Raby Estate Upper Tees – North Bank between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank

The lowdown

• This is Raby Estates water in Upper Teesdale, County Durham, with the fishable boundary running between Cauldron Snout and Dent Bank.
• It’s classic wild upland stuff rather than tame canal-like water. Pools, riffles, rapids and rocky sections all feature through the beat.
• The north bank is the one covered by the permit. The section between the ford at Newbiggin-on-Tees and Scorberry Bridge is specifically excluded, so don’t drift outside the published limits.
• High Force and Low Force are the big landmarks around this part of the Tees. The stretch is also associated with Forest-in-Teesdale, High Force and Middleton-in-Teesdale.
• Wading can be difficult in places, particularly on the upper beat. A wading staff and suitable safety kit are advised — bob on advice for this sort of lively river.
• Wild brown trout are a regular feature of the River Tees here, while the estate has also reported Atlantic salmon from its Upper Tees water.
• The permitted target species are salmon, trout and grayling. Salmon fishing runs from 1 April to 30 October, trout from 1 April to 30 September, and grayling from 17 June to 14 March.
• This is proper river fishing, with the water’s pools, riffles, rapids and rocky runs shaping where you can fish. Keep an eye on the flow and footing, especially higher up the beat.
• High Force Hotel is the nearest named parking and visitor base. The surrounding corridor sits within the North Pennines National Landscape and Geopark area — cracking scenery, but remember this is unsupervised natural water.

Methods: The wild upland character suits an approach built around reading the pools, riffles, rapids and rocky sections. Take the flow and difficult wading into account, particularly on the upper beat.

Access & tickets

Fishing permits are available online through the Raby Estates ticket portal, or from the High Force Hotel. The Raby fishing page lists River Tees permits, including Trout and Grayling, and Salmon and Trout options.

Fish the club names

trout, barbel, bream

Key rules

• Fishing is subject to a separate permit system.
• The section between the ford at Newbiggin-on-Tees and Scorberry Bridge is excluded.
• Salmon fishing is listed from 1 April to 30 October.
• Trout fishing is listed from 1 April to 30 September.
• Grayling fishing is listed from 17 June to 14 March.
• The river is unsupervised and natural hazards exist.
• A wading staff and suitable safety equipment are advisable.

River level

Where it is