Feedback & Reports

The water was up after rain the night before, and I took my chance. At midday the water level was easily fishable, and there was colour in it. Nothing rishing on the surface. I found a few fish on nymphs in the flat water pools, wherever there was enough flow to present the fly. About 4.30 a first for me: fishing downstream and across, at long range I hooked a cheerful and acrobatic half-pounder on my dropper. It took forever to play it and work it up stream towards me, with the rod bent almost double. Was this a bionic trout? Had my old rod finally lost its mojo? Or had I? Only when it was quite close did I realise that down in the murky water was another trout, four times the size, with its jaws clamped around my lead fly. Two at a time! I thought that only happened with mackerel. I of course focussed on netting the big one, and by the time I had done so the half-pounder had got off. Good luck to it!
The last two fish, between 7 and 8pm were from broken water as the river cleared. If I'd had the time and the energy I think I could have caught many more before dark.

8 Trout

River was low and clear, very difficult not to be seen.
Trout caught on nimphing with indicator.

1 Trout

Fishing was quite slow, cold downstream breeze which possibly limited hatches. Fished late into the evening, total time on the water about 4 hours. Picked off fish as they started to rise, although not a lot of action. Beautiful section of river which I have fished previously. All fish taken on dry fly.

8 Trout

Difficult day

Very nice afternoon. I thought the weather was good, even though there were showers, although the water is still very low. Plenty of flies of all kinds, and a few rises. Better fish seemed to be in the medium-flow places - not the head of the pool, and not the glassy flats. Caught a nice rising fish on a black spider, and three tiddlers while nymphing. Hooked a very nice trout in the final pool fishing dowstream, but as so often, we didn't stay in contact for long.

4 Trout

Good few WBT on dry at the Strat of the day and then a few on small nymphs thereafter. Water level low with very limited water flow - almost stagnant in some areas making presentation tricky and the fish highly spooky - and wading a challenge in parts.

22 Trout

Third member of our group on the day - 2 lovely trout.

2 Trout

It was all about the evening. All fish caught on one #18 spinner pattern in a frenetic hour before it went dark in knee deep water. Brilliant!

6 Trout

Hooked and lost 1 trout on a dry fly, river very low and clear.

Four BT, one excellent broad fish of 17inches+ and three smaller of ~12-14inches. All taken in the faster-moving water at the heads of the larger pools. One on the dry (kilnk) and three on small PTNs.

Plenty of fish rising in the still water at the tail of the pools but (as always) these proved totally uncatchable. Floated most of my fly box overhead or past them under the surface (they were remarkably relaxed about that) but to no avail.

River already getting quite slimy with the familiar brown algae, especially in the slower pools.

4 Trout