Recent catch at Sharpley Springs

View over Sharpley Springs from Vision Hill

On a clear day looking southeast from Vision Hill, the Scarborough coastline is visible in the distance.

It is rumoured that the naturally wet ground fed by ancient aquifers at the foot of Vision Hill (Now Sharpley Springs Fly Fishery may have been the location that St Cuthbert's coffin cart became stuck in the mud at Warden Law. 

"The legend follows the journey of a group of Lindisfarnemonks carrying the body of Saint Cuthbert in 995 AD. It is told that while they were wandering in the north, Saint Cuthbert’s bier came to a halt on the hill at Warden Law and the monks could not move it any further, no matter how hard they tried. The Bishop of Chester-le-Street (where Saint Cuthbert had previously lain) called a three day holy fast and prayers for the Saint. Saint Bede recalled that during this time, Saint Cuthbert appeared before one of the monks, Eadmer, and told him that his coffin must be taken to “Dun Holm”. After this revelation, the coffin was able to be moved again but none of the monks had heard of Dun Holm or knew where to find it. But by chance, they met a milkmaid on Mount Joy, south east of the site of Durham, who was wandering, searching for her lost Dun Cow, which she had last seen at Dun Holm. Yes! Taking this as a sign from Saint Cuthbert, the monks followed the milkmaid who guided them to a "wooded hill-island formed by a tight gorge-like meander of the River Wear", Dun Holm. When they arrived they built first a wooden and then a stone, structure of Durham Cathedral and around this the settlement grew. Dun Cow Lane follows from the East to the Cathedral in the current city, perhaps this marks the direction the monks first arrived from with the milkmaid?" - courtesy of www.historic-uk.com 

Derek grabham of nunthorpe receiving £1000 for tag fish winner at sharply spring trout fishery Seaham. Fought on a size 14 hook with a mini yellow nimph worm. Cought on the doxfird lake. Still another tagged fish at £500 + bounty.

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report July 25th 2011

Although well stocked with doubles this week the big fish have been the most challenging with a 13lb 5oz Blue being caught with a Black Fritz by Dave Robson from Seaham. Adam Brown residing in South Shields took a 7lb 1 oz Rainbow using a Grey Zonker. The evening fishing from 6pm to 10.30pm provide the best sport of the day with Peter Appleby from Bishop Auckland releasing 11 trout as the sun sets.
Bill Hope from Sunderland released a naturalised Brownie at 4 lbs. Nathan Bryant from Dunston netted fish to a total of 18 lbs.
Rod average 3.1

Tactics

For dry fly sport the hatches of midge that occur early and late in the day can be relied upon. Cdc emerger buzzers are generally the most effective,with olive shuttlecocks still the best. In the evenings and,indeed, throughout the day to a lesser extent,dry sedges can attract trout. Like with the buzzers,cdc patterns are excellent and the traditional deer hair imitations shouldn't be ignored either. Pulled wet sedge pupal flies are unbeatable as the evening light is lost. Damsel nymphs and buzzer pupae large and small are go-to flies in the absence of an obvious hatch and the resident brown trout continue to offer good marginal stalking. Fly box;

Olive shuttlecock
Black buzzer
GRHE
cdc sedge
Whidkhams fanc
Invicta
Daddylonglegs

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report 10th July 2011

Great early evening rises with swallows dipping for emerging flies. Wade Brown from Preston Village on his weekly visit to Sharpley Springs caught one of the elusive Big Rainbow trout's, returning a 17 lb 2 oz monster and also a small blue at 10 lbs.
Brad Bute from Sunderland used a Black Buzzer to take a 13 pounder and his pal T Hanratty a 7 pounder.. P Beagarie returned 15 fish and Drren Walker from lonbenton 14 again on Buzzers. Peter Hopeby from Bishop Auckland released the biggest catch of the week with 23 trout. Peter Appleby also from Bishop Auckland bring to the net 22 Blues and Rainbows

The tag fish still remain uncaught with a £500 bounty on its fin.

Rod average 3.8

Tactics

Early anglers are seeing olive spinners dancing in the still air and the trout are more than willing to accept a well-placed pheasant tail
imitation. Spent style,flat in the surface film is best. Later in the morning small green buzzer hatches are the norm with the resident fish sipping many at the point of emergence.No surprise then that shuttlecocks are the top fly pattern. Damsels are increasing in number and their nymphs are showing in
spoonings but the real excitement is still to be had as the light begins to fade and sedges of several species make their appearance. Brown cdc's
(size14 or 16),sedgehogs and invictas will all work.

