Our History

Settle Anglers were founded in 1920. Sadly, the earlier Association records have been lost.

Bob Garnett is a Settle Anglers veteran, and was our Secretary for many years. His earliest recollection of Settle Anglers goes back to 1953 when he was a boy and along with his father they were invited to fish at Morley’s Hole for Pike by the late Charlie Lawson. Bob suspects most, if not all of the Pike have now gone from there and from Long Preston Deeps but back in the 1950’s they were very common along the deeper and slower moving sections of the Ribble. In those days apart from spinning, live minnow was the most popular method for catching Pike.

In the 50’s Bob was given access to fish in the becks and other farmer’s-owned water but his great desire was to fish on Settle Anglers’ waters so set about trying to become a member. In those days there were no application forms as such, it was up to a prospective member to find an existing member to act as proposer and then all names were put up on a large portable blackboard and read out at the AGM to the attending members for their examination and consideration to accept or reject. In those days there were rarely more than two or three vacancies each year. Bob was accepted as a member in 1957 the subscription was £5 and no entrance fee.

At about the time Bob joined, he remembers that three members immediately resigned when the subscription was increased from £3 to £5– hard to imagine these days!

In the 1950 – 60’s there were no salmon passes at Settle or Locks Weirs so they could not ascend any further than Devils Pool and usually settled in the pool below the main road bridge where one or two (that’s all) were caught every year.

The hatch of fly was in those days prolific and the rise of trout especially on a summer evening was something to behold, and there was much more water in the river and fewer predatory birds and farming chemicals. A good flood would last a week with good fishing condition’s.

Back in the 50’s fly fishing for the average person was an entirely different proposition than today, first it was silk fly lines and mucilin grease, flies were generally purchased for a few pence each, fly tying as we know it today was in its early days .

Settle Anglers Association committee then were very forward thinking and would purchase any fishing in the locality that they could; Barnstead waters were purchased for £750, a significant sum back then. Such investments has made our association what it is today, a low rent, stable and strong club with low subscriptions which attracts new members wanting to share in our fishing.

The President was, proudly, in the early days pleased to provide and present a new Trout Fly Rod to the person who caught the heaviest brown trout each year and members at the AGM looked on with awe as someone else won a rod that they would have loved to own. Rods were relatively expensive then when compared to income. Another unusual rule we had was that no fishing was allowed between Settle road bridge and Penny bridge (Gasworks) on a Sunday.

One of the greatest and most prolific changes in the history of the association was the purchase of the Arnford Fishing, Settle Anglers then became the owners of a salmon water of some standing as well as a great trout and grayling water. It was purchased because, at that time,  the weirs at Settle restricted Salmon movement upstream; the Salmon arrived in April/May and the pools retained fish most of the season – in those early days members would account for over 100 Salmon a year.

Bob recalls an evening when five rods were fishing in the Sleeper Pool and the corner pool below, all were playing salmon at the same time, unfortunately for some not all were landed. The salmon still are in this area and quite a number are caught when the conditions are right; but now with the salmon passes on the weirs at Settle many fish move through and on up to Horton in Ribblesdale and above.

The latest acquisition of waters was on the River Wenning at Clapham. Our President Mr A Price, not only managed to purchase the Hazel Hall fishing but also secured the lease on the opposite bank. To complete the portfolio on the Wenning the lease of the Ingleborough Estate fishing was agreed and also the purchase of several hundred yards of water adjacent to Clapham Wood Hall. This gives us some 3 miles of continuous fishing.

These waters although a little more inaccessible provide anglers with some peace and solitude in lovely surroundings and maybe the chance of a good Sea Trout.