Feedback & Reports

Bitterly cold day with a nasty gusty wind. Fished for about three hours in the morning with no luck at all. Mostly used weighted nymphs but absolutely no sign of fish. Afternoon looked no better with the temperature creeping up to about 4 degrees . But there was a sudden and completely unexpected flurry of activity around 3.00. No one had told the grayling they were out of season and no fewer than 11 threw themselves at my nymphs in the space of a about forty minutes, including two on the same cast. But only one small trout who played by the rules. Mind you, the weather certainly felt like the grayling should be in season for a month or two yet!
We are staying at a very nice place just outside Erwood called The Old Barn Lodge. Very reasonable and a terrific location for a week's fishing. Just need the weather to play its part now. Dream on. ..

1 Trout, 11 Grayling

Snow capped mountains, frozen margins and 2 bag limits! Great idea to book online, saves trying to find all those pound coins for the ticket machine!

12 Trout

Joined by Oliver Burch on a very cold day with temperatures rising to a lofty 5 degrees centigrade, but thankfully dry with high cloud. Snow can still be seen on the high hills.

Fished upstream of the bridge in the morning. Slow start as expected when an adventurous small trout had a go at a sparkle dunn, freed itself and fled. Some time later after a small LDO rise managed to hang on to a nice 13 inch brownie which was tempted by a Partridge and Orange. Had a go at the Little Stream after lunch, again noticed a small LDO rise and this time hooked on to a 15 incher which fell to a Waterhen Bloa.

All in all a great day despite the cold

2 Trout

3 Trout

Too cold

3 brown trout up to 2 lbs. Greedy B****RS!!

all returned

no salmon

3 Trout

I really enjoyed a couple of hours there, it was so very cold and so I only stayed an hour or so and sadly caught nothing!

A very cold day. Water was still pretty high. May have had 1 pull but other than that no action. The bottom pool on the bend by the island is nice and I felt like I was in with a shot.

1 Trout

6 x trout 6-8 inches on Gold Bead Hare's Ear Nymph. Inspired by MS from Bristol (see Cannop Brook report 27 March) I gave the Bideford Brook a try on a very cold Good Friday morning. Plenty of cold water rushing down, but a few brownies were prepared to pick up a nymph trundled along the bottom in some of the deeper, slower holes. Cold as the wind was, this one is well sheltered by trees and high banks and in fact not much above sea level and just a couple of miles from the estuary.
Back in December, FW of Mitcheldean and I trimmed this beat. It's quite amazing now to see the changes caused by the intervening winter floods: plenty of timber down, deep pools have been filled in with gravel and new dubs scoured out by the currents. We will have to learn it all again.
Those who know this little stream might be pleased to hear that, during late autumn, a salmon grilse was photographed attempting to jump the old eel trap weir in Blakeney village. If it succeeded, this would place it in the even smaller Blackpool Brook above.

6 Trout

The water was very cold, can't think why? BST starts tonight! Struggled with the wind & cloud, saw a few LDO coming off when the sun came out. Saw nothing rise.
The river looks like its ready to come to life, come on spring! 1 x Grayling @ 12ins.

1 Grayling