Feedback & Reports

23 barbel to 8lb 8oz, plus a few chub to over 4lb.

Finally found where the barbel have been hiding on the upper part of the stretch - in the Maddox. Watched them feed and even caught a couple before the sun went behind the hillside. We then moved down to a baited area in the Rope pool and caught steadily until dusk - tally was 14/15 barbel to around 8.5 lbs. Great fishing on a lovely beat.

Struggled today on what is normally a very good beat. Fished various swims throughout the day, but only managed 1 Barbel and a few Chub between 3 rods.

Despite the bright conditions and low water (still), there were plenty of fish rising, especially later in the day and obviously where shade was greatest. Managed a nice 16" brown plus a further 10 brown taken on a paraloop black gnat pattern size 16. Interesting to still see both Yellow May Duns and Mayfly coming off although in small numbers. Also looked as if there might have been the odd Pale Watery emerging as well. As the water was so low and clear it has helped me to improve stalking skills. A very enjoyable three days fishing despite the conditions.

Three grayling and two brownies, all on pheasant tail nymph. River still very low, numerous grayling seen plus number of large brownies. Still a very enjoyable day, could have left the waders at home and used wellies.

Will now look forward to winter grayling fishing on what to me is the best trout/grayling beat I have fished.

8 x grayling 9-14 inches (mostly 13-14 inches), 5 x trout 6-10 inches, on various dry patterns. A slow day, a lot of which I spent snoozing on the bank. We have had some autumnal days lately, but this wasn't one of them, and it was a case of bright sun and very hot, low water etc. So the grayling, far from their usual happy-go-lucky relaxed rising right next to where you are standing sort of attitude, were actually quite spooky and it was necessary to rest the shoals regularly to get them rising again.

Otherwise, a whole group of canoes came through, school girls with a teacher, aparently unaware of the agreement. This is the third group I have seen come through this beat in the last month, all claiming to be most surprised when told that the whole river is not open to them at all times. From (polite) conversation, I'm pretty sure that in fact they all knew about the agreement, but simply chose to ignore it. I do hope we aren't going to end up with a situation on the upper river like that on the lower. Nobody would mind a few quiet canoers slipping past, but the problem is that while anglers usually pursue their pastime fairly quietly, canoers in numbers almost never seem to be able to. Is there any point in renewing agreements with people who seem to have no intention of keeping them?

Interested to read OB's return for yesterday from just up the river and am constantly amazed at how fickle insect activity and fish feeding patterns can be at this time of year. Today, with the river basking in almost unabated sunshine and a bit of a breeze, hardly anything moved at all. Hardly any insects to be seen, no hatch, surprisingly few late afternoon sedges and hardly a rising fish - I saw about four oncers all day! Tried emergers and things I could hardly see, on the top, in the film, dangling and down below, fished NZ style and dredged the depths as well. Just two 12" trout took pity on my HE emerger but the grayling were simply not in the mood. Well, it keeps you thinking! Answers on a postcard please.

P.S. Also seven very well equipped canoeists from up north who said that there was nothing on the canoe websites to say that they shouldn't be on the river at this time of year. Well there's a surprise! So much for compliance with the upper river access agreement.

Another tough day with crystal clear low water. Arrived at lunch time and eventually hooked 3 good WBT to 12 inches on a Gary La Fontaine deep sparkle pupa. Missed a few takes also + caught 1 minnow on a CDC & Elk !!

12 barbel to 9lb 2oz, plus a few chub.

Plenty of variety on this beat - from stepped and comfortable swims to overgrown and not so comfortable swims. Chub spotted but not fished for at the top end. We caught barbel from the middle section and even had the pleasure of hand feeding them just inches from the bank. I would think the lower swims could fish well in a flood, but in those conditions I wouldn't want to hook one of the huge carp spotted on this day!