Aspinall Arms / Mitton Beat — River Ribble

River level

The lowdown

• This is the Ribble part of the official Ribble and Calder, Mitton beat, run through Ribble Rivers Trust’s Angling Passport scheme.
• The fishing sits on the left bank of the Ribble. The associated Calder section is separate, on the right bank of the River Calder.
• It’s a natural river beat rather than a stocked lake or pond, so expect proper moving water and changing river conditions.
• The setting is right in the heart of the Ribble Valley, with the Aspinall Arms nearby. It’s one of those visits that offers a bit more than just standing behind a rod.
• The Ribble section is approximately 2.5 km long. The start grid reference is SD716387 and the end grid reference is SD710371.
• Parking is in a layby on the left after the Aspinall Arms when approaching from Clitheroe via Edisford Bridge. There’s a token box next to the parking place.
• The paths can be narrow, overgrown or uneven, and livestock may be about, so sturdy footwear and a bit of common sense are bob on.
• Game fishing runs from 15 March to 31 October. Coarse and grayling fishing runs from 1 November to 14 March.
• The beat is now catch-and-release only. Coarse fish must go back, with no keepnets, and barbless hooks are required.
• The water has specific rules around migratory fish, spinning, fly fishing and bait. Keep mobile through pools, don’t fish the same pool repeatedly when someone is waiting, and never wade beyond the river’s centre line.

Methods: For game fishing, stick to the permitted fly approach, with the brown-trout ticket being fly-only. Coarse and grayling anglers can fish in season, but check the ticket type and the beat rules before setting up.

Access & tickets

Tickets are available through the Ribble Rivers Trust Angling Passport scheme. The Mitton beat can be fished for as little as £5 per person per day; a token box is next to the parking place.

Fish the club names

trout, chub, trout, chub, roach

Named by Ribble Rivers Trust, operating the Angling Passport scheme on the Mitton beat; the beat information identifies the underlying water as an Environment Agency stretch across its waters, not for this stretch on its own.

Key rules

• Catch-and-release only.
• Barbless hooks are required.
• No bubble floats.
• No keepnets; coarse fish must be returned.
• Fishing from weirs or bridges is prohibited.
• No access via private property.
• Do not wade beyond the centre line of the river.
• Move through pools and avoid repeatedly fishing the same pool when another angler is waiting.
• Spinning is allowed from Mitton Bridge to Calder Foot only when the river is above the blue marker on the bridge, and only with a migratory salmonid ticket.
• The brown-trout ticket is fly-only. Bait fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout is prohibited.

Where it is