Feedback & Reports

I know the upper Arrow quite well but this was my first experience of Whittern. A first always presents challenges and on this occasion they were exacerbated by a continuous, strong downstream wind.

Throughout the afternoon there was a significant and prolonged Mayfly hatch. I watched as they bounced vulnerably on the water expecting the trout to latch onto them but it simply didn't happen. Only once did I encounter a fish picking them off but he was close to a shaded bank protected by low hanging vegetation as well as that annoying wind. I tried but failed.

When all my other tactics for bringing fish to the surface came to naught I resorted to trundling a heavy nymph through some of the deeper runs. This produced two (11-12") beautiful trout. Nice fish but I was left feeling rather frustrated. I'd failed to make the best of a day that seemed full of promise - I guess that's part of the enduring challenge and why we love the sport. "I'll be back!"

2 Trout

Caught on worm.

4 Trout

River conditions seemed perfect. Fish seen regularly during the day but no takers. Fished the fly and FC without joy.

Very blustery day that prevented me from fishing dries. Fished the whole day with nymphs and netted 16 trout ranging from 6" to a whopping 20". Few mayflies, Brook Duns and BWOs coming off at lunchtime onwards, but the wind kept the fishes heads down in the deeper pools.

16 Trout

Really windy day made for tough fishing, no fish caught or even seen but always nice to be on the river.

Fresh cock fish 15lb. on beat 6 to a toby. Nothing else seen.

1 Salmon

A later start than I hoped for due to my fishing friends breakfast requirements (a full fry-up). 10am start and welcomed by a head wind that didn't help our rusty casting.
A fair bit of fly on the water but then the gusts of wind blew them back into their hiding places.
After lunch a few yellow mayfly were being picked off by beautiful birds (sorry about the lack of bird and fly knowledge). A couple of trout were rising between the gusts. I managed to entice a small trout that wriggled off the hook before I could land it.
We fished mainly on the surface mixing it up with Mayfly, Parachutes, Adams and other small brown flies. Two sets of people were spinning the other side of the single bank fishing sections.
Finished at 6pm due to my fishing friends rumbling tummy, I'm sure if we continued fishing we would have caught more.

1 Trout

12lb fresh hen. F/C. Weirend

1 Salmon

6 Trout

We both fished fly, mainly dry but also New Zealand style with a trailing nymph below the dry fly. It was on the nymph I caught the grayling. The water was quite high and there was much of the beat we could not fish because it was too deep. But on the wide gravel beds we managed to fish. There was a mayfly hatch along with yellow may duns, pale wateries and many sedge flies. The river bed was carpeted with salmon fry in the tens of thousands!

4 Trout, 1 Grayling