Cromford Fly Fishers Club — Cromford Bridge to Holmesford Cottage Meadows

River level

The lowdown

• This is Cromford Fly Fishers Club water, with roughly three miles of fishing on both banks. The beat starts at Cromford Bridge and runs downstream to Holmesford Cottage Meadows.
• The river has a moderate to steep gradient, so expect plenty of movement rather than a sleepy, flatwater plod. Pools, riffles and glides give the stretch a nice bit of variety.
• Depths vary through the beat, which should keep things interesting as you work through different bits of water. The club describes it specifically as fly-fishing water.
• Cromford is the main village and access area. Cromford Meadow and Holmesford Meadow are named access points, with the club lodge on Mill Road in Cromford.
• There’s also a newer hut at Homesford. High Peak Junction car park and Holmesford Meadow car park are listed as useful access locations.
• The club looks after the banks and carries out water-quality monitoring, including flow rates, water levels, temperature, conductivity, phosphates, nitrates, algal blooms and pollution.
• Wildlife is part of the appeal here, with kingfishers, dippers and otters noted along the water. Proper lovely river surroundings, then.
• The club’s 2025 catch report recorded 1,088 fish, including 421 wild brown trout, 358 stocked fish, 307 grayling and two rainbow trout.
• The trout season on this water begins at midnight on 17 March 2026. The river is closed between the end of the coarse season and the start of the trout season; the 2026 coarse season ended at midnight on 15 March.
• There was a temporary closure around the Severn Trent bridge at High Peak Junction in 2025, so check the club’s current notices before setting off.

Methods: Fly fishing only, with the pool, riffle and glide sequences offering varied water to work through. The changing depth and fairly brisk gradient give the beat plenty of character.

Access & tickets

Fishing is through Cromford Fly Fishers Club membership. The 2026 ordinary membership fee is £230, while junior membership is £50; membership is limited to 100 ordinary members and 10 juniors.

Fish the club names

trout, trout, trout, trout

Key rules

• Fishing is available through club membership; the official site does not identify a public day-ticket option.
• The water is fly-fishing water.
• The trout season begins at midnight on 17 March 2026.
• The waters are closed between the end of the coarse season and the start of the trout season.
• The 2026 coarse season ended at midnight on 15 March 2026.
• Check the club’s current notices before visiting, particularly around the Severn Trent bridge at High Peak Junction, where a temporary closure affected the section in 2025.
• Do not park in the public Cromford Meadows car park controlled by Total Parking Solutions.

Where it is