| To find the tarn, from Ambleside take the B5286 Hawkshead road and after about 2 miles take the first road left. The tarn is to your right. |
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| Blelham is a beautiful reed fringed tarn situated near the western shore of Windermere between Hawkshead and Ambleside. The fishery is owned by the National Trust and controlled by WADAA. The National Trust has restricted the areas open for fishing to the swims adjacent to the boat house and the rock outcrop at the eastern end of the fishery.
The tarn covers an area of 25 acres and has a maximum depth of 47 feet. The average water depth is 22 feet. It is probably the most productive tarn in the lake district and large populations of algae develop in surface waters during summer months. Over the last few years the Environment Agency has issued warnings about blooms of blue-green algae on the tarn. Whilst anglers should be aware of the problem the blooms usually appear later in the summer months. The tarn is ideally suited to roach which thrive in it’s rich water growing to good size. Summer fishing is excellent using maggot, caster or sweetcorn for the better fish. Pole, waggler or feeder are all effective methods. Depths of the boat house swims are 10 feet at 11 metres. Blelham is really a summer water as during the colder months the fish move into deeper water in areas of the tarn where fishing is not permitted.
The pike fishing is fairly prolific with deadbait and lures producing many smaller fish to 15lb. Bigger pike are present and the fishery record is 26lb taken in 2002. Live baiting is not permitted. Because of the restricted access you are usually assured of a quiet day. Access to the fishing areas is via two different footpaths. The boat house swims are off the footpath 150 metres south of Wray Castle, whilst access to the rock outcrop swims is down the footpath 250 metres north of Wray Castle. Cars should be parked near the Castle. Winter pike fishing can be excellent.
Being a productive tarn the deeper water rapidly becomes deoxygenated during the summer. Records from the Institute of Freshwater Ecology show that after mid-June there is no oxygen below a depth of 6m (this may extend to 5m in long calm periods). Under these conditions long range fishing into deep water will not be productive.
Due to the limited fishing space available WADAA only sells 2 permits per day which can only be obtained from The Tower Bank Arms at Near Sawrey. Blelham Tarn can be fished by all WADAA members. Please see the membership section of this site if you wish to join WADAA.
Blelham Tarn is open all year round. |
| GPS Location: You must be a member to view this information [login/register] |
| Best fished: You must be a member to view this information [login/register] |
| Most productive methods: You must be a member to view this information [login/register] |
| Species: Roach, Pike, Perch |
| Facilities: |
| Number of swims: 3 |
| Season: |
| Methods: You must be a member to view this information [login/register] |
| Permits: |
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