Stillwater · Limestone · Yorkshire Dales, GB-ENG

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
Partridge and Orange · 14-16
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
46% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindSE 21 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange14-16
Upstream, in the film
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
SE 21 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp10.6°C
Air temp11°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery well for autumn tactics. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently. 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 Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. 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 Pheasant Tail Nymph (14-16) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. 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

A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

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 as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
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

Spider-heavy and practical. Strong tradition of North Country soft hackles, useful nymphing, and simple dry flies when fish rise properly.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Mainsgill Farm Trout Fishery — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
River Swale
15 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Jubilee Lakes
16 km
Rainbow trout
River Balder
21 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Hury Reservoir
22 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
West House Trout Lakes
24 km
Rainbow trout · Brown 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
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • 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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