Feedback & Reports

A hot sunny day made fishing difficult and at times uncomfortable, but we managed a few chub and barbel between us. Church Stream is probably best fished early and late as canoes make life difficult during the day as they come right beneath one's feet. However, the swimmers stayed on well into the evening!

5 Barbel, 5 Chub

Great looking, peaceful stretch of river in the middle of nowhere. Conditions were near perfect, with good water level and a little colour. Had a nice Chub on my first cast, followed by 17 others between 2 and 3.5 pounds, with all but a few in mint condition (a couple had what looked like Cormarant or Heron stabs) and 3 Barbel with the biggest at just over 6lb. I also christened a new rod and reel and had my first (and second) centrepin caught Barbel :) All fish caught on Halibut pellets or Lone Angler Sausage sizzle squabs.
Will have to come back to this stretch :)

3 Barbel, 18 Chub

Pleasant day spent fishing the Church Stream Pool resulting in 5 barbel up to 6lb. Pellet baits did the trick again.

5 Barbel

Started at the lower end of the stretch, but no fish caught. Moved to the Church Pool and a swim near to the top of the Island. Caught fish almost immediately in the new swims. All fish came to pellet used with feeders.
Top of the stretch very over grown and steep banks making it almost impossible to fish, besides that a very nice beat.

4 Barbel, 22 Chub

Lost one fish.

With the level at Ross showing 0.53 and the river in perfect trim I was hoping for great things.
The top of the beat, right bank, is easy wading at this height being knee to waist deep and with just a little less water I could have made the crossing to the island too. Being able to get in the water and off the high banks is great for casting a shooting head right across the river and the prospects are high.
Not a sniff; fished right through with the fly in the morning, 1WBT of 1lb, and resorted to the spinning rod in the afternoon. Nothing, nada, zilch.
Did find that the last 300yd 'flat-water' glide is easy wading, packed with trout and will be great on a summers evening with a good hatch coming off. So I will be trying again.

1 Trout

Nothing caught in perfect conditions. Two fish seen or possibly one fish running.

Forget fly fishing here. No fish caught but would like to try again on a spinner.

14 pound with longtailed sealice, spinning.

1 Salmon

Water was up from last time, 0.8+ at Ross and showing 9 on the gauge on the left bank on arrival, quite a lot of colour; but still easy fishing. The quicker water of Pulpit pool proved to have fish coming to a fly but I just couldn't keep them on! A fat Brownie of 12" did prove the new "Talon" barbless trebles work a treat though, slacken the line and they just fall out. Maybe that's why I was loosing bigger fish? Anyway, nothing taken on flying C but a 2ft+ Pike did leap clear of the water trying it's best to grab it.
I can't wait for a drop in water to make wading easier and to access the left bank/island as a fly will glide through Church Stream just like in all those DVDs you watched in the winter.

1 Trout