Fishing at Derwent Reservoir was a first for me and what an amazing place it is. And it is right on Hepple Hill’s door step.
I have lived in the area for nearly 25 years and had rarely visited: what a mistake! There are walks, a playground, picnic areas, a cafe, lots of special events and, of course, the fishing.
Derwent Waterside Park is just a couple of miles from Edmundbyres. You can walk to Pow Hill Country Park from the cottage. Turn right and walk along the Blanchland road. It takes about 15 minutes. There is no footpath so if you have children it might be best to hop in the car and drive a couple of minutes to the main centre on the other side of Edmundbyres (by the narrow bridge).
You can do course fishing, bait fishing for trout and fly fishing at Derwent. Check out their website for all the information about fishing permits and licences. I decided to try fly fishing for the first time and took family friend Frank Gray with me. Frank has been fly fishing all his life and turned out to be an excellent teacher.
We bought our day tickets at the shop (main entrance to the Reservoir by the bridge). Your day pass includes parking for the day. I had already bought my fishing licence at https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
The shop has plenty of fishing gear and a good place to get help. There are cold snacks (I think there are plans to serve hot food), teas and coffees and a nice outdoor seating area.
Frank knows Derwent well so we drove to our spot near the sailing club end of the reservoir. He had brought a rod and reel for me and a pair of waders! Yes, I was going in!
Obviously fly fishing is not as easy as it looks. The first thing I learned was that a rod is not a stick and to let this specialised piece of equipment do the work but as I began I made the common rookie error of ‘cracking’ my line like a whip. I managed to stop that with a slight pause at the top of my cast but poor Frank must have said ‘too far back’ a hundred times as I tried to master getting my line in the water. I wasn’t allowed a hook on my line at this stage and was left to practise while Frank fished alongside. He, of course, made it look effortless.
I enjoyed standing in the water in my waders and now understand how being by water and focusing on your line is an excellent way to relax. Unfortunately for me the wind was getting up, making life hard for a novice. I pinched Frank’s jacket and popped my hoodie up but kept going.
The bailiff (a sort of fishing policeman!) came to have a chat and told us the chap along from us had caught 5 trout – I pestered Frank into letting me have a hook and fly. I think he feared I was going to hook myself but I was feeling confident and once Frank set me up I was hopeful I would catch something. Now I was really enjoying myself – back and forth with my line, practising feeding it through my fingers and expecting the tug of an enormous trout at any minute.
After about 15 minutes or so I checked my line to discover my hook and fly were gone. No wonder I hadn’t caught anything. All that expectation for nothing. Frank said I had probably caught it on some grass behind me when I was casting my line out. I was allowed a second chance and a different fly – the same one the successful angler had been using.
It was not to be. No fish for either Frank or me. Not the best weather either but I really enjoyed my afternoon standing in Derwent Reservoir with my rod and line. I will definitely be back.
On the way home, I bought Frank a pint of Guinness at The Baa in Edmundbyers. This is such a good bar with its cobbled floor and cosy atmosphere. Cheers, Frank! Thanks for your excellent tuition.
