What Can I Expect

A day of fishing near Ripon in the Yorkshire Dales! This is a full-day course for beginners to learn to fly fish, hosted by an angling school on the Swinton Park Estate. You can buy a voucher for one or for two people.

The base for this fishing school and shop is a stone barn in a courtyard at the Swinton Park Estate, on the edge of the Dales near Ripon. The shop sells everything you need to go fishing, from waders and jackets, to rods and flies.

Your meeting point for your experience is at the office and shop. You'll be greeted by the qualified coaching team that includes Marina, Benoit and Charlie.This is also where you'll get kitted out for your fishing experience.

The day is divided into two halves. The morning will be spent by the training lake. It's the perfect location for learning the basics of casting off. Your coach will explain all the techniques to you as you fish. With any luck, you might get a bite. In which case, you'll be talked through what you need to do to land your catch.

After a relaxed picnic lunch (which is included in your experience), you'll spend the afternoon on the banks of the River Ure. It's a lovely Dales river running right through the estate, with excellent, easily accessible beats that are ideal for beginners.

This is where you can start to hone your fly fishing techniques. You'll learn about dry fly, wet fly, upstream nymph, Czech nymph and the traditional Yorkshire spider flies. This is serious fishing talk and fascinating too.

By the end of your day, you should be feeling confident enough about your fishing skills, to be able to contemplate going fishing by yourself. It could be the start of a relaxing hobby that gets you away from the sofa and screens for a while! Buy your vouchers for a one-day fishing course in Ripon online now.

When Is It Available

• Selected weekdays and weekends
• The lake at Swinton Estate (Trout) is open all year round
• River fishing:The trout and salmon season is 1st April-31st October (March for Grayling)

Suitable For

• There is no upper or lower age limit. As long as someone deems themselves, or their child, to be capable then the school are happy to teach them
• Under 16s must be accompanied by a participating adult

Spectators

• Spectators are welcome

Anything Else

• A deposit amount of your fishery ticket will be charged if dates are postponed
• Lake and river trout fishing £25 per person.  Salmon fishing £25 per person April-August & £45 in September and October
• Please note once you have booked your date if you cancel the reservation for any reason 25% of the voucher value will be retained by the Fishing School