Feedback & Reports

Not much happening the few hours there. Limited fly on the water and very bright conditions made it quite challenging. The five to hand all taking single baetis beadhead. Size between 8 and 13 inches with five lost near the net one of which about 13 inches.

5 Trout

River looked really good, about a foot or two up but no barbel came out to play. All chub from pylon pool or just below Luggsmouth.

11 Chub

Did not fish

Water conditions were perfect, but no salmon were seen all day

2 Trout, 1 Chub

The recent flood water had fined down to a perfect level, and the water was running clear. Two of us fished hard throughout the day, for three small brown trout, which were all taken on dry Greenwells. Given the weather and the excellent water conditions it was disappointing that we saw so few fish rising.

3 Trout

Water levels were fairly low and clearing. Access to the stream was fairly easy; I think there might have been some maintenance since I last visited. The top section is also much clearer than it used to be. It was also surprisingly cool under the shelter of the trees. I've fished here numerous times now and surprised how the fish holding spots have changed as the river changes.

Seven trout, all but one caught on the nymph suspended under a Klinkhammer. I probably lost another 10. Also quite a few trout went for the Klinkhammer but were not hooked. At one point I spooked three fish that darted for cover in the roots. I stood there for several minutes after which they started to break cover and swim within 6 feet of me. Tried sight fishing with the nymph passing right in front of them and they all swam to the nymph but never took it.

7 Trout

One of our favourite beats, we were excited on arrival to find seemingly perfect conditions for coarse fishing, a bit of colour and the levels around 2 foot up on normal summer levels. One angler fished by the tree line whilst another set up some way downstream. Starting around 8am both were in to fish straight away, in fact the rod downstream had consecutive bites on the first five or six casts. This early flurry of action dried up sometime around 10.30 once the sun really got on the water... and unfortunately as the day got brighter so the fishing got worse. Both rods suffered a lot of very fast tap bites (probably chub) before the downstream rod decided on a move to a peg near the tree line and added a further barbel and a chub. Sometime around 7, that same angler hit a tentative bite and had an epic battle with the biggest barbel of the day (10lb) only to find he'd foul hooked it in the pelvic fin (so that one doesn't count, but it's certainly good to know they're there!). By then it was time to make an exit, or risk missing dinner at our local pub. In hindsight, we might have been better served to make a really early start and then leave it from lunchtime to about 5pm, because really not very much happened then. However, it was still a beautiful day out in very lovely surroundings. We will be back (watch out Mr Ten Pounder.....)

4 Barbel, 5 Chub

After a gap of some thirty years, I returned to my childhood river - the Western Cleddau - where I learnt to fly fish with a bamboo rod (which - even in the 80s - was an antique). I was worried that years of careless slurry poisonings had cleared the river of trout, but I was pleased to see several small fish rising, and darting away at my clumsy approach.

The water was low and surprisingly very clear. In some stretches with the Ranunculus flowering, it could have been a chalk stream. The banks were more tree-lined and overgrown than I remember . If you don't have waders, it would be hard to land a fly on the water.

It was after sunset before I managed to connect with a fish. A 6-7 inch brown trout took my size 20 Parachute Adams. I was so pleased with this fish, out of all proportion to its size. Can't wait to go back.

1 Trout

No joy

very bright and warm, met a few other anglers from away nice people. fished hard but didn't touch a fish. Lots of fish in house pool showing.