Feedback & Reports

Met with very helpful and knowledgeable guide Adam Fisher and spent first two hours walking the beat with him pointing out likely swims. Very heavy rain made for unpleasant fishing conditions and prevented access to certain swims which would have proved too risky.
Took one nice chub before realising I had an active wasp's nest very close to my head and made a swift retreat as a result. Rest of day spent searching other swims including bridge swim where rigs lost in snaggy conditions. Encroaching cattle made for uncomfortable fishing after that bringing an end to an enjoyable but frustrating day - but for the wasps, that swim had great potential!

1 Chub

No fish seen or caught. A rain front went through followed by strong winds, not particularly conducive to fly fishing and the autumnal winds also brought the leaves off the trees - so I caught plenty of them!

Very little fishing done in the morning due to awful rain and debris pushing through, not allowing us to keep a bait out for any longer than a few minutes. Fished Lower Courtfield in the afternoon as Woods and Legg Meadow seem to have seen a lot of pressure so far this season. Fished maggot feeder resulting in 12 chub which were all between 3.5lbs and 5.11lbs. Really don't understand why this section of the beat is so under fished and don't see why barbel would not be there when conditions are right. Half of an eel on the bank above willow bush, I'm guessing was the work of the resident mink.

12 Chub

Fish about ten pounds lost at luggs mouth (HDAA) by myself. A number of fish running 11:30am to 1:15pm mostly stale.

A very short visit after lunch and a lovely cock fish to finish the season - around 13lb on the length to weight chart. On a black and green micro tube on a floating line. Went back strongly. A great end to the season.

1 Salmon

Slow sport especially when bright sunshine. All fish caught in mid morning when early mist had cleared. Also lost another barbel. Chubb lively on maggots. Lovely venue but so much traffic and chatter on opposite bank, cars coming and going all day long. Our bank was nice and tranquil.

1 Barbel, 3 Chub

Blank. Every year about this time I tell myself I am not going to develop that Last Chance Saloon, must catch one before it's all over, salmon twitch. And every year I do. Still, it was a lovely Autumn day at Goodrich, the sun shone, colour in the trees and pheasants everywhere, all ready for the shooting season. Had a pleasant chat with the other rod, who told me all about salmon fishing in Galicia (ruined by over-fishing apparently). Between the two of us, we worked the beat which on recent form looked a reasonable bet, very hard, but neither of us had touched a fish by the end of the day. I have to record pleasure at two canoers who called down to ask whether they should pass behind me while I was wading and then stopped to ask some intelligent and friendly questions about the fishing. Wish that they could all be like that!

A lovely warm afternoon with a few olives and sedges about. An olive CDC caught the fish to 13''.

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

Lovely autumn day with little wind and bright sun. Next to no flies hatching. Nevertheless the grayling were looking up from time to time as most were caught on the surface - size 16 F fly and small klink being successful. Some takes to the nymph also. All grayling over 1lb with the best certainly over 2 and measured at 45cm. 9 fish to hand (plus a salmon parr) and a few more long range catch and release. Easy parking, easy access, easy wading and glorious scenery. What more can you ask for?

9 Grayling

River low and clear. Air temperature rising to 15C+ from early morning temperature of 6C. Sunny with some cloud, after early morning mist. Water temp. 10C. Light hatch of olives and other insect life between 1pm and 3.30pm resulted in a sporadic rise of grayling and trout. Three grayling between 1lb and 1lb 4oz, 2 on dries and one on nymph. 5 OOS trout on dries and nymphs, the heaviest 2lb 8oz. All fish returned.

5 Trout, 3 Grayling