News

Early season with summer levels

After the long winter it’s finally time to be out on the river again, river conditions are at summer levels, so now is the time to get out and find those big elusive browns that are only seen at the beginning of the season but are usually in places inaccessible due to high water level.

The good weather has also made it possible for us to get the first fish stocked into the river slightly earlier so they should all be switched over on to naturals in time for the Easter bank holiday with more fish being added on a regular basis.

Last weekend we held our first masterclass of the season with Charles Jardine and next week Jim Curry will be running a casting masterclass for a small group of TAC members. We are blessed to have the support of so many world renowned fly-fisherman and thank them for the significant contribution they are making to the Club.

It’s great to see members taking full advantage of these opportunities and I am sure that with a little bit more casting distance and accuracy you may land yourself one of the many large over wintered fish. Richard Williams caught a 6lb brown trout last week, a nice surprise, and Owen Candy’s son Alexander landed his first trout.

I look forward to seeing you on the river bank soon, tight lines!

Robert Russell (River Keeper)

A great working party today in the sun!

Thanks to all who attended.

Our work focused on repairs to the steps at Wood’s Stream (Beat 2 – 14).
•⁠ ⁠The hand rail has been removed, due to condition (We will look to replace on another working party).
•⁠ ⁠⁠The steps at the top have been repaired.
•⁠ ⁠⁠Additional work is required towards the bottom of the steps due to one missing.

Further repairs are required, so please take care if using the steps to access the river while repair works continue.

Next working party Saturday 10th May, 10.00.

Saturday 8th March – Our first working party of the season was a great success, there is now a clear path between Low Sides and the Island (Sow Dub).

Future working parties for your diaries below, meet at Hatchery Flats (10am), coffee and Beavers pork pies provided!

Sunday 6th April
Saturday 10th May
Saturday 7th June
Wednesday 18th June

Thanks to Robert, Will, Tim, Dave and Matt for their support.

Following a recent visit to The Tanfield Angling Club from fly fishing legend Charles Jardine, he wrote an article about the Club for Fly Fishing & Fly tying Magazine (April 2025).

The article provides an excellent history of the club, the excellent fishing and challenges of fishing the River Ure and even a few recommendations on how to fish it!.  Thank you Charles!

Tom Sturdy was the first Tanfield Angling Club River keeper and he became Water Bailiff on £1 per week in March 1899. ‘Silent Tom’ (as he was known) was credited with the ability ‘to train fish to be free risers to the fly’. No one has ever worked out how but perhaps it was something to do with his ‘Sturdy’s Fancy’. This was a particularly successful grayling fly he designed (tying instructions are given in the September 2016 edition of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying).

Following in the fly-tying footsteps of Tom Sturdy, the club held its first fly-tying event on Sunday 10 Oct, with half a dozen members attending, and by all accounts it was a journey of discovery for attendees, we even managed to tie some F-Flies. How effective they are remains to be discovered!

The next evening will be at The Bruce Arms, in West Tanfield on Sunday 10th November at 18:00.  For those interested and new to tying we will by tying the Brassie Nymph, and for those more experienced tiers just come along for the social.

We have devised a beginner programme and included several of the Fly Dressers Guild Award Scheme flies, so you can follow the one that works for you, alternatively you can just come along and do your own thing. 

There will be a small fee per evening £10 per evening, and a supplement of £5 for materials if you would like to follow the beginners programme (which is open to everyone).

If you would like to attend please drop Owen an email – [email protected]

Internationally acclaimed fly-fishing instructor, author and artist, Charles Jardine and local fly-fishing guide, six times English National Fly Fishing Champion and contributor to the UK’s leading Fly Fishing Publications, Fred Bainbridge presented two Masterclass events at Tanfield Angling Club on 26/27 October.

Charles ran through his set ups for dry fly, rivercraft and demonstrated his world-class casting techniques whilst Fred focussed on a variety of nymphing set-ups and demonstrated his hugely successful Euro-nymphing techniques.

On the Saturday evening Charles hosted a fly-tying demonstration at Riverdale.

Thanks to Riverdale and Oliver’s Pantry for their support of the event.

05.06.24

Club member Tim with his superb 6lb (weighed and witnessed!) brown trout. Fantastic work, Tim!

24.05.24

Last October, the club was delighted to host the superb fisherman and artist, Charles Jardine, who gave us instruction both on the river and at nearby Tanfield Lodge Lake. It was a pleasure to witness his artful casting first-hand, and Charles was the picture of patience when trying to instruct us to do the same. Thank you Charles!

Charles pictured with club member Bill at Tanfield Lodge Lake.

18.5.24

The good weather over the weekend has seen sporadic Mayfly hatches begin on the river, and turning over a few rocks has revealed an abundance of nymphs waiting to hatch. We should be in for an excellent Mayfly season!

The photograph above shows club member Tim enjoying some sport on Hatchery Flats.

All in a Day’s Work! Getting ready for the new season in 2020!