Fishing in Derby

Fishing in Derby has a great deal to offer the keen fisherman with some superb rivers and lakes on which to cast your rod. Whether you prefer coarse fishing, fly fishing or specialist carp fishing you will find some beautiful locations to enjoy your sport in Derby. Use our fishing Derby guide to help you find the perfect fishery for you.

Many of the Derby fishing & Angling waters are reserved by organisations such as Pride of Derby Fishing Club, Derby Railway Angling Club or Derbyshire County Angling Club for their members, however there are also many areas of rivers and lakes that are available to be fished by the general public by purchasing a fishing day ticket permit.

Fisheries in Derbyshire

With such a vast amount of scenic countryside surrounding Derby there is no end of different places to fish in Derbyshire. As a result there are also a vast amount of fisheries in Derbyshire for you to choose from. The most appropriate fishery in Derbyshire for you will depend on the type of bait you intend to use and therefore the type of fish you are angling for. No need to employ a Derby fisheries consultants, just use our Derby fishing guide below.

Fly Fisheries in Derbyshire - If you are fly fishing in Derbyshire then you will most likely be angling for trout. Below is a selection of the best fly fisheries in Derbyshire.

River Derwent – There are a couple of fisheries on the river Derwent for fly fishing. One is in Matlock Bath and the other in Darley Dale. These areas are used primarily by Derby Railway Angling Club and as such you would need membership to fish them.

River Dove – Another popular fly fishery in Derbyshire but again fishing is for members only. This stretch belongs to the Leek and District Fly Fishing Association

River Ecclesbourne – This fly fishery in Derbyshire is also reserved for members of the Derby Railway Angling Club

Alton Manor Farm – This Derbyshire fishery is based near Wirksworth and is available for non members to fish with a day ticket permit.

Carsington Reservoir – Also known as Carsington Water, this Derbyshire fishery is one of the most popular and is open from April to October. Day tickets are available at around £12 for the full day with a maximum of 6 fish and evening tickets are £10 for 4 fish.

Carsington Water, Ashbourne, postcode: DE6 1^ST

Non-Fly Fisheries in Derbyshire - If you are not looking to catch trout then you will most likely be using a non-fly bait such as sweetcorn or broilies and as such will be fishing for carp, tench, pike, perch, roach, bream, chub or grayling. Below is a selection of non-fly fisheries in Derbyshire.

River Trent – There are 6 different fisheries in Derbyshire on the river Trent that are available to fish and here you can catch a variety of different fish including Pike, Perch, Roach, Chub, Barbel, Bream and Dace. All 6 areas are reserved for the Derby Railway Angling Club so membership is required to fish them. The areas of the Trent are Shardlow (the crown bend), Kings Mill, Castle Donnington (West Meadow), Castle Donnington (Washlands), Swarkestone and Weston on Trent.

River Dove – Again there are several fisheries on this river but all require membership to DRAC.

River Derwent – The river Derwent has three fisheries in Derbyshire on its banks which are reserved for members of the following angling clubs:

Derby Railway Angling Club, Belper and District Angling Club, Warrington Anglers Association.

Butterley Reservoir – This Derbyshire fishery is an ideal location for catching Carp, tench, bream, Roach and Pike and, although it is run by Ripley & District Angling Club, day tickets are available to non members. The reservoir is located at Butterley Hill, Ripley in Derbyshire.

Derby Angling Clubs & Societies

There are a number of different angling clubs and societies in Derby and surrounding Derbyshire each with its own areas of water reserved for its members. Below is a guide to fishing clubs and angling societies along with their contact details to help you find your nearest:

Pride of Derby Angling Association – This angling club dates back to the 19^th century and has a good variety of different waters for its members to fish including Grimshaws Lake, Olvers Lake, the river Trent, river Derwent, Pride lake and Redhouse lake.

Membership fees: Season ticket £85, OAPs/Disabled £50

Address: Mercia Drive, Willington, Derby

Postcode: DE65 6DA

Phone: 01283 702 701

Derby Railway Angling Club – Originally set up for workers from the Midland Railway, the Derby Railway Angling Club is one of the largest and best known angling clubs in Derby. As a result the venues available for its members to fish are very vast and diverse and include the rivers Dove, Derwent, Ecclesbourne and Trent as well as many lakes and pools including Barton and Walton Pool, Cullens Pool, Glazebrooks pool, Sutton Brook and the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Membership fees: £10 joining, Coarse only £45, Trout and Coarse £75

Address: 22 Shirley Park, Aston on Trent, Derby

Postcode: DE72 2AP

Phone: 01332 792807

Derbyshire County Angling Club – A decent selection of waters available here including Ogston Reservoir, Blithfield Reservoir, Carsington Waters and Ladybower Reservoir.

Membership fees: £300 joining fee, £230 annual subscription

Address: The Homestead, Sutton Lane, Sutton Scarsdale, Derbyshire

Postcode: S44 5UP

Phone: 07790 825347

Derby Fishing Report

When planning your Derby fishing trip it is important to check your local Derby fishing report so you can find the best conditions on the best waters with the most appropriate fish for your equipment. The Derby fishing report will give you up-to-date information about the Angling weather in Derby waters and general Derby weather as well as the type of fish available to catch and season start and end dates.

The Derby fishing report will also give you the average fish caught per visit as well as the sizes of some of the largest fish caught and general conditions on the lake or river you want to fish.

You can get the Derby fishing report for waters such as the river Trent, river Derwent and river Dove as well as the fishing report for lakes and reservoirs such as the popular Carsington Water by going to www.anglingnews.net/reports.asp.

Where to buy a Fishing License in Derby

If you want to fish for fresh water fish or eels in Derby then you will need to buy a fishing license or fishing permit. This is also known as a rod license and is valid for the full fishing season and will expire on the 31^st March each year. You can also buy a 24 hour rod license as well as an 8 day permit.

The best place to go to get your fishing permit in Derby is one of your local Derby Post Offices. Alternatively you can call the environment agency direct to buy your license over the phone on telephone number 0844 800 5386.

Fishing in Derby – Fish you can eat

It is a common misconception that most river fish in England are inedible which stems from the fact that as a nation we mainly eat sea fish. However, there are many fish within rivers and lakes in Derby that are in fact edible. Below is a rough guide to the edible fish from Derby rivers and lakes:

Please be aware though that some river and lake fish are best avoided due to the toxins they contain in their tissue (particularly as they grow older)

Carp – Eaten widely in China and eastern Europe carp are an omnivorous fish but can taste a little muddy due to their habitat. Avoid this by purging a carp in fresh spring water for a few days which should clean away any residue in the flesh.

Pike – Again, pike tend not to be eaten much in the UK but are widely available in shops and restaurants on the continent. Pike is a fairly meaty fish but has lots of little bones all the way through it which makes it difficult to bone and eat.

Perch – Very much like the Pike with bones but a firm texture and delicate white flesh

Zander – Very few bones and a light, tender but firm flesh makes the Zander a very popular fish to eat in Europe.

Bream – Not to be confused with the sea Bream, the freshwater Bream is an inexpensive fish usually farmed but tends to have a slight muddiness to the taste.

Barbel – Edible but widely regarded as too bony and not that great tasting. Barbel must be completely cooked throughout and it is also advisable to remove the roe otherwise it may make you ill.

Tench – Edible and tasty!