Feedback & Reports

7 Grayling caught on nymphs and dry fly, the biggest at 17 inches caught on a Klinkhammer. The Trout was 15 inches and caught on a nymph, 6 Grayling caught from lower section and and one Grayling and Trout from upper section. Very enjoyable days fishing on a beautiful beat.

1 Trout, 7 Grayling

Spent the morning fishing the gutter using french leader, without success. Didn't see a single fish.
After a brew and a bite, took the dry fly rod to the top section where I eventually found some rising fish. Managed to land 2. One was only about 6" but the other a nice fish about 14". Also missed a lot of splashy takes.

2 Grayling

2 Grayling

Doldowlod was not my fist choice today, but the beat that I wanted was already booked. A surprisingly cold morning which, coupled with a low clear river, and bright sun, made for a difficult day. Wasted a lot of time trying to catch rising fish in the bottom meadow; resorting to smaller and smaller flies in an effort to convert the splashy takes into fish to hand. I ended up using flies that were so small that, not only was I struggling to tie them to the leader, when I managed to tie the knot, I could not see the fly in the water if I cast more than 5 yards. As a consequence, the take from the first fish that I caught was felt rather than seen. Nothing from the Gutter, a couple of better Grayling from the top of the beat, and an angler scratching his head as to where all the fish had gone

1 Trout, 4 Grayling

Dificult day. Bright sunshine, horrible upstream wind. I have to blame something for an abject performance.
Only fished bottom of beat, started off on the dry. Only saw 1 fish rise all day, and spent 30 minutes trying to catch it. Through every fly in the box at it but no joy.
After coffee and a pie switched to French leader on the 11' 3wt. Still no joy, but did briefly hook up with 2 fish, both felt like decent ones. Unfortunately they both bumped off.
Lovely beat, and will be back. Thank goodness for felt soles. Rocks on bottom of the beat would be treacherous without.

Second attempt on the lower beat, found grayling taking small dries and missed lots which I don't mind as this is the challenge! Finally hooked one but only 8 inches. Had larger one on heavy nymph in channel and a trout of 10 inches on a dry fly. Difficult wading but worth it.

1 Trout, 2 Grayling

A pleasant day on a low, clear river. Not much rising; but steady progress, fishing the stream, and working up river. None of the flurries of fish that you associate with this beat at this time of year; but enough happening to keep me occupied. Used the same Klinkhammer all day, Size 16, tan with a fluorescent pink sight bob, expertly tied by my good friend Andy Miller. I don't think the fluorescent pink makes any difference to the efficacy of the fly, but it certainly makes it easier to see. The Grayling were mostly in the 9-10 inch year class, with a couple of better fish. The trout was a clonker - 15 inches long, and as fat as a pig

Close encounter with an Otter half way up the Gutter

1 Trout, 10 Grayling

Tried the lower beat, a great way to spend the morning but couldn't find any fish in the channels.

Strangely this was a different Doldowlod beat to the one I fished several years back. The beat is quite heavily lined with trees which doesn't make for the easiest of fishing. The day was overcast and about 18 degrees so on paper ideal conditions. We fished all morning and didn't see a thing which was in marked contrast to the day before on the Abernant beat. Around 15.00 a few grayling started to show picking off flies as they hatched up through the water. Missed several takes and then had to head back to East Anglia around 16.30. It was a lovely day on the river if a bit challenging in terms of number of fish caught.

2 Trout, 2 Grayling