Swainsley Fishing Club
Wild Brown Trout and Grayling fishing in the Peak District
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About Us
The club is limited to 25 members in any season. Formed in the 1940s, the club has promoted wild brown trout and grayling fishing along nearly 3 miles of the River Manifold in Staffordshire. The ethos of the club is to keep the river as wild as possible. Balsam removal, minimal tree pruning and rubbish collection is undertaken. In 2019 the club promoted the establishment of white clawed crayfish in conjunction with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. There is a small cafe at Wetton Mill, the only location where the public footpath approaches the river.
The Manifold Valley
A limestone gorge of beauty. The river runs over stone with occasional silt and gravel. A single lane runs up the valley away from the river which is tree lined.
Activities
We offer fishing on 3 Miles of the river Manifold from just below Wetton Mill upstream to Back of Ecton. Our philosophy is to maintain the river in its wild state as closely as possible. There has been no stocking for decades. We depend on the integrity of members most of whom fish with fly only and never take fish. River maintenance is confined to removing the small amount of rubbish and trimming of vegetation only when absolutely necessary. We work with adjacent clubs to control non indigenous species.
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Map of our fishing
![Swainsley Map-2[2] copy.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7208e5_06b28c99ac394dbfbf9d9fee9c5f04dd~mv2_d_1240_1753_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_311,h_440,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/7208e5_06b28c99ac394dbfbf9d9fee9c5f04dd~mv2_d_1240_1753_s_2.jpg)