West Yorkshire Fishing Venues
Day ticket fishing in and around
Otley, West Yorkshire
As a novice angler, the aims of this page are to provide a pictorial reference of the various day ticket or free fishing venues in and around Otley, West Yorkshire and how they mature and change with the seasons and hopefully also occasionally show how my fishing improves. Where possible I will include a panoramic view of the location as hopefully this will give those that are considering visiting the venue a better idea of what it looks like.
I’d prefer if rather than using any of these images on your own web page you could instead simply post a link to here, thanks in advance. If you want to contact me directly please feel free to email me here.
This site is still very much under construction so please bear with me.
26 October 2002 - Yorkshire Fishing website fun match (River Wharfe, Wetherby / Tom's Pond, Otley)
Despite the rather heavy rain during the previous couple of days I was really looking forward to the fun match on the Wetherby stretch of the River Wharfe organised by the lads over at the Yorkshire Fishing website. However, I arrived late and by the time I got my gear unpacked the others were packing up. It seems there had just been too much rain and the river was that fast and strong it was virtually unfishable, I say virtually as Terry had reeled in his line only to find he'd caught a little ruffe (not a fish I'd heard of before). It was felt that rather than persevere here we'd find better conditions on a pond so decided to continue the match at Tom's Pond in Otley. Unfortunately we arrived there only to find there was already an organised match taking place on the second pond which wasn't due to finish for another hour or so. The day was really not going too well and after finally setting up on the first pond in the meantime we then had to contend with a couple of large swans which kept disrupting our (rather small) swims :( My day brightened up somewhat when a little jack pike took my maggot much to my (and Tom's dad's) surprise. (I was asked not to put this little predator back in the pond but rather than "knock" it, it was put in the little stream that runs past Tom's Pond) This proved however to be the only other catch of the morning and when the match finished on the second pond I think we were all hoping of better things to come. The reports from the other match came and I'm afraid they did not bode well at all... of the 12 anglers fishing only 2 had caught anything, and that had only been a small carp and a couple of perch. We continued where we were for a little longer but gradually we succumbed to the pull of the other pond. Surely 12 anglers fishing for 4 hours must have put enough bait in the water to get something feeding? The answer I'm afraid was no... not one float bobbed, not one quiver tip quiverred... it really just wasn't a fish catching day. Enough was enough and we finally called a halt to the match with only 2 of us catching anything all day, with my little jack pike winning me the match (and a 24 pack of Boddingtons kindly provided by Malcolm.. cheers :)) Thanks to those other hardy souls (Malcolm, Sinead, Martin, Brian and Terry) for making it an enjoyable, if not particularly fruitful, day :)
Tom's Pond, Otley
23 October 2002 - River Wharfe, Wetherby
20 October 2002 - River Wharfe, Linton
13 October 2002 - River Wharfe, Otley
I managed to get a few hours in bankside late this afternoon but as I suspected, my last piking experience has spoiled me somewhat. I tried trotting again first but there was nothing biting at all and my ledgered sprat lay untouched :( Actually, to be fair that's not strictly true. I was using the same method as before and as I reeled in to check my bait and recast, and much to my surprise, there was an enormous splash and my sprat was ripped off the hook in a shower of spray and a flash of pike :) At least I knew there had been a pike around but unfortunately that seemed to satisfy it.
08 October 2002 - Knotford Lagoon, Otley - Weeton Lake, Huby
I took a trip past Weeton Lake just after lunch today and it was the busiest I've yet seen it. I picked up a flyer again too, which reads...
Weeton Lake, Huby
Top class fishery - well stocked. Rudd, Roach, Tench, Bream, Chub, Carp. Match Bookings Available. For further details contact Gary 01423 734062. Fishing in Natural scenic surrounding. Avon Lodge, Weeton Lake, Huby
- No long walks
- No closed season
- Available for match bookings
- Open 7 days a week
Fishing £6 per day
Rules
- Open 8.30am until dusk
- Barbless hooks only, no microbarbs - maximum hook size 10
- Own keep nets - only one rod to be used at any time, other rods may be assembled
- Please keep to permanent pegs
- Mini pellets only - no nuts, boilies, dead/live baitng, method feeders or braid hook lengths
- Please remove all litter and discarded fishing tackle bait
Directions
A658 Pool to Harrogate Road approx 3 miles from Pool, look for Weeton turn off, Avon Lodge on right just before bridge
I also found time to go past Knotford Lagoon on the way home.
