The River Ellen's wild brown trout are beautifully marked and fin-perfect, averaging around nine or ten inches in length, but with bigger fish always present. The native brownies are occasionally supplemented with high quality stock fish around fourteen inches in length. Given good water sea trout and salmon can be found in the river from the beginning of their season, but generally tend to run fairly late, and our club's water has long been acknowledged as a predominantly 'back-end' stretch for migratory species. Many sea trout taken here are 'herling' (one sea-winter fish), but larger ones are present-one of the biggest taken from our water is a 7lbs 9oz fish, caught by club chairman Mr. Arthur Dixon. Similarly, the Ellen produces many grilse (one sea-winter salmon) up to seven or eight pounds in weight, although bigger fish do run the river and are reported every season.

A vividly spotted fly - caught Ellen brownie

In addition to providing enjoyable fishing, Aspatria A. C. water and its surroundings also harbours a rich variety of wildlife. A number of songbirds catch the eye and ear, along with barn owls, herons, kestrels, kingfishers and pheasants. Otters are also frequently seen, with the river below Oughterside a popular haunt. Springtime lambing season is a particularly nice time to be by the river, when anglers can find themselves sharing the bank with many lively, inquisitive lambs and their watchful mothers! It is important for anglers and non-anglers alike that all these species are protected from harm.

Our club continues to take a keen interest in the conservation of the Ellen and its surroundings. Anglers practising catch-and-release are encouraged to respect fish by handling them with cool wet hands, and by always using barbless hooks or crushing down the barbs. When necessary work parties are organised to maintain Aspatria A. C. water, and involve activities such as repairing stiles and signs, and removing debris from the river. We hold club membership of the Anglers' Conservation Association, and also belong to the South and West Cumberland Fisheries Association, which deals with issues such as habitat improvement, water quality, diffuse pollution, catchment abstraction and management strategies. Several other bodies, such as the Environment Agency and the Cumbria Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, take a keen interest in the River Ellen, which forms part of the E. A.'s Derwent, West Cumbrian and Duddon Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy.

 

Aspatria Angling Club Species and Conservation Policy