Fly box;


Buzzers
olive shuttlecock
pheasant tail spinner
GRHE
Damsel nymph
Daddylonglegs
Sedgehog
Cdc sedge
Invicta

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report 28th June 2011

Sharpley Leisure were thrilled with the resounding success of the Jack Charlton Junior Disabled Cup competition held again at Sharpley Springs Fishery. Jack Charlton, patron of the association, was there to share his wealth of angling knowledge and assist in the prize giving presentations with the Mayor of Seaham, Councillor Barbara Ramshaw.

The Sharpley Springs trophy for the Heaviest Bag went to Michael Easton for an amazing 4 fish totalling 19lbs 9ozs.

The Sunderland Echo Trophy for the Heaviest Single Fish went to Zandra Green who landed a beauty which weighed in at 7lb 2ozs.

The Seaham Town Council Trophy was won by Portland College.

The Northern Bait Farm Trophy for Person of the Match was won by Michael Graham and the North Tyneside Coalition for Disabled People Trophy for the smallest fish was lifted by Emma Booth.

The four group winners were Scott Cartledge for the 10 and unders, Layton Forster in the 11 and 12s, Zandra Green won the 13 to 15 year-olds and Hernez Errington was first in the 16 and 17-year-olds; a great achievement by all of them

Over the last week the Big fish seemed to have been taking their annual holidays as the best recorded fish was a 12 pounder caught by Micheal Easton. Grace and Hannah Weightman aged 7 and 5 both caught their first fighting blue trout at Sharpley Springs at 3lbs each and Zac Dauda aged 5 following in his father footsteps taking his first fish at Sharpley with a 3 pounder.

The most catch over the week was by Paul Fenny from Hartlepool who released 26 fish from Buzzers and Drys, while the same day Peter Appleby from Bishop Auckland also fished well netting 20 Trout. A couple of days earlier Bobby Jaskowks from Great Ayton brought to the net a creditable 21 trout, and Wade Brown of Tynemouth also hit double figures during the week with a fine 11.

Buzzers in black and olive remain the mainstay and the choice can alter
day to day(sometimes hour to hour).Pupal patterns fished just
sub-surface can attract attention when all else fails.Given rising
trout,cdc buzzer imitations have been good-shuttlecocks or palominos in
sizes from 20 up to 12.
When there is no obvious hatch,damsels and daddylonglegs h
ave been picking up good fish whilst the patient angler awaits the final
very sedgy hour of daylight.This can be spectacularly good with bushy
dries and pulled invictas all scoring.

fly box;
olive/black buzzer pupae
black shuttlecock
olive shipmans
hare's ear sugar cube
Kate Mclaren
Damsel nymph
daddylonglegs
sedgehog
silver invicta
fluff cats

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report 21st June 2011

The lakes are all still fishing well despite the prolific plant life in two of the lakes. Double Blues around the 10 to 12 lb mark have been returned by Stan Short from Gateshead netting nine trout the biggest at 10lb 12 ozs. Bob O Conner also from Gateshead took a 12 pounder using a Fluff white Cat. Phil Towers from Sunderland returned 11 with a Rainbow of 10lbs 9ozs. Paul Fenny from Hartlepool used buzzers and Dries to return 27 trout. Peter Appleby from Bishop Auckland on a four hour ticket caught 15 fish and on his return visit another 26. Glen and Dean Appleby released 35 trout , David Cuthbert caught 19 trout.

Jack Charlton Children's fishing Event is being held at Sharpley Springs on the Alice and Albert, we still need more volunteers for Sunday the 26th June so please ring 0191 5814821.

We apologies for any inconvenience to our anglers on Tuesday as we will be Weed Cutting the Hangman's Lake only.

Tactics

A smattering of big buzzers -in addition to the spasmodic hatches of smaller species- has kept things interesting during the day, though the real fun is to be had early morning and at dusk when sedges show their presence.

Quickly pulled wet sedge imitations are deadly at this time. Invictas and winged march browns are reliable patterns.

Dry fly sport can be had with dry sedges of many denominations,though deer-hair versions take some beating.
During the bulk of the day olive and hare's ear shuttlecock buzzers have taken many a trout and that old classic the kate mclaren has shown its worth-fished dry or stripped wet.

Fly box;

Daddy

Black Buzzers
Olive/hare's ear shuttlecock
Kate Mclaren
g and h sedge
Iinvicta
March brown wet
Green sugar cube