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RiverDay ticket

River Swale – Skipton Bridge (Holme Farm Length)

A cracking left-bank stretch of the River Swale at Skipton Bridge, run by Thirsk Angling Club. Holme Farm gives you four fields and exactly 1 kilometre of fishing, with day tickets at a very tidy £5.

Run by Thirsk Angling Club · checked 8 Oct 2026

The lowdown

  • This is lowland Swale fishing, with open fields, flood banks and farm tracks giving the place a proper rural feel.
  • The Holme Farm section sits on the left — east — bank, downstream from Skipton Bridge. Access is via the stile to the left of the bridge when viewed from the east bank.
  • The club says the Holme Farm section is exactly 1 kilometre long. Its day-ticket listing also describes 1,200 metres downstream from the bridge, so check the ticket details when booking.
  • Expect the usual river mix of glides, crease water and changing depth rather than a uniform canal-like swim. The flood banks and agricultural access routes shape the fishing.
  • There are four fields to explore, so don’t just plonk yourself in the first obvious swim. Keep moving until you find a bit of flow, cover or colour that looks on the munch.
  • Trotting is the obvious starting point when the river is carrying a nice pace. A feeder approach can cover the deeper-looking runs and steadier water when the flow is pushing.
  • The club describes its river waters as holding barbel, chub, roach, dace, grayling and perch. All fish, trout included, must go straight back alive.
  • Roadside parking is available down Catton Lane in dry weather, around postcode YO7 4SF. Cars stay out of the fields, and farmers’ access must be kept clear.
  • Day-ticket numbers are limited around available swims and member demand. Matches can also make affected venues unavailable, so book ahead rather than having a wasted journey.

Methods: Trotting should suit the runs and glides, with feeder tactics worth trying where the river settles or digs in. Pick the swim around flow, depth and any crease rather than fishing every peg the same way.

Access & tickets

Day ticket

£5 per angler. Available online, from Busby Stoop Garage and from Topcliffe Post Office.

£5 per angler (as listed 8 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Day tickets cost £5 per angler and can be bought online, or from Busby Stoop Garage and Topcliffe Post Office. Online tickets are virtual products and are issued after payment by BACS; availability is limited around swims and member requirements.

Fish the club names

barbel, chub, roach, perch

Named by Thirsk Angling Club across its waters, not for this stretch on its own.

Key rules

  • Leave all gates securely closed, including the self-closing flood-bank gates.
  • Keep to footpaths and do not wander away from the river banks.
  • Keep growing crops, meadows and farm stock clear of.
  • Camping, tents and fires are prohibited.
  • All fish, including trout, must be returned alive.
  • Take all litter home.
  • A current Environment Agency rod licence is required.
  • Live fish bait is prohibited. Dead sea-fish baits are permitted for pike fishing.
  • No fishing is allowed during the 12 hours before any match.

Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.

GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Maunby gauge

Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.

Loading latest reading…

We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

Community reported

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