Four ways to spend a morning.
Each experience is shaped around a single rod, a single morning, and a keeper who knows the water. No group tours, no overlapping sessions — just you, the lake, and whichever guide is on duty.
Dawn Session
The lake at its most generous. You cast into steam rising off the water while the keepers bring coffee in tin mugs and the day quietly begins without you.
What to bring
Weekend Retreat
A full weekend of slow fishing, slow food, and a cabin that creaks in the right places. Four dawn sessions, three evenings, two dinners — and a single key that unlocks everything.
What to bring
Fly-Fishing School
A full day of careful instruction from our head keeper, Iris Northbank. Morning on the casting lawn, afternoon on the water. By 4pm, most pupils have caught something — and all of them have stopped thinking about anything else.
What to bring
Private Guide
The lake to yourselves, for half a day, with one of our three keepers as your private guide. Particularly loved by families, long-standing friends, and anyone who wants the water at their own pace.
What to bring
Which morning is yours?
A handwritten voucher, in an envelope, by post.
Every experience can be gifted. We write each voucher by hand — one of the keepers chooses the ink — and send it on good card stock by first-class post.
The things people usually ask.
Do I need my own equipment?
No. We keep a rack of well-kept loan rods in the boathouse — from 4-weights up to 8-weights — plus waders, nets, and a selection of flies tied locally. Bring your own if you prefer; many guests do.
Can I come if I’ve never fly-fished?
Yes — the Fly-Fishing School is specifically for you. Iris teaches on a long lawn by the old stables. Most complete beginners catch their first fish in the afternoon of the same day.
Are children welcome?
Anglers aged 14+ are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Younger children are very welcome to visit the boathouse and the jetty with a grown-up, but do not fish from them.
What if the weather is poor?
We still fish. The lake actually behaves beautifully in light rain, and our Cumbrian weather is rarely biblical. If conditions become genuinely unsafe we reschedule free of charge.
Is food included?
Dawn Sessions include a flask and a scone. The School includes a full lunch. The Weekend Retreat includes most meals. Private Guide includes a mid-session break with tea and cake. We are happy to accommodate dietary needs with notice.
Can I stay overnight without booking the retreat?
The two restored cabins are only available with the Weekend Retreat. For single-night stays we can recommend three excellent nearby inns within fifteen minutes.
Pick a morning. We’ll hold it for you.
Reservations open six months ahead. Weekends between April and October book out first — the retreat often months in advance.