Feedback & Reports

Caught 8" on klinkhammer 2nd cast of the day, made way up to junction pool with Escley and took a 10" WBT on mayfly nymph. After letting the pool rest a wonderful 14" trout took a crippled mayfly on the surface and put up a tremendous fight. Thunderstorm put an end to my day at 5.30pm. Water level lower than I would have expected - lots of fry in the margins.

3 Trout

2 Trout

Arrived late morning to find the car and ourselves in sunshine and surrounded by mayfly as we were getting ready. We made our way to the bottom of the beat and entered the stream where there were several fish showing and it didn't take long to hook and promptly lose a nice sized trout which took a cdc emerger. Whilst briefly playing the fish I noticed a lady approaching on the left bank who came to tell us that the section of the river we were in was private fishing. I explained that we had wild stream permits and maps that made clear there was no bank access at that point on the river and that was why we were both in the river channel not on the bank. She said that her husband had reported the issue of fishermen (presumably to WUF) previously as she believed that their landowner rights extended half way across the river channel and therefore we could only fish the right half of the river - she explained she was planning to come and swim down there soon (presumably only in her knee deep half!). Having disturbed the pool with the lost fish and in the interests of keeping the peace we moved on upstream as the lady settled down on the bank to make sure we didn't stray into 'her' half of the river.
Fish continued to rise to mayfly through the afternoon and several more were hooked and lost but eventually a nice fish of 12" came to the net. By 5pm the hatch was still going strong but there was little sign of fish showing, presumably stuffed after a day gorging themselves. A nice beat, tricky to access in places but with some lovely looking bits of water.

Met a very nice man weedkilling at bottom of beat - I think he owns the adjacent private land and is a keen fisher. He gave me excellent advice on profitable lies - where Olchon enters, stretch opposite to camping field, 2 wide bends higher up. Stretches between can be largely dead. Good hatch of olives and fish rising - several raised and missed. Lovely stretch, different to upper beat, enjoyable day.

2 Trout

River in nice condition having cleared after rain in the preceding week. Colder than forecast with stiff breeze / wind - limited insect activity but some fish rising. Missed several takes and eventually landed small 6" trout and hooked another, both on nymph below a generic upwing dry pattern dropper.

1 Trout

Fished the double bank section from 15.15 to 18.30hrs.Good water conditions, and despite the forecast a fine early evening, following light and patchy showers; a troublesome north east wind, however.
Plentiful fly for the first hour (surprisingly large dark olives, and the occasional may), but they petered out as the afternoon progressed. The water was still cold for late May, noticeable through my thigh waders. This could explain the absence of surface feeding fish; I did not see a single rise.
So I persevered with a size 16 ptn, working to improve my stealth wading skills, while watching and waiting. My 8 foot 4 weight rod was probably 6 inches too long, but I would not go below 7ft here. A net is unnecessary in my view, since beaching a more substantial fish than usual would be easy in most places. The wading was fine even for this unsteady septuagenarian.
It is an attractive, well maintained and accessible beat, to which I shall be pleased to return sometime. I thoroughly enjoyed not falling in, not tearing my waders on barbed wire, not breaking my rod, not mislaying my car keys; and not catching any trout!

Afternoon only so just fished top half. Warm and sunny, some rising fish, a dozen or so caught - most average size, but 2 around 10" one over 12". Water seemed pretty low for this time of year. Lots of fly life in the evening (after 5.00).

12 Trout

Great hatch over midday of fine sunny day - caught a fine 12 in brown on a small klinkhammer.

1 Trout

Tough going in chocolate coloured water on a fast flow off the hills. Flow too much for 11 year old in waders so wading staff was well used. No fish seen or caught on either dry or nymph. A lovely beat but overnight rain will have done for us.

Nice sunny spells but still cold, stream very clear now. Intermittent hatch but saw only 1 small trout rise twice in quick succession, no other trout seen nor any interested in my nymphs. However, in the last pool where the Escley joins I had a firm pull on a small gold head GRHE, followed by a strong fight from a good looking 14" Grayling that was returned safely.

1 Grayling