Feedback & Reports

Despite being one of the best looking barbel swims in the country and, crucially, closest to the parking, Boy's Rocks has never quite lived up to its promise for me in the past, so after an hour of inactivity I was glad to head downstream to pastures new. The shallows looked good but were occupied from the far bank and the pool between the two far bank Croys in the field section was too hard to fish from our bank, so by 4pm I was back at the Rocks after all. OB in The Wires swim had taken chub to 5 pounds but no barbel and that, it transpires, was because they were queuing up for my return. By 8 o'clock I'd had 4 barbel and broken my meagre pb 3 times, with fish of 7lbs, 7.08lbs and a stunner of 10.11lbs, the best looking fish I've ever seen! OB eventually got a little one of 7 pounds or so after scrounging some of my irresistible spicy sausage pellets, so we could finally leave and get home in time to 'boo' the Argies in the world cup final. I couldn't have been happier if I'd just lifted the trophy myself! What an awesome day, we can't wait to be back.

5 Barbel, 5 Chub, 1 Other

Conditions difficult, very little water and strong down stream winds, but managed a few small fish to 6 inches on deep fished nymphs.

10 Trout, 6 Grayling

Just after setting up for the day and getting bites from the word go. I had my swim ruined by a salmon angler who set up just a few yards from me. He worked the whole beat for 4 hours before leaving me to it! Not best impressed to be honest. It took a long time for the section to come back to life and it wasn't much before 2pm before the fish started to show again. My fishing partner struggled a little after his late arrival and took just 3 small chub but I eventually got the barbel interested and bagged 9 to 9lb 5oz on the CBS River Monster Boilies also took 4 lovely big chub to 5lb 9oz too. Be warned the entrance to the hard standing car park off the main road has a rather aggressive drop and I caught the base of my car on it badly as I entered. The track down to the river is also very unnerving with high thick grass down the middle and generally very overgrown foliage which made it difficult to see the path.

9 Barbel, 7 Chub

Fished from 3 o'clock till dark, pleasant weather, quite windy but warm. We fished feeder with 8mm pellet on hook and had 16 barbel with a best of 8lbs 12oz and 2 chub. Fishing these times avoided the midday sun and the canoes! A very nice session.
For such a long stretch of river there are not many accessible swims and a bit of clearing would be nice. The track would require a 4x4 in bad conditions. We are back there Thursday and looking forward to it.

WUF note - There are seven accessible swims along this beat providing access to the main pools. Anglers do have the option of creating their own wild swims if necessary.

16 Barbel, 2 Chub

Dry fly, 0.5lb, Returned. Water very low and little activity.
A fair amount of fishing over grown and inaccessible. Need to access weir from right bank. Beautiful spot.

1 Trout

Water low and clear. We saw no salmon and the trout, plainly visible, were elusive this time. An enjoyable day, but blank.

Low water, nil caught.

Very low water, nil caught.

Blanked; fished all of the Church Stream and below for a couple of hours before our long journey home. The beat details clearly say that the lower boundary is where the road comes nearest to the river however the lower field was being used as a temparary camp site and is within the beat boundary, to find several campers fishing there was very dissappointing. One camper even had the gaul to say "I fished up here last night mate and banged them out" It somewhat reduces the chances of catching when someone has had them on the feed a few hours earlier. When we pay for river exclusivity )excluding owners rods) that is what we should get. This ending spoilt what otherwise has been an enjoyable trip.

WUF note - This has only recently been brought to out attention and anglers effected have been contacted regarding this disruption.

2 Barbel, 10 Chub