Feedback & Reports

6lb stale cock fish late pm. More fish showing than for some time though mostly well coloured.

1 Salmon

Arrived at a very low river just after dawn. I took a stroll and found only two swims I fancied. The first swim looked like it might throw up a chub or barbel with the usual tactics, but ended up fishing the stick with permitted as of 15th Sept, non-aquatic pupae (maggots to us normal folk). Got hammered by tiny Dace and a couple of Perch. By 3pm I thought I'd try the other swim but was not feeling too confident. But that's how fishing goes and I finished at dusk with 2 barbel and 4 chub, so I was quite please in what were tough conditions.
Nice peaceful stretch and I would love to return when the conditions are better.

2 Barbel, 4 Chub, 20 Other

I had a great early morning session on this highly esteemed beat with resident fish showing often in the Stones, Doghole and Gabbions beats.
That is until 10am when the canoes arrive and the standard demise of the fishing they often bring. I don't want to use this as a forum or channel for complaint but something really needs to be done regarding their expected etiquette from a paying anglers perspective.
In my first run down the Stones, I had a resident hen around 12-14lbs leaping in my swing only to be hit by a lively 2lb Trout which made the heart momentarily skip. Moving down through the pool I then hit a Pike around 10lb but no sign of any of the three coloured residents I saw rolling.
Moving down through the beat I fished the Windmill with surprisingly no sign of any life, and down through to the Vanstone where I had a healthy Chub around 3.5lb.
Then as I say came the canoes. If you want to fish this beat get here for first light and start casting at those residents. Hopefully they won't torment you as much as they did me throughout the course of the day. Typically making a leap as you are leaving a pool...

1 Trout, 1 Chub, 1 Pike

The river is very low and there were not many fish rising. The trout and grayling came to the nymph.

2 Trout, 2 Grayling

River level had dropped back since last week, canoeist will have to get out here and walk to Ross soon. Still the fish are there just had to move about to find them. Picked the odd chub out to start with rolling meat. Had to wait till early evening for the barbel to feed and need some care with landing the fish because of the shallow water and the rocks. Lost a nice fish, looked like a double cut me off at the net then caught one with a braided hooklink still attached. Thankfully the hook was barbless so there was no problem. Also, some care is needed to nurse these fish before their released in the shallow conditions.

5 Barbel, 4 Chub

Fished in the shallows upstream of the orchard from 11am - 6pm. We were gutted to have to set off on the long drive up to Yorkshire at 6pm as the fishing was so good. Simple tactics picking off the odd fish every so often all afternoon long.

8 Barbel, 1 Chub

River was very low and clear. Weather overcast. Very little feeding seen. A few fish viewed but they were generally uninterested in what was presented to them. One bite on a nymph, but not landed. Lovely beat though.

Many thanks to Colin and Woody for their advice on where to find the barbel.

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

Many thanks to Colin and Woody for their advice on where to find the barbel.

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

Another dry warm day, but the flow was reasonable, perhaps because of releases from the reservoirs upstream. After a long chat with Oak, who runs the Doldowlod caravan park and is himself an enthusiastic angler, we set off for the river full of optimism. In spite of what appeared to be good conditions, however, we struggled to catch and the final tally for the day for three anglers was only 3 grayling and 3 trout, the biggest of each at about 13 inches. They were taken on small dries and nymphs. The beat, however, is set in stunning surroundings, well worth a trip.

3 Trout, 3 Grayling