Feedback & Reports

The river looked in good condition, back to normal autumn levels. A little chilly first thing but the temperature rose and by midday the sun broke through. I fished from 8am - 4.30pm with not a single bite, using a variety of baits, but the fish were either not where I was fishing or maybe affected by a drop in water temperature. I was visited by the resident Otter and watched the Kingfishers flying low over the water, so plenty of wildlife to keep me occupied. Before packing up for the day I decided to switch tackle and float fish some dead bait, which resulted ten minutes later in a Pike 12lb 8oz. Always a pleasant day fishing at How Caple Court.

1 Pike

3 bites 3 very good chub. river conditions looked ideal, tried various sizes and flavour of pellets/boilies using both feeder and weight with PVA bag also wrapped paste pellet but no luck to tempt a barbel. One of those days.

3 Chub

3 Barbel, 2 Chub

A brilliant sunny day until late afternoon made for difficult barbel fishing. I tried two swims and found the chub obliging in both and ready to take pellets, meat or cheese. However, I lost at least twice as many as the two I landed in the bankside vegetation and debris from the recent flood. But of barbel there was no sign, even though I stayed until dark by which time steady light rain had set in.

2 Chub

Lovely autumn day, one barbel 10lb, largest chub was a good 5lb.

2 Barbel, 6 Chub

1 Barbel, 1 Chub

The banks were quite treacherous and the river was still recovering from the weekend floods. All fish taken on luncheon meat at the last downstream swim. All barbel were monsters, 9lb, 9lb 1oz and the biggest at 10lb 8oz. Lost 1 more when hook pulled out and also lost half a dozen chub in the nearbank snags, they certainly know exactly where they are!!!

3 Barbel, 4 Chub

The water level was virtually level with the field, but we found a few spots close in to the bank where the flow was slower. 3 takes between us, but we were probably fishing over what was a week previously bankside vegetation, and as soon as we hit the bites everything went solid, and all 3 fish were lost. Took a while to find this spot, as the directions said to go down the only road signposted to the Hole in the Wall, but some joker must have turned the signpost around (it was at a crossroads)! Water level rose throughout the day, and by dusk the field was 50% under water. Note to my fishing buddy - PF from Midhurst - wear your wellies next time mate!

We arrived at the water and decided to analyse the stretch before getting our gear out of the van. Started the morning ,fishing a few pegs down from the upper limit. These pegs were unfishable after about 20 minutes due to the river level rising at such a fast rate.
Our friend and well known angler Chris Petter from Hampshire had the right idea of fishing the deeper part of the stretch at the lower limit. These pegs were snaggy but provided great fishing. Finishing the day with 11 barbel, largest of them at 9lb 10oz.

11 Barbel

Difficult fishing conditions with the onset of storm Callum but the fish seemed to be feeding.
Barbel caught throughout the day from the upper end of the fishery on either pellet feeder or straight lead & PVA with all fish taken on West Country Baits pellets & boilies.

7 Barbel, 2 Chub