Nidd nutter!

Date fished 27/06/2026

6am until 1pm

With the current hot weather, Ellis and I decided to fish early morning. I had caught barbel from two rivers from the Leeds book in two trips, could I make it a hatrick!?

Minimal kit as we were walking a little bit, plus it was a short session. Oozing meat my main bait, but I did grab some 6mm marine halibut pellets and matching paste as I left (at 4am). Either to be suspended under a twin 2SSG shot on a link ledger. 

We arrived at the Nidd, wow, it looked great. Swims cut in, loads of water in a small area due to river bends. It is my new fave stretch to fish!!

My rod

I won't bore you with the photography, I took loads  but this was my best picture. The fishing was quiet!! 

The river is small, like a stream in places. Deep holes, shallow glides and full of streamer weed. Perfect fish habitat but on a warm day, I just wanted to find shade. Eventually I did and a well placed cast was met with knocks. In hindsight it was probably crayfish but at the time I got interested. 

Ellis tried with worms too, in the hope a big stripey would be hungry. Plenty of fish were topping, assume perch chasing too but not our baits. 

My swim

We leapfrogged swims towards where we thought we had parked. We were wrong, the loop and river flow swapping but bank side staying the same had confused me! Am even confused now, not sure I am correct but I know what I mean. Anyway, I sat with pellets and waited. The rod pulled and I missed the bite. Gutted!!

What's funny though was Ellis was doing the same as me. Photography!!

Ellis's rod

I moved further downstream and came to peg 48. I cast in the middle of a narrow stretch, not near cover but just in a bit I thought I could leave it while I sat. The least fishy part of river in the least fishy swim I had been in all morning.

My rod twitched, I picked it up and it slammed around. I was in. The fish, assumed chub swam downstream, then swam upstream towards and under a bush. I manged to get it out and had it in the open water. I saw my chub, it had whiskers! It made for the snag again, but this time I steered it around and quickly in the net. 

My barbel from a third river in three trips. I called Ellis. We rested the fish well and took it out for a quick pic. No weighing, estimated 5lb. After another long rest, it swam powerfully away under the bush upstream. 

Ellis cast in the hot zone!! There were fish topping, splashing about but no more were caught. 

Gathering our bearings, we realised we had walked away from the cars, but we wanted to fish some more, so we crossed the field and we fished some great looking swims. In truth, all the swims look great on this stretch. I am going to struggle to fish anywhere else!!

Our remaining drinking water was back at the car, so we headed that way. 

We left as it heated up, atmospherically not metaphorically, but we had decided to fish today whilst being mindful of fishcare. Nobody told them Nidd nutters though!!