The Northern Fishing School

A truly fantastic day. Marina and Sam are right up there with some of the best guides I’ve had. I’ve fished a lot but there’s always room to learn more and the introduction to euro-nymphing was fantastic. My daughter (as a relative new comer) was made to feel completely at ease and learned a huge amount- without doubt, Marina is an excellent teacher. Not even the rain could dampen the enjoyment and we’re already discussing plans for the next trip. Genuinely can’t wait!

What an experience Diane and I enjoyed with Sam and his expertise in the art of fly fishing and teaching of the craft. Beginners to the sport we were, but Sam provided his 30 years of experience and explained everything for the beginner. A wonderful location the school has access to and all amenities were provided. Yes, we caught fish, but Diane caught more. I now have a roadmap for retirement and it will involve many days spent on the riverside, but first I will be going back for more lessons. Thanks to Sam and the team. Grant

Recently had 2 x 1/2 day sessions at the school (an afternoon and a morning). Our guide Neil was amazing - we had an afternoon by the lake learning the basics & then the next morning went to several spots on the Ure to put into practice what we had learnt the day before. Such a great experience - we loved it & are now hooked!Thanks to the team for their advice beforehand & arranging the sessions, guide etc and to Neil for his patience, guidance & humour! We'll be back soon.

My wife and I recently stayed at the Swinton Estate. We were very fortunate to have arranged a fly casting lesson with some time on the local waters. Sam Harrison, our guide and instructor was very patient, knowledgeable, and attentive with teaching my wife some fly casting fundamentals. In short time, she was on the water and able to catch her first trout on the fly. Sam made the experience a lot of fun for both my wife and me. I also gained some valuable insights into my casting for which I greatly appreciate. We both look forward to returning to this part of the country and will definitely book some time with Sam.

A fantastic experience! Although I have fly fished for Trout for 50 years, learning to cast for Salmon was a totally new endeavour, and I attended the NFS Salmon 101 course. It was both theoretical, and practical, with plenty of hands on with different types of rods, and the two instructors were attentive, and obviously vastly experienced. All the attendees were made to feel at ease, and that mistakes were a natural part of the learning process. Highly recommended to both newcomers, and those wanting to change track.

Thank you to Sam and the team at The Northern Fishing School for a wonderful September day on the Ure. Fish were rising and abundant. It could have been May time! The water, setting and quality of guiding was exceptional. I can’t wait to have another crack.

My Dad and I had an amazing half day guided fishing lesson set in the grounds of the lovely Swinton Estate.Our experienced guide Neil made us feel very welcome and put us at ease, as we had limited fishing experience.We initially spent some time on the training lawn perfecting the different casting techniques before heading to the nearby lake to put into practice what we had learned.Even though it was overcast and raining all day I still managed to catch 5 beautiful trout !The Northern Fishing School provided us with the perfect introduction to Fly Fishing and we will definitely book again with them in the future.I would 100% recommend anyone interested in Fly Fishing to get in touch with them.

The four of us booked the day to learn how to fly fish double handed for our salmon fishing trip. Some of us had previous trout fly fishing experience using single-handed rods, but some were complete novices. Both Marina and Beni were exceptionally helpful. We had clear instructions and were able to use a mixture of our kit, and if needed, Northern Fishing School’s kit too. We also had very helpful advice as to what we needed for our salmon fishing trip (and not needed) and also an assessment of the kit we brought with us (my fly line did not make the grade). As you may know, the location is stunning and we ordered the Swinton picnic, which was extensive and well received. All in all, a great lesson, perfect preparation and review for our trip and good fun.

I had a wonderful time fishing. The scenery is unbelievable and the instructor was top notch.I was fortunate to catch 3 fish on the lake and keep one of them for dinner.It was convenient and catered for any level. I am a beginner with minimal experience so we worked on casting for a bit and then headed over to the lake. Note, they won't take you on the river unless you have a decent level of experience. Dress for all weather conditions as well.