Feedback & Reports

Fished 9.45am to 5.30pm with no success or action. Both fished fly almost all day, but might have had more success spinning. Focused on Corner Tree and Vanstone which fished nicely. Other pools still seemed a bit high. It's good to see the work WUF have done on improving access - it will make the upper part of the beat much easier to get at once the river drops a bit.

A tough day. Blustery winds and water a touch high I fancy. No fish seen and no pulls. Some cracking water for the fly though.
Note for anyone fishing this beat for the first time - If you are parking on the left bank and following the map, DO NOT attempt to stick to the track around the field unless you have 4x4. I tried it and lost - car grounded wheels spinning. Couldnt dig it out or jack it up enough. I went for a wander and luckily a hero from the electricity work procured a 4x4 and pulled me out, but only after 3 hrs of futile attempts by myself. It seems that regulars keep away from the track as the field is pretty flat. WUF - may be a good idea to do some hole filling if the farmer values his field!

River in good condition with the guage at Fownhope at around 1'10". Water still carrying a slight green tinge but fairly clear. We fished the left bank concentrating on the lower half of the beat which has some fantastic fly pools. The first action came at around 11am when I had a good take in the Vanstone on a 3" Monkey, however a couple of headshakes the fish was off. It was fairly quiet after that until 4pm when I landed a well mended kelt of around 9lbs from the tail of Maddox on a snaelda tube fly. Shortly after this JB caught a fresh 10lb hen fish on a black flying c from the Corner Tree pool. Both fish safely returned. All in all a cold but great days fishing.

1 Salmon, 1 Other

Water too high and a bitter east wind made the day difficult. Colour just OK for the minnow but not clear enough for the fly. Fished the Vanstone and Corner Tree. The latter semed to fish well. Too high for the upper pools. Nothing seen all day.

Unfortunately rained off but we look fwd to re booking

Made a last minutes decision to fish as thought there might be small window before the rain coloured the river and brought it up. I was rewarded with a lovely mornings fishing in pleasant weather and a 10lb salmon from the Corner Tree pool. Was going to start at the top of the Vanstone but something told me I should cover the area around and downstream of the old broken croy in the Corner Tree. Fish was taken on a size 5 Monkey double and a heavy sinking (T10) tip on a slow sinking shooting head. No other fish seen or touched. Fished down through the Vanstone thoroughly by which time it was 14.00ish and the weather was really deteriorating. Time to head home.

1 Salmon

Two novice salmon rods (one spinning, one fly) fished both banks - the right bank in the morning in the rain and the left in the afternoon. No salmon caught or seen but a two pound trout taken spinning from the shingle at 'The Windmill' made a pleasant surprise (returned).
Like the beat, good access.

1 Trout

River level low, weather, sunny intervals, temp +5. Spinning various flying C + Mep spoon. Nothing seen, nothing caught. Good access to a well kept beat. Will be back. Thanks.

Blank, except for a 29 inch kelt and a number of trout which wanted to grab a Black and Yellow tube. The water was on 1 foot 3 inches at Fownhope, some greyish colour to the water. And, oh boy, the weather was really something! The wind was a gift from Mother Russia, up to a gale force for much of the time, and mostly blowing straight downstream. So with a heavy tube, it was double Speys or "chuck and duck" if you wanted to chance it. Rod rings iced up continuously through the day, except for one hour after lunch. Wading jacket froze stiff as did wading trousers when out of the water and standing in the wind. Mini-blizzards of snow every half hour or so. I always thought Herefordshire a place with a moderate spring climate?

Weather was freezing and water a bit high (1' 4'' at Fownhope). Persevered with a fly but no response.