinsty are both a hundred and fifty three acres and sit side by side behind a shared dam wall. Fewston is stocked regularly through the season with rainbow trout averaging a pound and six ounces, the biggest caught so far running past fourteen pounds, and also holds wild brown trout, which must always be returned. Swinsty carries trout too, and is the only one of the three where spinning and coarse fishing are allowed alongside fly fishing, with a separate, cheaper ticket for coarse anglers. Thruscross, a short drive further north, is a wilder, more remote hundred and forty acre water given over entirely to wild brown trout, every one of which must be returned, with fishing kept to a handful of named banks.

Every ticket is bought by card from the machine at Swinsty Moor car park, next to the fishing office, where anglers register before heading out and hand in a catch return on the way back. Day, evening, winter and season tickets are all sold for fly fishing. Children sixteen and under fish free alongside a paying adult. Each reservoir has at least one car park of its own, and toilets are at Swinsty Moor.