Feedback & Reports

Conditions were very favourable and when my partner and I started on the water we were optimistic for a good day.
Being hardened dry fly fanatics when on the river we were determined to catch off the top. Started in the weir pool at the bottom of the beat but nothing rising. Tried nymphs but no success at all so moved up river after an hour or so.
A Mayfly hatch was underway and a few fish rising but with no consistency. We both pricked as well as hooked fish but nothing banked so I have to admit to blanking twice on the trot on this beat BUT the fish are here! Had good takes on CJ's Duck Dun as well as a Plastazote Mayfly but anything higher than a 4lb leader seems to give the game away. Stealth and a quiet approach is needed but for those anglers with the skill I suspect this stretch will reward. A few good fish did show amongst the splashy juveniles and the wooded section towards the bottom of the stretch housed a few good fish if you're skilled and brave enough to try making the cast. A short rod in the woods is a must, 7' being ideal.
We will return.

Clear river and bright sunshine. A wonderful day on a wonderful beat, even if the fish caught were small.

1 Trout, 6 Grayling

Too much fast coloured water. High wind and rain. Canoeists coming up from the bottom weir. Not a good day. Saw 4 mayfly.

The river was at 1ft 5inches on the local webcam and running fairly clear. The weather was cool (12 degrees) and the wind variable. There was a reasonable amount of fly life, both aquatic and terrestrial, but the fish did not seem very interested and very few fish showed during the day. Finished with a few fish to 10-12inches.
When we arrived there was a kayak lesson in full swing! 2 instructors and 4 teenage pupils in the main meadow below the footbridge. We moved them on but only after they had wrecked the fishing in that stretch. They claimed they had permission to launch in that meadow but would not give their names or contact details.

3 Trout, 4 Grayling

Small grayling caught using Czech nymphing. River was clear and steady pace.

1 Grayling

One very small grayling and one trout about nine inches both on copper head nymph nothing showing on the top

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

Showers all day so fished for 2 hours in the evening. Water clear, river levels lower side of good. Some fallen branches in the water which are distressingly easy to get snagged on. Nymph mostly and a little dry fly. No fish taken although did see rises late evening. Only fished the upper section but would return - many good runs and holding pools.

Fished for around 3 hours on bank holiday Monday, a pleasant warm day with sunshine and high cloud. Fished nymphs, both heavy and light depending on depth of water but saw nothing and caught nothing having covered most of the lower and middle sections. The water was carrying a bit of color presumably from previous days rain, but saw no sign of any fish in any of the pools I came across and not a single rise.

The day before was warm and may well have been the ideal early season conditions. On my visit the wind had a bit of a chill to it so hatches were thin on the ground. Only saw two upwings lift off the water during the warmest part of the day. Did see a couple of fish rise to something at the surface. Tried emergers but only had one splash at the fly. Gave nymphs a try and had one follow that I saw. It was good to be out and I'll certainly return.

First time on this beat. Had one take all day and missed it by a mile. Lovely stretch of water, very strong flow, a little coloured, seen one fish rise all day even though March Browns were coming off.