Feedback & Reports

Belatedly remembered the Forest of Dean streams were still open so sneaked in a trip on the last day to the Bideford brook. Very low and clear, most pools static. Did not see anything happening so started with the nearest I had to a rust klink. Got some interest from very wary trout but could not land any. Things went quiet till about 4.00pm, when in the last run a rise started. In the very shallow water I missed most but landed 2 at 8" on a small blue dun before all stopped again. Also met the owner on the way back for a pleasant chat including the spread of the wild boar!

2 Trout

River low and dropping and Barbel 4lbs to 8lbs caught very late in day. EP had 6 chub on trotted breadflake ranging from about 1lbs to 4.5lbs-a proper way to catch fish!!

3 Barbel, 8 Chub

An enjoyable days fishing; sadly no salmon today (except a kamikaze trout in the Ferry Pool) although with the water at about a foot on the gauge conditions felt good. It was nice to catch up with Roger Kempshall who was also fishing Gromain as we hadn't seen him since last year.

1 Trout

Two fish seen Mill pool and Rock pool. Trout and Grayling returned

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

Second visit to this stretch in a month, another very good day, but in many ways a lot different to last visit, no small chub or dace . All the chub caught were large fish between 4 & 6lb and in fantastic condition. Once again the barbel were mostly small between 1lb and 3lb. I think the fact that I am fishing either a big balsa float or a Waggler with 3 or 4 maggots is more suited to catching these smaller barbel. I suspect if you fished a static bait you would catch some of the larger barbel. The other angler on the beat did have larger barbel on the feeder and pellet, But I prefer to fish the float and keep active.
Thank you again WUF

1 Trout, 17 Barbel, 9 Chub

4 Trout

5 grayling all about the 10" mark. Four on an olive spider fished as the top dropper in a team of three. The fifth was after switching to dry fly and came to a grey duster.

5 Grayling

Water levels dropping and becoming clearer. We had to try a number of different swims before finding the fish. We fished with swim feeders and used Luncheon Meat or Spicy Sausage Pellet on the hook.

1 Barbel, 4 Chub

1 Trout

River low with little colour; overcast. Started well with a barbel just shy of 7lb in the afternoon. Went quiet so changed from pellet to meat which produced only an eel. Hoped the barbel would come on later, but they would not oblige and only a chub as darkness fell.

1 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other