Sharpley Springs Fly Fishery

Sharpley Springs Fly Fishery Sharpley Springs Fly, 6 lake complex + kids worm lake. Situated just off A19 near Seaton Seaham B1404 travel West SR7 0NP. Longer days due to light. Tight lines

Fishing from 7.30 to 25 min after Dusk. Pay at Golf Lodge.? Follow us on Instagram Sharpley Springs Fly Fishery are a 6 lake, fly only complex with an additional worm lake for the kids. It is situated just off the A19 and West of Seaton Village SR7 0NP . Sharpley is open 365 days of the year. It is very well stocked with triploid rainbows, blues, Brown Trout. Plenty of big dou

bles (the fishery record is 23.6 pounds)
Open Dawn until 25 min after Dusk! It is naturally spring-fed and with healthy aquatic weed growth that ensures a good invertebrate population and consequently excellent hatches of naturals. Midges are always on the menu-right through the winter-and superb sport can be had with nothing more than a floating line, longish leader and a buzzer pattern (black presently though olives predominate through the summer months). The larval bloodworms can provide the mainstay through the cold days of winter with pinky
and other leggy patterns popular, either slowly figure-of-eighted or suspended a couple of feet below an indicator. The large Cinnamon sedges were present until mid-November but even now a bushy dry sedge pattern can provide exciting sport, especially if twitched downwind in the larger Doxford Lake. The dry fly angler can ply his trade on any day though and small foam-head emerges in hare's ear or black can be devastatingly effective, as can more traditional dries such as spiders and the Griffith's gnat when the tiny adult midge are skittering about post hatch. These can work on any calm day, as can
tiny f flies in sizes down to 28-proper challenging angling. There is a warm, centrally heated lodge house, with complimentary Tea and Coffee and a Microwave and fridge that can be used. This coupled with excellent disabled access makes Sharpley Waters one of the top North-east venues for year-round trouting

Its tuition is excellent and can easily be arranged by contacting the fishery or instructor Ross Middleton and Terry Wood detail in Fishing Lodge. Look forward to seeing you on the Lakes soon.

🎣 Sharpley Springs Fishing ReportThe gradual cooling trend continues, and the trout are certainly responding! Fish are b...
13/09/2026

🎣 Sharpley Springs Fishing Report

The gradual cooling trend continues, and the trout are certainly responding! Fish are becoming increasingly willing to feed, with some excellent sport available—particularly beneath cloud cover and when a cooling breeze ripples the water.

Trout are rising confidently to pond olive imitations and daddy-long-legs. A sparsely dressed, size 18 green-bodied CDC F-Fly has proved especially effective when allowed to drift naturally with the breeze on a light tippet. When fishing Daddies, try a slightly stiffer leader to help prevent twisting.

Below the surface, small nymphs and olive buzzers continue to take fish, while damsel nymphs are being chased enthusiastically. Anglers prepared to plumb the depths with Snakes and similar patterns are also enjoying plenty of bent rods!

The best sport is currently coming during the evenings, when sedge imitations become an essential addition to the fly box.

This week’s fly box:

🪰 Olive Buzzer
🪰 Green F-Fly
🪰 GRHE Nymph
🪰 Amber Spinner
🪰 Foam Beetle
🪰 Detached Brown Daddy
🪰 Hoppers
🪰 Snakes
🪰 Sedgehog

With cooler conditions arriving and the trout growing more active, it’s a lovely time to enjoy an evening beside the lakes at Sharpley Springs. Tight lines! 🎣

LATEST FISHING REPORTCooling Water, Rising Fish ActivityPond olives, evening sedges and the welcome return of daddy-long...
06/09/2026

LATEST FISHING REPORT
Cooling Water, Rising Fish Activity
Pond olives, evening sedges and the welcome return of daddy-long-legs are creating rewarding sport.

AT A GLANCE Fish are becoming more active as temperatures slowly ease. Concentrate on rougher, cooler water and match the natural movement of the fly.
What’s happening on the water
With temperatures gradually cooling, trout activity is increasing - particularly in rougher water, where the fractionally cooler conditions are drawing fish.
Fly life remains encouraging. Smatterings of midge, predominantly olive, are appearing alongside pond olives and providing excellent sport for anglers prepared to fish close nymph, dun or spinner imitations on light tippets.
Best approach
• Pond olive hatch: Sparsely tied dun imitations are currently the standout choice. Let them drift and move naturally with the breeze - a delicate presentation, but especially satisfying when it comes together.
• Between hatches: Black or brown beetle patterns in a variety of guises have continued to tempt trout.
• Evening rise: Try sedge imitations or low-sitting emerging midge patterns such as Shipman’s Buzzers and Top Hats. Brown versions can also make convincing emerging pond olive imitations.
• After the rain: The long-awaited damp weather has encouraged daddy-long-legs activity. Good imitations should continue to attract interest throughout the rest of the season.
Fly box favourites
MATCH THE HATCH
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Olive Buzzer
Black or Brown Beetle
Olive / GRHE Nymph
Elk Hair Caddis
Green F-Fly
Detached Daddy
Apricot Spinner
Nothing Fly
A light tippet, a natural drift and a little patience could be the winning combination. Tight lines!
Tight lines from Sharpley Springs

