Stillwater · Limestone · Yorkshire Dales

Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery

Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery terrain map

Mainsgill is a limestone fishery in the Yorkshire Dales, which is to say it sits on rock that does the water a favour.

Fair · Rainbow
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
45% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindW 26 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Moderate breeze
W 26 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp—
Air temp12°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery. Advice is based on the typical character of yorkshire, durham & northumberland small fisheries — local knowledge of this specific fishery will sharpen these suggestions.
Where
Start with Damsel Nymph (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Damsel Nymph (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
51%
Cloud70%
Wind30%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
River Ure
9.0 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Kilnsey Park Estate
18 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
River Swale
20 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Leighton Reservoir
28 km
Rainbow trout
Leighton Reservoir
28 km
Rainbow trout
About this water

Mainsgill is a limestone fishery in the Yorkshire Dales, which is to say it sits on rock that does the water a favour. Limestone makes for alkaline, fertile water, and fertile water makes for good buzzer hatches and well-conditioned fish — the rainbows here have something to eat between stockings, and the browns grow into proper fish. The Dales setting means clean cool water and weather that can deal you four seasons before lunch, so dress accordingly and don't trust the forecast. On a soft grey day with a ripple, the buzzer fishing can be genuinely good; on a hard bright one, go small, go deep, and be patient. Best read by wind, light and water temperature.

  • Fishery
  • Limestone
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Terrestrials are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Patterns drawn from the Yorkshire, Durham & Northumberland Small Fisheries regional profile.
Related guides
Small Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
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