Lowland · Mixed · Yorkshire / Vale of Pickering

River Derwent (Yorkshire)

River Derwent (Yorkshire) terrain map

A long, gentle Yorkshire river rising on the North York Moors above Scarborough and curving inland — the Sea Cut diverts its upper flood water to the coast — before meandering slowly through the Vale of Pickering past Malton and Stamford Bridge to join the Ouse at Barmby-on-the-Marsh.

Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelProxyvia River Rye
  • Water temp24.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Proxy gauge
Level
Steady
Proxy
via River Rye
Water temp24.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindW 11 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — conditions are inferred from River Rye. The trend transfers, the absolute level does not.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Welfare risk
25°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 24.8°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Terrestrial BeetlesHatch
2
3
3
2
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

Spider-heavy and practical. Strong tradition of North Country soft hackles, useful nymphing, and simple dry flies when fish rise properly.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Club-controlled game water; day-ticket and membership access varies by beat
  • Grayling club season closes 31 December (earlier than the statutory 14 March)
  • Check the controlling club before travelling.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Probably above the Brown Trout safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
About this water

A long, gentle Yorkshire river rising on the North York Moors above Scarborough and curving inland — the Sea Cut diverts its upper flood water to the coast — before meandering slowly through the Vale of Pickering past Malton and Stamford Bridge to join the Ouse at Barmby-on-the-Marsh. The famous game water is the middle river around Malton, Kirkham and Buttercrambe: clear, weedy, unhurried glides over a mixed limestone-and-moorland catchment that grow wild brown trout and an exceptional head of grayling. It fishes as a classic dry-fly and North Country spider river in summer, and comes into its own for grayling from autumn — though the club season closes earlier than the statutory date, so time a winter visit carefully. Slow to rise and slow to fall given its lowland length.

  • River
  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature0 × 28%0.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity51 × 12%6.1
Limiting factor: Water temperature (24.8°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 56
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowproxy via River Ryeproxy
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 25 March30 September
  • Grayling 16 June14 March

    Statutory grayling season is 16 June – 14 March, but the controlling clubs close grayling fishing on 31 December — earlier than the statutory date. Plan a winter grayling visit before the turn of the year, and confirm current club rules before travelling.

    Club water closes 31 December — earlier than the legal 14 March.

    Prime sport 1 October → 31 December

Related guides
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts