There is a wide variety of fishing in The Peak District and Derbyshire. The rivers of the Derbyshire Peak District, the Wye, the Dove, the Lathkill, the Derwent and others are world famous as the historic home of fly fishing, and have been fished by countless thousands since and before the days when Izzac Walton and Charles Cotton roamed these parts. More southerly the lower reaches of the river Derwent and the River Trent offer coarse fishermen much game. Aside from the rivers there are numerous gravel pits, ponds, lakes and reservoirs to try out.

Many of the Derbyshire Peak District waters are controlled by the large estates of Haddon and Chatsworth and by clubs and associations so much of the fishing is on a seasonal let, though day tickets can be obtained on some waters.

The river Wye, despite it’s short length of 15 miles passes through some of the finest scenery in the Peak District and contains a good head of both rainbow trout and brown trout, and in it’s lower reaches, grayling. The Wye is most famous for it’s naturally breeding population of rainbow trout.

The river Derwent flows south from Ladybower reservoir towards Derby, through some very fine scenery. The upper reaches make for some good fly fishing with plenty of trout and grayling, whilst as the river runs down below Matlock an increaing number of coarse fish are to be found including barbel and chub. The river Trent has lost some of it’s popularity but good catches can still be had at Swarkestone.

Good lake fishing can be had at many locations including, Staveley’s Ireland Pit Pond, notable for bream, Holme Brook Valley at Newbold and Ringwood. Others can be found at Barlow Farm Fishery, Foxton Dam, Hardwick Hall for roach fishing, Higham Farm, Stubbin Court near Wingerworth, Harlesthorpe Dam at Clowe. Two other excellent reservoirs to fish situated near Ripley are Butterley and Codnor Reservoir. Butterley is renowned for it’s bream shoals whilst Codnor holds some very large carp.

Fly fishing is not confined to the rivers. Ladybower and Carsington Reservoirs make good fisheries with day tickets more readily available than on some of the best river stretches.

Canal fishing is also popular in Derbyshire with the Peak Forest Canal to the north of the County and the Trent and Mersey canal and the Erewash Canal to the south. Some of the ‘best’ spots to be found on the Trent and Mersey are at Acre Lane, Shardlow, Swarkestone Lock and Stenson for chub during the summer. The Erewash some very large carp as well as lots of quality chub and roach, whilst the Peak Forest canal offers some good perch and roach fishing.