Feedback & Reports

Arrived at a sunny river, first time on this beat for me, concerns about access seemed somewhat unfounded, ok you can't wade some stretches and the egress/access can be interesting but the manicured banks of the Hampshire chalk streams are not the reason we choose to fish here really is it? AB and I chose to share a rod again having only one wading stick between us and he more than happy to be guided/tutored by me, ha ha! You can rest easy Mr Burch!
The river looked in fine fettle and we looked forward to a productive days fishing, not to be though. Targeting likely spots all we were able to achieve were two lost fish, one to a duo of nymphs and the other to a dry that I didn't even see! Thinking about this later, I concluded it was the angle of strike, being nearer to the river surface when wading deep and keeping low on the Escley yesterday? There are some great glides on this beat but we were totally bemused by the non existence of any rises, slightly odd? Oh, there were some very young Grayling supping further up of which we plucked out one on a grey duster and then thought better of it. We were on the beat at all time of the day for a rise but even though the hatches were small we at least expected some movement, not even those frustrating ones you see in the distance. I believe there were some anglers on the Skenfrith beat the same day, it would be interesting to see their report, probably a bag full knowing my luck ha ha !
With regard to the fly life, white mayfly in September?! Just a few but crikey.

Bright and sunny but a cold downstream wind blowing for most of day. Saw only 2 or 3 fish rising so resorted to downstream nymph fishing. All fish caught on either a gold or tungsten nymph. Kept 1 trout @ 10oz

4 Trout, 1 Grayling

Crystal clear water and bright sunshine made for difficult conditions with all fish caught during first and last hour.

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

Arrived at the beat early afternoon to a bright and warm day. Tried the top end of the beat but the bright sunshine wasn't doing us any favours. Moved down to the bottom end of the beat and fished pellet and bomb/feeder catapulting in freebies.
Biggest barbel was 9.14 with them getting bigger in succession picking off members of the shoal. A lovely beat with lots of buzzards and kingfisher activity.

6 Barbel, 2 Chub

Bait used was worms....

3 Trout

Fished the meadow stretch from 3 until 6, lost a good fish first cast then had nothing else from the swim. Moved to a swim in the woods for an hour at the end of the day had 1 barbel of about 3 pound to save a blank! Both swims fished with pellet and groundbait method.
Thanks WUF

1 Barbel

Mobile approach,covered a lot of water, failed to find any steady bite producing areas, fished 12 hours, canoes not too much of a problem

3 Barbel, 4 Chub

Great day. All catch and release

7 Trout, 11 Grayling

Took home all 3 of the rainbow trout caught. Caught and released a crayfish.

3 Trout, 1 Other

Morning started well with early barbel to me. The sky cleared and got very hot fishing then very hard but when sun went down they came back on the feed: three more for me best around 71/2 and my friend had two more including best fish of the day at 8lb, we both fished pellet and feeder chub were all small about 3lb. Great fishery, very helpful river keeper but some repair work is needed to steps leading down to swims and new swims have not had steps cut which are needed on these steep banks for safe fishing especially when wet; we will be back.

6 Barbel, 4 Chub