07/08/2026

Summer proper with temperature due to soar again . Only the occasional afternoon sea breeze offered respite on a couple of days but temperatures are due to return to something more manageable- before the next heat wave.Best time to fish is early evening sparse midge hatches together with pond olive spinners and a couple of sedge species in evidence.
As the angling day progressed damsels were very much in evidence ( and dragonflies ) and resident brownies had their beady eyes on unwary adults. Pond olives hatched in the afternoons , especially from the Eastern edges as the sea breeze gave some cooling wafts. This , again gave some excellent technical fishing with close copy flies needed.
Some anglers chose to plumb the depths and the comparatively cool water to find the stock . Sight indicators were invaluable while others utilised weighted offerings or slow sinking lines. Bloodworms, blobs and olive snakes all had their moments.
Fly box:
Olive buzzer
Apps bloodworm
Waddams/Shipmans hares ear
GRHE nymph
Olive nymph/Diawl bach
Olive f fly
Apricot spinner
Damsel nymph/adult
Daddylonglegs
CDC sedge
Invicta
Sunburst blob
Olive snake
Sent from my iPad

Following feedback from a number of our members and visitors, we’ve decided to extend the closing time of the security g...
24/07/2026

Following feedback from a number of our members and visitors, we’ve decided to extend the closing time of the security gate.

From now on, the gate will close at 6:30 pm instead of 6:00 pm.

We appreciate that many people are travelling from work and were finding the 6:00 pm closure difficult. We hope the extra 30 minutes will make it easier for everyone to access the site.

Security Gate Update

Thank you to everyone who took the time to let us know your concerns. We always value your feedback and will continue to make improvements where we can.

Great news! Sharpley Springs Fishery will be open tomorrow, Monday 19th July.With the recent drop in water temperatures...
19/07/2026

Great news! Sharpley Springs Fishery will be open tomorrow, Monday 19th July.

With the recent drop in water temperatures and the rise in oxygen levels, we are able to reopen Doxford Lake and Alice & Albert Lake.

We look forward to welcoming you back and hope you enjoy your fishing. Tight lines! 🎣

09/07/2026

🐟 Important Notice – Temporary Fishery Closure 🐟
Due to the recent spell of very warm weather, water temperatures in our lakes have continued to rise. Unfortunately, this can cause significant stress to the fish, even when they are handled with great care.
After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close Sharpley Springs Fishery, including our larger lake, until conditions improve.
We know this will disappoint many of our regular anglers, and we’re very sorry for any inconvenience. However, the health and welfare of our fish must always come first.
We will continue to monitor water temperatures closely and will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. We’ll keep everyone updated here on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Thank you for your understanding, patience and continued support. We know you’ll appreciate that this decision has been made entirely in the best interests of the fish.
The Sharpley Springs Fishery Team 🎣

Sharpley Springs Fishing ReportMorning and evening rises have been excellent, with anglers fishing these periods enjoyin...
01/06/2026

Sharpley Springs Fishing Report

Morning and evening rises have been excellent, with anglers fishing these periods enjoying some superb sport. Shipman’s Buzzers and Top Hat Emergers proved particularly effective during the most active surface feeding spells.

Although the warmer daytime conditions produced only intermittent hatches and less surface activity, trout continued to feed well on subsurface presentations. Buzzers fished beneath the surface accounted for plenty of fish, while dark nymphs such as the ever-reliable Diawl Bach once again proved their worth.

A few late Hawthorn flies are still about, alongside the Alder flies that have featured throughout the month.

The recent warm weather has also encouraged Damsel flies to emerge and pair up. They should now remain a key feature until September, making a Damsel Nymph an essential pattern whenever midge activity is limited.

Swarms of tiny black gnats attracted plenty of attention from cruising trout, and these could be successfully imitated with a small Griffiths Gnat. Detached foam Daddies also tempted some reluctant fish to the surface, which is hardly surprising as they provide a reasonable imitation of an adult female Damsel fly.

For those fishing into the evening, don’t overlook the effectiveness of an Elk Hair Caddis when the sedges begin to appear.

