A Hidden Gem!

Think of the Lake District and immediately you would associate the area with hillwalking, Berghaus jackets, gift shops and Kendal mint cake but you would not be thinking like an angler
This beautiful corner of Cumbria has much more to offer than rambling and sticky sweeties.
Surprisingly enough the area has many fishing opportunities its not called the Lake District for nothing you know .As well as the larger lakes such as Windermere and Derwent water the area has many smaller tarns and reservoirs which offer the game fisher the chance of great sport set in wild scenic locations.
I would like to share with you my favourite Lake District still water, Ghyll Head.
I have fished Ghyll Head on several occasions over the years and have always enjoyed my days there even on the couple of occasions that I have blanked.
This beautiful 11-acre water is situated in the hills above the South East end of Lake Windermere. Ghyll Head commands panoramic views over the nearby Southern Lakeland fells. It’s quite a narrow stretch of water set in a deep-sided valley. The tarn is fed by a number of small becks which enter along its entire length. The small dam area and the adjoining central basin has the deepest water where the fish can be found both in the colder months and in the heat of high summer. The tarn is managed and stocked by The Windermere, Ambleside and district Angling Association who stock the tarn regularly with good quality rainbow trout. The water also has an indigenous head of wild brown trout which anglers are encouraged to return safely to the water.
It has been my experience to fish the early months of the season deep in the central basin area with weighted flies such as the gold ribbed hares ear and such like. With the warmth of May Greenwells and olive patterns are worth a try .In the summer modern dries such as cdc patterns come to the fore with hoppers and daddies also being successful .It pays to explore the tarn thoroughly to find the feeding levels as unseen underwater springs oxygenate the water during the spells of hot weather.
I particularly would recommend the evening fishing at the shallow south end of the tarn where I have had most success on this lovely water.
Day permits are available from Bowness tourist information centre and local filling stations.
Day Permits are £16 with a two fish limit. Catch and release is encouraged. Ghyll Head is open from the 15th Match to 31st December.