The river Eden can be a very productive river and is home to a myriad of fish both indigenous to the river such as the Brown Trout Grayling and not to forget the Chubb (which can also be caught on the fly) and anadromous species such as Salmon, Sea Trout and even Sea Lampreys and like most water courses it is also home to that well known catadramous species the Eel, but our target species on the fly are the game fish we have come to know so well, the Salmon , Sea Trout , Brown Trout and Grayling which because of their differing close seasons allows us to fish for at least one of those species for certain periods all year round which means we don't have to pack away our fly rod at all if we don't want to.
With the river rising high in the hills near the North Yorkshire border and flowing Northwesterly for 90 miles from source to sea, eventually opening out into the Solway Firth at the end of it's journey, there are plenty of opportunities for the angler to hone their skills against their preferred quarry and increase their success rate.
The large numbers of returning migratory fish are testament to the cleanliness of the river and it's excellent spawning grounds and as well as being a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) it is also an (SSSI) Site of Special Scientific Interest for most of it's course.
Spring runs of Salmon are not prolific, but are definitely on the increase up to around May time, then June to August can produce some good Grilse fishing and you can also encounter some good summer Salmon during that period. Sea trout were once almost expected in June but can now appear anytime between May and July and even later with the earlier fish tending to be larger. There is no doubt at all that the best period for Salmon is the last 6 weeks of the season in September and October, but August can also be good if we get the correct water conditions, although if the water stays low then the lower reaches will generally fish better.
Tackle: For Salmon on the fly a 14ft 9/10# or 15ft 10/11# Salmon rod will cover most situations on the main Salmon fishing beats, in addition to this a WF floating line and sinking line to match the above rating, or simply a floater with a set of tips to cover several different sink rates allowing you to fish a variety of depths for various flows and water levels.
Tackle: For Sea trout a 9ft 6" 7/8# will suffice for both day and night fishing with WF floating line, tips can be used, but an intermediate or medium sink line can be very effective especially at night when these fish are in attendance.
Brown trout fishing is good throughout the season from March 15th onward with some good quality fish taken regularly between March and May although these fish are in attendance throughout the season and will take a well presented fly.
Grayling are just magnificent creatures and come to the fly consistently throughout their season which runs from June 16th to March 14th extending your fly fishing season throughout the winter
months.
Tackle: A 9ft rod for a 5# or 6# WF floating line is a good compromise to cover most situations for both Brown trout and Grayling fishing for either the dry fly, wet fly or nymphing techniques.
As a general guide, warmer temperatures smaller flies (e.g. summer) and colder temperatures larger flies (e.g. early and very late season) although it is worth ringing the changes if the fishing is slow.
Click on the following link for some fly pattern suggestions for all of the above species. Fishing Flies
Spinning is also allowed on many of the beats (but not all) and can also be quite productive given the right conditions, usually following a spate when the water is falling & clearing.
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