River Wharfe at Wetherby and Collingham

River level

The lowdown

• The upstream limit is the Collingham/Linton road bridge, with the water running downstream through the Wetherby valley.
• The downstream end is about a mile below Wetherby town, so this is a decent old-fashioned river stretch rather than a tiny run of pegs.
• It’s mixed coarse and game water. Barbel, chub, bream and roach are among the named fish, with brown trout, eel and other river species also listed.
• The Wetherby Bridge area gives the stretch a proper town-river feel, while Wetherby Weir adds a key bit of character and likely plenty of broken water.
• The Wharfe here is known locally for both coarse and fly fishing, so there’s room for a cheeky bit of trotting, feeder work or a fly rod when conditions suit.
• Look for the usual river clues: steadier glides, crease lines and anything with a change in pace. Weir water and bridge features are the obvious places to study first.
• A bit of colour and a decent push in the flow should suit feeder and barbel-style approaches. Clearer, lower conditions may bring the fly and lighter tackle into play.
• This is club water, not a casual turn-up stretch. Wetherby & District Angling Club members can fish it, while Ilkley members have an exchange route for free guest day permits.
• Exact parking and access arrangements need checking with the club before setting off. Saves a proper faff on the day, especially around the town sections.
• Night fishing, bait rules, keepnet rules, close-season details and any catch-and-release requirements weren’t checkable, so get the current position from the club before fishing.

Methods: A cracking all-rounder for river tactics: trotting and feeder fishing for the coarse side, with fly fishing on the game-water sections. Keep an eye on the flow, the crease and the broken water around the weir.

Access & tickets

Wetherby & District Angling Club members can fish the stretch. Ilkley Angling Association members can apply for a free guest day permit through the exchange arrangement, with a maximum of two Ilkley members on partner water per day; confirm arrangements with the clubs before travelling.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, roach, barbel, trout, eel, chub

Key rules

• An Environment Agency rod licence is required as well as club or guest permission.
• Fishing is available to Wetherby & District Angling Club members.
• Ilkley Angling Association members can apply for free guest day permits through the clubs’ exchange arrangement.
• The exchange arrangement allows a maximum of two Ilkley members on a partner water per day.
• Current bait, keepnet, close-season and catch-and-release rules were not checkable; confirm them with the club before fishing.

Where it is