The River Dove

Derbyshire, Staffordshire

The river Dove at Dovedale is one of the most picturesque and important fly fishing rivers in the world.

It’s a spring-fed limestone river, passing through a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It’s steeped in angling folklore, with LADFFA members treading in the footsteps of Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton, who fished here 400 years ago.

We enjoy a three and a half mile stretch on one of the most admired and respected rivers in the country.

The river snakes and meanders with a good variety of weirs, pools and faster glides through to Dove Holes.

Dove Holes is a very prominent feature of two very large limestone caves. The river slows and deepens dramatically at this point providing good sport for those who like to fish the nymph.

Above this section the river is much straighter, offering good pockets of faster water, weirs and shallow pools up to Ravens Tor.