A southwesterly has held for 10 hours, running colder than the water (4°C air against 7°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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.
Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.
Hatch predictions
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Hatch predictions
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Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Fly recommendations
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A good match for Leighton Reservoir — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.
A Trout Masters water that produces fish over 10lb; reopened March 2025 under new management.
A 105-acre, 90ft-deep fly-only bank-fished moorland reservoir near Masham, stocked with rainbow trout from nearby Swinton Trout Farm.
A southwesterly has held for 10 hours, running colder than the water (4°C air against 7°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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.
Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.
Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.
Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.
Hatch predictions
Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Fly recommendations
Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
A good match for Leighton Reservoir — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.
A Trout Masters water that produces fish over 10lb; reopened March 2025 under new management.
Leighton Reservoir is a reservoir in Yorkshire / North Yorkshire, England. The catchment geology is recorded as sandstone, and the water sits at about 193 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is rainbow trout. The trout season is recorded as running from 1 March to 10 January. Best window recorded for anglers: March to early January (closed early Jan to mid Feb). Core methods listed: Nymph; buzzer; dry fly. Nearby waters in our listings include Leighton Reservoir at < 1 km, Leighton Reservoir at < 1 km and River Burn at 7.0 km.