Knotford Lagoon, Otley
07 October 2002 - River Wharfe, Pool
05 October 2002 - River Wharfe, Otley
After the last river session and the excitement of Tim catching his little jack pike, I decided to read up some more on pike angling tactics and managed this afternoon to get my first few hours fishing in for almost a couple of weeks. It was getting late in the afternoon by the time Tim and I actually got bankside and at one point I even questioned whether it wouldn't be better going another day when we'd have more time. I was proved wrong in a big way when very shortly after getting set up lady luck smiled upon me and I reeled in my first ever pike, a lovely 6lb specimen. Tim reckoned it appeared to have a fresh bitemark around the base of it's tail, and within possibly 10 minutes of getting a new bait back in the water I was in again, this time perhaps catching what might have caused the wound. This fish certainly seemed bigger and just as I voiced these sentiments to Tim I was shown exactly how much bigger it might be as my (albeit rather old) rod snapped under the strain :( After playing the fish for what seemed like an age Tim finally got the landing net under it (both my hands were engaged attempting to hold my rod together) and I had finally caught my biggest coarse fish to date, and I suggest a very respectable weight for a pike, at 12lb 9oz :) (For those that are interested, both were caught using a (sunken) float paternoster rig with a fresh (from Morrisons ;)) sprat, lip hooked on a single size 4 hook on a wiretrace to 8lb mainline with my weight on 4lb line) Although the broken rod meant a rather premature end to my afternoon's fishing my 2 pike easily more than made up for it :)
(A last note is, I had read how slimy pike were and how easily they can be marked so I did use a towel (which is always in my box anyway) to handle them whilst taking the hook out (which was very straightforward as they were both lightly lip hooked) but I don't, as I suspect many mainly pleasure anglers don't, as yet have an unhooking mat. Needless to say as I shall be attempting to catch large pike again, this neccessary piece of kit will be added to my box soon.)
01 October 2002
Yeadon Tarn, Yeadon
20 September 2002 - River Wharfe, Otley
OK, so in the end we, Tim and I, decided on a couple of hours before dusk on the Otley free stretch of the River Wharfe. It was my first attempt at trotting on a river but unfortunately all I managed to catch was minnows. Tim however had a little more luck and along with his haul of minnows he landed a nice little pike, also caught trotting maggots on a size 18 hook and 1.5lb line. Although only 14oz it was his first ever and a definite little bonus.
19 September 2002
I went a quick look past Tom’s Pond at dinner-time to see how it was fishing as I’m looking to get a couple of hours in before the football this evening. Only a couple of people there, both complaining that nothing was biting at all. The second pond has had a fair bit of work done to it since I was last down, it’s been extended and now has a lot of planting in the margins. Quite a few horses in the field now though so you have to pick your peg carefully.
Tom's Pond, Otley
18 September 2002
Just a few minor site updates tonight. I’ve fixed a couple of errors and added the rules from the Tyersal Hall Farm Fishery, Yeadon Tarn and Tom’s Pond day tickets (scans to follow as they all have maps on too). There were more rules posted bankside at Tyersal Hall Farm Fishery (no jokers is all I can remember) but I’ll get a picture of that next time I’m over that way.
Tyersal Hall Farm Fishery
No night fishing. Leave no litter. Close all gates. No persons under the age of 16
Tom’s Pond - adult day ticket £4.00 (+ £1.00 for keepnet), junior day ticket £3.00
Carp nets only for carp. Barbless hooks only. Ground bait in feeders only. No litter
Yeadon Tarn – adult day ticket £4.00, adult season permit £16.00
Night fishing strictly prohibited during published lighting-up times. No coarse fish to be taken away. Trout size limit 10 inches. No more than 2 trout to be taken on any one day. No live or dead bait, spinners, plugs or lures to be used. No fishing from the sailing jetties whilst sailing or canoeing is in progress or when requested by the education instructor. Anglers must take care when casting and not allow line and hooks to interfere with other users of the Tarn, especially when fishing from the jetties. Lead shot sizes as per Environment Agency Licence. Anglers must take home all litter, especially discarded nylon line, hooks, lead weights, polythene bags, bottles and tin cans etc.
This permit enables the holder to fish with one rod, one line and one hook only but additional rods may be set up ready for use. Any angler acting in a manner detrimental to the interests of the A & DAA or any other official user of the Tarn will be severely dealt with by the Committee of A & DAA. Anglers must not become involved in any dispute with any person or organisation acting in a manner to cause them concern, but must report all incidents to any official or bailiff of A & DAA. No matches allowed except those run by A & DAA.
Fishing poles are not to be extended beyond the balustrade on the jetty and onto the public footpath. This is a very dangerous practice, and offenders will be severely dealt with.
17 September 2002 - None-Go-Bye Farm, Cookridge
After reading about None-Go-Bye Farm on The Yorkshire Fishing Website and as I could find no pictures of it elsewhere, I thought I’d take a little run up to see what it was like. Unfortunately I’d actually forgotten there were apparently 3 ponds but I took a couple of panoramic photographs of the 2 main ponds there.
The match pond was pretty much as described, a well set out, relatively new pond with good access to all pegs. There was very little, if any, weed growth even in the margins or around the small low islands although the pond perimeter was neatly lined with irises.
The old pond was a different prospect altogether. A very mature pond, it had several large lily beds and the irises and rushes surrounding the pond encroached out into the water. (I did also spot several floats in the margins)
09 September 2002 – Tyersal Hall Farm Fishery, Bradford
05 September 2002 - Yeadon Tarn, Yeadon
A 5pm start to my first serious attempt at ledgering, luncheon meat on a size 12 hook, at Yeadon Tarn brought my biggest carp so far. Although not a giant in carp terms this, approximately, 3lb mirror carp definitely brought a bend to my rod and a smile to my face. Only 10 minutes later I almost landed another very similar fish but unfortunately it dropped off just as Tim attempted to get the landing net under it.
03 August 2002 – Tom’s Pond, Otley
Tom’s Pond really doesn’t look it’s best when the picture is taken from under an umbrella in the lashing rain
News
October September August
Venues
Weeton Lake Knotford Lagoon River Wharfe None-Go-Bye Farm Tyersal Hall Farm Yeadon Tarn Tom's Pond
Links