Recommended Fly Box

* Wicked White
* Olive/Brown Buzzer
* Rust Shipman’s Buzzer
* Top Hat Emerger
* Griffiths Gnat
* Olive Shuttlecock Buzzer
* Olive Nymph
* Diawl Bach
* Damsel Nymph
* Detached Daddy
* Elk Hair Caddis
* Blobs and FABs

Tight lines, and we look forward to seeing you on the bank at Sharpley Springs.

Sharpley SpringsFishing ReportDespite the changeable weather and some unseasonably cold spells, there were still good mi...
19/05/2026

Sharpley Springs
Fishing Report

Despite the changeable weather and some unseasonably cold spells, there were still good midge hatches, with a variety of species making the most of conditions to mate.

Black, olive and brown patterns all fished well at different times, with pupal patterns and emergers proving particularly effective.

High-riding adult patterns also had their moments. Olive and yellow F-Flies worked well, often imitating either wing-drying adult midges or lake/pond olive duns. These naturals aren’t put off by cool and breezy weather.

Daddies and hoppers are also bringing trout to the surface when there isn’t an active hatch. Evening sessions should begin to see increasing sedge activity as temperatures rise.

If the forecasted warmer weather arrives, anglers fishing in the middle of the day may find the best action shifts towards earlier mornings and evenings.

Recommended Fly Box:
• Black / Olive / Brown Buzzers
• Diawl Bach
• PTN
• Foam Beetle
• Hare’s Ear Shuttlecock
• Damsel
• Daddies / Hoppers
• Black Spider
• CDC Emergers
• Yellow Owl
• Green F-Fly
• Olive Nymph / Shuttlecock
• Olive Zonker
• Orange Blob

🎣 Fishing Report – Fantastic Surface Sport! 🎣There’s plenty of surface activity at the moment, especially during overcas...
11/05/2026

🎣 Fishing Report – Fantastic Surface Sport! 🎣

There’s plenty of surface activity at the moment, especially during overcast conditions when the fish are really looking up. That said, if black gnats or hawthorn flies are on the water, trout are more than happy to break the usual pattern and provide some truly exciting sport even in bright sunshine.

Early starters and anglers fishing into the evening are continuing to enjoy excellent midge hatches, while afternoons have seen steady trickles of upright olives coming off — particularly during the recent blustery easterly winds. We’ve also seen good numbers of both pond and lake olives, with pond olives expected to become more dominant over the coming weeks. When fish become selective, a small Hare’s Ear nymph can often save the day.

Daddy longlegs are now making a strong appearance too and should continue to fish well throughout the rest of the season, giving anglers another excellent option.

🎣 Recommended Fly Patterns 🎣

* Black / Olive / Brown Buzzers
* Yellow & Black Top Hat
* CDC Emergers
* Diawl Bach Nymph
* Olive Nymph
* Black Gnat
* Hawthorn
* Black Beetle
* Black & Peacock Spider
* Lake & Pond Olive Dun
* Green F-Fly
* GRHE Nymph
* Daddy Longlegs
* Damsel
* Squirmy
* Tequila Blob

Good luck to everyone fishing this week — plenty of signs that the lake is fishing exceptionally well! 🌊🐟

Sharpley Fishing Report Cool easterly winds have kept sport steady this week, with midge life buzzing throughout the day...
01/05/2026

Sharpley Fishing Report

Cool easterly winds have kept sport steady this week, with midge life buzzing throughout the day—especially in those golden early mornings and late evenings.

Trout have been locked onto midge feeders, eagerly taking pupal patterns, emergers, and even the odd adult. But things are starting to shift… 🌱
With spring properly stirring, their menu is expanding fast.

🌼 Blooming r**e fields are dropping tiny black beetles onto the water—well worth a cast!
☀️ Sunday’s warmth brought the first black gnats of the season, dancing in the air in search of a mate.

👉 Translation: it’s time to dust off those knotted midges and gnat imitations.
And keep an eye out—the Hawthorn hatch isn’t far off, likely followed by Alders if temperatures hold.

For those fishing sub-surface, bigger catches came to anglers pulling a mix of lures—proof that variety still pays.

⸻

🎯 What’s Working – Fly Box Must-Haves:
• Green / Black / Brown Buzzers
• Diawl Bach
• Shipman’s Buzzer
• Palomino Midge
• Black Foam Beetle
• Black Klinkhamer
• Black Gnat
• Damsel Nymph
• CDC Emergers
• Snakes
• Blobs / FABs

Address

Sharpley Springs Fly Fishing
Seaham
SR70NP

Opening Hours

Monday 5:40am - 10pm
Tuesday 5:40am - 10pm
Wednesday 5:40am - 10pm
Thursday 5:40am - 10pm
Friday 5:40am - 10pm
Saturday 5:40am - 10pm
Sunday 5:40am - 10pm

Website

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