Feedback & Reports

I was inspired by L.B. s piccies of the Cammarch , and his report at the beginning of the week , so thought I’d give it a bash too ….. holding its water for sure when I parked up by the now dilapidated old barn at the Lower beat parking area …..

Always a slight red tinge here , bit like the Cilieni , although nice and refreshed it looked , did dip it with the thermometer out of interest , reading 12 degrees , so these cooler nights of late really are bringing the temp down , great stuff …. Still not at its usual flow , but not bad considering …….

Fished my six foot , two weight rod , and initially went with an eighteen tan klinkhammer , did the trick , two good takes missed in a row initially ….. honed in eventually , and had my fist Cammarch brownie in a while , great stuff , strong little fish too ,and lovely violent takes on the dry too , about ab eight inch fish , slipped back in …. The next two were ditto in size , hitting the dry at the heads of the pools , last fish was about ten inches , a really cracker …. A few missed strikes , and two that didn’t make it to the net …… a very sporting few hours …………………..

A pleasant mooch upstream here , it’s varied water and lovely dry fly water too . A heron was working the water in two locations , as I spooked him …. Annoyed I’d say , wonder how he had done fishing wise today !!!!! Also buzzards and I think young ones too . Seems a popular place for buzzards , and I remember last year a pair being here too .

Only did just over half the beat looking at google maps , as I cut cross the fields , hit the road and walked back down to my truck . It’s a long beat this one , so bear it in mind if you fancy doing the full beat right up to the bridge by the Trout Inn , which incidentally WUF , can you clarify , is it still a beat we can fish ,the upper one , as one report , a gent stated that the landowner has blocked off entry and exits with barbed wire etc etc …. Be nice to get an answer , so that anglers know it’s worth the trip out there …..

Anyway , the lower beat was fun , varied and sporting during my four hour mooch this morning , we’ll , actually started at half eleven , and cut out into the field at quarter past three . Great fun , always amazes me why it’s not fished more , it’s got a reasonable head of brownies in it too ….. lovely job .

4 Trout

2 Trout

Caught 6 chub to 4lb all on meat

6 Chub

Fantastic day, fished upstream widdybank to cauldron snout great pocket water fishing. Missed far more than we caught. Fish fast and hard fighting. Will definitely return.

17 Trout

Campers in the last field made the beat crowded as a few of them had rods out fishing.

3 Barbel, 45 Chub

5 Grayling

The others were Dace caught trotting

1 Barbel, 2 Other

3 Trout

2 Barbel, 3 Chub

If, like me, you read these catch reports for detailed information only to be disappointed that SB from Bristol caught 16 chub and GG from Morecambe caught 1 “other” (an eel) then hopefully you’ll enjoy this.

I’m from the Black Country and we like our moneys worth so I got here nice and early to get full value for my 25 quid – I reckoned if I fish from 0500 til dusk it’s only £1.5625 per hour which is decent value.

Headed off from the car park as it got light and walked the easy way, thus avoided going through that poor blokes front garden. Weird that you have to go the long way round when there’s a much easier route via a public footpath on the other side… And, if you go that way, you’ll see the sign where the farmers daughter offers free tractor rides over Heart Attack Hill for fat fishermen – just my luck that the first shuttle was at 06.00 and I was already there at 05.00.

I’m only kidding, obviously.

They start at 07.00.

Yomped over the hill, through the woods and set up camp on the Lucky Stones just as the mist rolled around the river. From the first cast til the very last cast I didn’t stop catching fish. I lost count of the number of chub (guessing 50+) but I did count the barbel. 9 in total, including a baby at about 1 pound (beautiful in miniature) and a chunky double – only my second ever. I didn’t weigh it but it was massive, with a big thick set head, broad shoulders and the rock hard stare of a heavyweight boxer at weigh in.

I also caught a dace that took a pellet bigger than its own head and a big eel that fancied my meat. Bonus – it somehow managed to unhook itself after doing some weird fish yoga moves.

All fish were caught in the river on various methods, including float, rolling meat and electro. For bait I used meat, pellets and some leftover Tetra Goldfish flakes. The big uns were hoodwinked by Hinders Ellipse pellets on a short hook link attached to a 2 oz lead, plopped right into the whirly bit I’m pointing to in the picture. I was too lazy to move (even though I’d been sat still all day) so I’d cast slightly upstream into the fast bit – no idea if this made a difference but the bites were violent.

Safe to say that this was my best ever fishing day, one that will stay with me for a long time. If you’re thinking of booking this, get over the hill first thing – it’s not as bad as some make out and the fishing past the shallows is magnificent

9 Barbel, 50 Chub, 2 Other