Feedback & Reports

Needed to get out and fish, so tried Courtfield as Wyebank was unavailable. Had to abandon the fly rod due to a lack of flow, and tried a flying C. Salmon showing so was hopeful, but settled for a 2lb chub! Left once the canoes arrived at 9.

My father and I fished for approx 5 hours starting at 10.00am. The river is very low and the sunny day allowed us to see pretty much every stone along with small trout fleeing as we moved along the beat. Very few rising fish although there was fly life all day around the river. Nymph proved fruitless so we stayed with dry klinkhammer and shadow mayfly (there were still one or two about). One wild brown trout approximately 8 inches taken in a deeper glide and safely returned was the only fish of the day. Plenty of dippers for company. The river needs a fair drop of water.

Caught five barbel and one chub, all on halibut pellets. Found it tough going during the day when it was hot, bright and sunny. Clouded over in afternoon when the barbel showed up, all in very good condition!

Yes this beat is very overgrown, but it is a lovey beat and would probably be booked up far more often if access was easy as well. So I did not mind too much crashing through the undergrowth to get to the water (be warned it is not cow parsley it is hemlock)! I had a Lovely brown trout about 14 inches and what looked like a rainbow of about 12 inches (how did that get in there)! a few dace and at last my first grayling, all on kinks and paras.

An early start found the fish queing up, chub at first but then the barbel moved in and I finished a hectic early morning session with 9 barbel to just under 7lb and 6 chub to 3lb, all on simple pellet and feeder tactics. Despite the low water levels this is a very pacey stretch and the barbel make good use of it.
Fishing early and/or late is the key at this time of year as bites petered out by 09:30 and by the time I left at 10:00 the canoes and kayaks were everywhere,including pulled out onto the bank!

Liked this beat. No barbel but 6 x chub to 4½lb. Will return again to this beat when there is a bit more water

A hard day. Only 5 barbel between 4 rods plus a couple of chub. No bites till evening. Bait: pellet.

Second of 2 consecutive days. Had hoped the night might cool down the water but it wasn't cold enough. Fished Viaduct (Dukes) hard at 6.30 and failed in spite of seeing some good fish. Then most of the top stretch from above The island. JH had a 4lb sea trout from the croy opposite . Quite a few fish in The Pipes but wouldn't take. JP caught a 14lb cock fish by hand(!), it was very distressed, covered in fungus, and wallowing around belly-up on the surface.

Didn't feel at all hopeful after about 9 am with very hot and bright conditions and warm water - nor did we connect although all 3 of us knew there was a decent head of fish in the main pools. Good al fresco pinic tho' to contrast with the Ostrich at Newland (one of the great institutions!) the day before. Try B&B, The Tan House (5 mins walk from Ostrich) or Glewstone Court Hotel just South of Ross if you want something better - see my review on Trip Advisor.

Fished morning - very little rising 1 wbt 8" on gold head ptn, 1 wbt 12" (taken) on pink shrimp. We do need some serious rain to flush through rivers.

Fished for 3 hours in the morning and caught two Grayling on the tail of the spout that runs into the Bathing Pool. I have found this section to be a good fish holding spot, especially when the water is low and the weather hot. Caught fish using a size 16 Sawyers Pheasant Tail nymph. The method employed was casting up into to the spout and allowing the nymph to return witht he current. Very busy fishing, but a good technique which works. Find that anything larger than a size 14 hook is not so good especially in clear water. This is a lovely beat and a delight to have time upon, recommended.