Feedback & Reports

The Gods were against us. The coldest morning of the year (3 degrees) and pouring with rain. We walked the walk but didnt talk the talk. When we arrived at the swims, exhausted, we knew there were fish there because a Cormorant was busy eating them right in front of us. DC junior lost two Barbel on the snags and caught a 5 pounder on the last cast of the day. I caught an 8 pounder from my only bite of the day.

2 Barbel

Pellet and feeder, a little rain at night made a little difference but river still very low.

16 Barbel, 2 Chub

Both caught on Flying C - River level very low and clear.

1 Pike, 1 Other

Fantastic day. Fished blind but caught some lovely fish. Nice to meet Terry Ward who runs the beat, very pleasant. Saw plenty of salmon jumping also.

27 Barbel, 12 Chub

One grayling about 10 inches and two small trout all caught on dry flies, river very low and gin clear, difficult fishing. All fish returned

2 Trout

One fish seen, no takes or pulls, water very clear and low, needs a good downpour to flush it out and get fish moving.

River very low, really could do with some prolonged rain now. Rose 5 grayling to the dry but only one hooked and landed. Good to be on the river again.

1 Grayling

River low and gin clear, only had time to fish between 12.30pm and 2pm, so fished a few of the pools up to the first footbridge bridge only. Tried klink and dink with no luck, then wading through one pool spooked a few fish lying hard on the bottom so tried a single heavy nymph to get down to them. Lost one after a short fight.
n.b when I was leaving someone else was parked up looking distinctly like they were about to go fishing. As I was leaving I didn't say anything, but I thought W.S. beats were booked by one person only per day.

Arrived at dawn and had a good look around. Began fishing the second swim on the far bank using cage feeder groundbait and pellet...nothing, not even a touch. My companion fished on my left and had 3 chub in 3 casts using small pellets and pva bags, his swim went dead around 8am - 8.30am so we swapped sides and I fished the first swim on the road bank bouncing meat around on a light lead . My mate went down to the 3rd swim on the same side and caught 1 more chub and missed lots of bites. After a chat with the fishery owner I moved down to a deep pool on the same side and lost a barbel first cast using meat then caught a chub approx 4lb, then the swim went dead around 3.30pm. We made our last move of the day to the final swim on the road side and I had a barbel of 7lbs 2oz first cast on a 20mm pellet then missed a take on the same bait. My mate then lost a fish in a unseen snag . I changed back to feeder and smaller pellet and lost a very heavy fish in the same snag. Retackled and had a smaller barbel of around 4lb then lost another in the snags, then another chub around 3lb. To summarise, I had 2 chub and 2 barbel but lost 3, my mate had 6 chub and lost a barbel. Overall impression is a great fishery which needs heavier tackle than you might realise due to some unseen snags which cost me a possible double. Oh well, was a good day though!

2 Barbel, 2 Chub

Just one trout caught, about 5 inches, on a tups. Water very low, the one branch of the stream held hardly any at all. Quite a few fish seen, though, but fishing not helped by the bankside vegetation and overhanging branches. This was a shame as this seems an otherwise nice stretch of water.

1 Trout