Feedback & Reports

A bit of a difficult day really. Caught a couple of barbel early and a couple more late on, in between it was hard work, despite moving swims and changing tactics. River low. There seems to be a larger amount of eels in the river this season, which I suppose is a good thing but it's hard to appreciate an eel when you have to unhook it!

4 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

Not quite the rod bending session one was anticipating! First venture onto this lovely rippled beat and some good looking spots. Alas it was not to be! After snaffling a few early morning chub I finally hit upon my quarry around 9 in the morning. Although small, my barbel was perfectly formed and fought for all it was worth. However as the suns rays came into full effect I could see how shallow the stretch was. The final indignaty was a shoal of ducks diving for my free offerings. A sleep and a cheeky glass of the good stuff made no difference and so I bid farewell. Probably a stretch to avoid until we get a little more of God's own water! I sadly left without making Don's acquaintance as well. Never mind, one shall return!

1 Barbel, 6 Chub

Bright, low and clear. Long walk to croy where we had 6 chub on meat. Nice section but long walk to best peg.

6 Chub

Fished the evening from 7pm and a few fish started to rise at about 8pm. 5 WBT 7-11 inches, the first 3 on a sedge pattern and 2 in the fading light on a Mayfly. Missed quit a few along the way. Beautiful still evening with a full moon rising later on. Picture perfect stretch of river.

5 Trout

Set alarm for 4.30am, overslept due to a cracking movie on film 4 and arrived at 9am instead of 6am. Fish rising on arrival and took a few to cdc shuttlecock size 20. Then the sun rose and the rises stopped, in fact everything stopped. I have fished this beat a few times and never really struggled, well today I did. Switched to size 18 bead-head and only managed a few more. Lost a few also. Water levels were low and moving at a snails pace which does not really get me excited. Fly life minimal during the midday period. Hoping for some rain to put some pace back into the water.

7 Trout

Fishing was not possible for most of the beats length due to it being completely overgrown to the waters edge with steep banks making landing any hooked fish impractical. May be suitable for pike fishing in winter? Tried all methods to catch where it was possible to get to the waters edge unsuccessfully.

One fish caught on worm with popup.

1 Trout

Bright start turning cloudy with a bit of rain in the late afternoon. Not much evidence of life, only occasional rises under very low branches - assume taking terrestrials falling in to the stream. Nothing seen hatching all day, I wonder if this is something to do with the huge amounts of thick brown algae coating the stream bed in all but the fastest flowing of sections? The only stones showing signs of invertebrate life were those in the quick sections clear of growth.
All fish were in the 4-6" bracket taken from the deeper pools on the lower half of the beat on GRHE and a black magic nymph, except for a grayling taken on the surface on the top half on a black F-fly under an overhanging branch.

3 Trout, 2 Grayling

A really satisfying session. The water was low and clear as tap water. Fished during from afternoon until 9pm. The fish ranged between 5 and 9 inches and all fell for either a copper beaded PTN, white beaded PTN or white beaded stipped quill nymph. I don't think they were too fussy, being keen to take anything so long as I could get close enough without spooking them. Consequently, stealth was the key as I tip-toed, crouched and kneeled my way up the stream.

17 Trout

4 trout caught. 2 on worm, 2 on spinner. 1 brownie returned.

4 Trout