Feedback & Reports

River was ideal, had good flow and some colour. Started with Elips pellets with feeder in the morning but no success. At about midday, switched to 1" meat cubes using inline ledger and fished further out in main flow, bites started immediately. Lost a couple of Barbel in weed and landed two fish 7.8lb & 5.5lb. After lunch there was a lot of freshly cut branches and debris coming down river, I presume from bank maintenance work further upstream, it became difficult to fish so I went to watch the rugby final. Spoke to the other ticket holder further downstream who had at least a dozen barbel on pellets & feeder - so don't rule out pellets based on my report.

2 Barbel

7 barbel shared between the two of us, 5 of which came in a hectic last half an hour at dusk. Fish in the 4 - 7 pounds range, all in perfect condition, taken on standard feeder and pellet / luncheon meat tactics from swims at the bottom end of the stretch. Leaping salmon seen throughout the day.

7 Barbel

Day started badly when I discovered I had lost a leg off my chair. Did not improve when, after a fruitless search for leg, overcast conditions turned to long sunny periods. Water very low and clear. Fished fast water opposite island with pellet, meat and maggots with feeder. No bites so moved upstream to deeper water. Still very quiet until I had a couple of chub 2 - 3lb on meat as darkness fell. Saved me from a complete blank, but not a sniff of a barbel. Disappointing.

2 Chub

6 barbel biggest 10.8lb, remainder 5-7.5lb. All fish in morning and evening on pellet feeder fished mid-river at a swim at the top end. Had to contend with 50+ Canadian Geese in swim but persevered! Accompanied by Kingfishers, Wrens, Herons, Pheasants and the occasional Cormorant (unfortunately). Nice low level flypast by a couple of RAF Tornados too! Than you WUF.

6 Barbel

Arrived at dawn frosty no fish caught lost one. Good beat river very low and clear.

Started fishing the fast water by the island had a couple of chub, but no barbel. Moved upstream late morning and caught barbel steadily up till dark. Fantastic days fishing. All fish caught on standard ledger tactics using Elips pellets as bait.

13 Barbel, 2 Chub

Disappointing day due to heavy rain overnight and early morning, making access to swims easy for a mountain goat but very slippery for old boy with a hip like mine.
Managed to set up in a swim opposite the downstream end of the island but a combination of leaves, abundant weed, more rain, vertigo and no bites made me give up after 3 hours.
A 300 mile round trip for nothing.

First time on this beat and found the fishing difficult. Not helped by overnight campers on the church pool island complete with dingy and fishing rods!!!
Fished three or four swims for just a Perch and a few Chublets on maggot. Not a knock on pellet feeder.

5 Other

River still really low and clear. Needs water badly. Weather was mild and overcast sky.
Started in the second swim in the field to the right of the path down to the river. First four casts led in three sets of lost gear so moved.
Chatted to the guy in the church pool swim who was using maggot and was not getting bites. Feared the worst. Moved to the bottom field near the downstream end of the beat and settled into a peg with deeper water and fished mid river. Fished groundbait feeder and single pellet on the hook. Decided to bait heavily. Make or break. Had first barbel after an hour 9lb 2oz. An hour later 2nd barbel 9lb 3oz. Fished just into the dark and ended up with 8 barbel.
3 nine pounders biggest 9lb 6oz. 2 eights, two fives and a four. Lost one big one to hook pull.
Removed barbed hook from the biggest one which wasn't mine. Don't use barbed hooks, they damage the fish!!! Look after these fish and use strong line so you land them and not leave hooks in them!!

8 Barbel

Great day at the Creel, good weather and great fishing. All fish came to feeder tactics. Several swims tried throughout the day, however all fish came from two swims.

16 Barbel, 12 Chub