A brief trip to Gozzer's county

[Vagabond]

The week before Wingham we spent at a small farmhouse in Swaledale with other members of the family. The main activity was walking and birdwatching, but I did have a couple of days trout-fishing on the Swale.

 

Now I knew they were tight in Yorkshire, but I hadn't expected this - gates (what's the local name Gozzer ?) too narrow to get a #12 fell boot through

 

 

Here's where we stayed

 

and here is the bit of river I fished - Its even further down than it looks - needed to climb down a couple of hundred feet to fish, then climb back up again, managed it twice, so not too bad for an 80-year-old - well I was only 79 then, birthday coming the next week

 

 

and here is a sample of what I caught

 

and it attracted a couple of Highlander spectators

 

In the course of our walks the footpath went through a churchyard and we saw the highest age for a husband and wife that we have ever seen. Husband 106, wife 103. A good target to aim at !

 

No doubt Gozzer will tell us its what's in the Yorkshire "watter" that does it.

[Tigger]

Great pic's Dave ...my favourite is the first one with the extra thin style type of thing that your supposed to climb/ squeeze through or whatever .

 

Hope the fish tasted good .

[Steve Walker]

It's not the water, they just won't be bloody told when they've died.

[gozzer]

Hi Dave, where did you stay, it looks to be around Richmond/Reeth area?

 

I've no idea what they call those gaps in the walls, but they're a sod to get through, though having long legs does help.

 

I think it's the clean air, and walking up and down those hills that keeps them going. It does look a bit ominous for those two to be hanging about in churchyards though.

 

I like the Swale, although I've not fished much above Catterick, that's where the coarse fishing really starts. I spent most of my late teenage holidays camping by the lower Swale, chasing barbel and chub.

 

John.

[Dales]

Dave, nice report and pics.

[chesters1]

I have seen more highland cattle outside of the highlands than in them ( same with scots themselves) ,theres a few down the road from here and ofcourse the animal of fashion the alpaca.

Strangely when the naturalists come up with their almost extinct animals they refer to wild ones when some of our rare breeds have far less numbers than some on the endangered lists

We did the pennine way plus most of hadrians wall in 1974 all i can remember of the "norf" is wet and tea tasting of peat from the streams (wink)

Out on the moors its quiet but just down on hankley common outside of the rush hour its even quieter and a damn sight drier

 

We took a rod on our travels and at every opportunity took a trout or two for the pot there wasnt much course fishing in the rivers in northumberland then it seemed ,just trout and more trout the further south you went the more managed the waters and less trout

Edited May 19, 2014 by chesters1

[Vagabond]

Hi Dave, where did you stay, it looks to be around Richmond/Reeth area?

Spot on, John, but then I would expect you to know your Yorkshire rivers.

 

Caught trout both days, after a hard slog there and back - that "hedge" running across the middle of the picture isn't a hedge at all. It is a very steep bank and the "hedge" is really a line of tree tops that grow at the bottom of the slope.

 

Thoroughly enjoyed the fishing and most certainly will be back.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Vagabond