The River Ribble is one of England's finest game fishing rivers, flowing 72 miles from its source at Gayle Beck near Ribblehead in the Yorkshire Dales westward to the Irish Sea near Lytham. Unlike most Yorkshire Dales rivers that drain east toward the North Sea, the Ribble's westward course to the Irish Sea gives it a uniquely short migratory route, making it one of the best salmon and sea trout rivers in England. The river passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in northern England — from the limestone cliffs and wooded hillsides of the upper Yorkshire Dales near Settle, through the picturesque Ribble Valley past Clitheroe and Mitton, and on through Preston to its broad 10-mile estuary. The river is a fertile, freestone river with good hatches of fly throughout the season, supporting prolific populations of wild brown trout, grayling, salmon, and sea trout, as well as coarse species including chub, roach, barbel, and pike in the lower reaches. With approximately 1.25 million people living within its catchment, the Ribble is a well-loved and accessible fishery, yet it retains a wild and natural character that sets it apart from many managed fisheries.