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RiverClub water · Members

Brockholes and Red Scar Wood (River Ribble)

A cracking River Ribble stretch around Red Scar Wood, running upstream into Alston Wood at Elston. It’s jointly run by Wigan District Angling Association and St Helens Angling Association, with barbel, chub, roach and dace on the target list.

Run by Wigan District Angling Association, jointly with St Helens Angling Association · checked 11 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Samlesbury gauge

Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.

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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready

The lowdown

  • The fishable water is identified as Red Scar Wood upstream into Alston Wood, Elston, near Brockholes and Preston.
  • It’s proper riverbank fishing, with the Red Scar Wood bank dropping steeply down to the Ribble. Take care getting down to the water.
  • The official opening time is Monday to Sunday, sunrise to sunset. So no sneaky after-dark session unless your card specifically allows it.
  • Barbel are one of the named targets, with chub, roach and dace also listed. A nice mix for a bit of proper Ribble fishing.
  • Method feeder fishing is recommended as a successful approach. Handy when you want to search the swim and keep a steady trickle of bait going in.
  • Pole fishing can also be effective, giving you a neat option for working the near bank and picking apart the flow.
  • Halibut pellets on a hair rig are mentioned as a successful bait. A simple, tidy bait choice for targeting barbel and other feeders.
  • There’s no published peg count or stated fishable length, so expect a stretch rather than a marked-up commercial-style run of pegs.
  • Don’t confuse this fishing with the Brockholes Nature Reserve lakes. Fishing isn’t allowed in those lakes, and that restriction is separate from the association’s River Ribble rights.
  • The general rules allow a maximum of two rods, but rods must not be left unattended. Take all rubbish home, handle fish carefully and don’t remove fish from the water, dead or alive.
  • We're not sure on ticket prices for this one — check with the club or local regulations before you leave.

Methods: Start with the method feeder, especially with halibut pellets on a hair rig. Pole fishing is also recommended, so there’s scope for a more delicate approach when the swim allows.

Access & tickets

Association card

Wigan District Angling Association membership cards are valid from 1 January to 31 December. 2026 cards are on sale.

Night card or syndicate membership

Required for night fishing, and only where the relevant membership card specifies the water.

Fishing is available to Wigan DAA members, with membership cards running from 1 January to 31 December. The holder states that 2026 membership cards are on sale, but no specific membership price is shown on the checked page; the stretch is jointly run with St Helens Angling Association.

Fish the club names

barbel, chub, roach

Key rules

  • Maximum of two rods.
  • Rods must not be left unattended.
  • Take all rubbish home.
  • Fires are prohibited.
  • Do not remove fish from the water, dead or alive.
  • Handle fish with care.
  • Fishing is from sunrise to sunset unless night fishing is permitted by an applicable night card or syndicate membership, and the water is specified on the card.

Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.

GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

Community reported

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