Fishing Newsham Tarn in North Yorkshire, England

• Overview

  In England, Newsham Tarn falls inside North Yorkshire. This is open valley country. At roughly 16 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Start from Barnard Castle, 5.1 miles down the road. Gainford is 5.2 miles and Staindrop 6.2 miles. Near neighbours include: Grassholme Reservoir 13 miles, Selset Reservoir a touch under 14 miles, Pinker's Pond 15 miles and Malham Tarn a touch under 31 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Newsham Tarn

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for North Yorkshire list brown trout, Atlantic salmon, European grayling, European eel and barbel. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Newsham Tarn rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 15°C and January near 3°C. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Newsham Tarn runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Grassholme Reservoir, 13 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Newsham Tarn for certain.