Feedback & Reports

Good days fishing with several fish missed to the dry fly, most taken on a GRHE.

4 Trout, 3 Grayling

The river was exceptionally low with clear views of the bottom through less than a foot of water well out into the middle run. The sun shone strongly all day it was possible to watch eels scouring the river bed for debris.
The only fishing option was to target the stronger flow between the cribs. Trotting down with meat through the fast water produced a good number of knocks and some good chub were taken, two over six pounds. It also found the eels!
The original target fish, barbel, was not to be found however despite fishing the bottom pitch in every recommended way. Boilies, meat, corn, pellets and the rest all produced no takes, not even from chub.
A delightful day despite the lack of barbel. Thanks Don for the advice.
Five chub. Best 6 pounds. Eels.

5 Chub

10 trout up to 10 inches caught on dry flies (para adams/paradun olive/olive emerger) and 3 on nymphs and spiders. Water low and clear.

13 Trout

My first Salmon landed on the fly using a Silver Stoat on a 15' rod, shooting head with 10' maxima leader and float, hover, intermediate line. Estimated weight of 19lb based on a length of 36" and 20" girth. Caught from the left bank about 70 metres up stream from the fallen willow on Vanstone at 9.10pm, after fishing for 12 hours covering the whole beat. Gauge at about 6" at Fownhope. Thanks to T, my fellow angler for tips on technique, and to Adam for moving the course anglers who had taken residence at Vanstone by 6am.

1 Salmon

Two of us shared the rod picking the hottest day for a while. Flies hatching all day including the occasional may but few fish rising. Managed 10 fish to hand and as many hooked and lost, some right at the feet. About half the fish were year 2 generation, but two or three were reasonable 8"-10" specimens. But we lost two nice fish - one right at the net of 1.5 lbs and another of similar size. Some to dries but mostly to duo taking bead head nymphs sizes 12 - 16.
This is a beat long enough for a day's fishing if taken steadily. Needs a bit of clearance from new growth encroaching and from a large number of large fallen trees - sufficient to require you to leave the river in places. However there are still a very good number of fishable pools.
A smart phone with good signal is required to locate the top of the beat (if there is a sign it is not easily spotted). The entirety of the beat is enclosed by barbed wire fencing. There are insufficient crossing points and the long trudge back to the parking point could ruin a nice day. Exiting at a stile at the top of the beat you cannot progress through the fields due to field boundaries (and a bull) meaning that for much of the return there is no option but to wade the river. Just as well we finished before dusk. Minor points which if addressed would greatly improve the day.

10 Trout

Beautiful day. The countryside looked perfect. River a little lower than last visit but running clear. Not masses of flies coming off and relatively few rising fish, more in the afternoon. Some mayflies (which some fish were taking) and some smaller grey upswings around. Loads of black gnats. Fish came to large mayfly pattern and to smaller Adams.
Rose 15 or so fish but alas only connected with a quarter of them and half of them got off including two breaking off. No idea why! Flies were ones I use a lot so not that and tippet seemed ok. Maybe fish were on a speedy day or I was on an especially dozy one.
Hope that's this years 'misses' all done in one day.

4 Trout

4 trout caught 2 returned. All caught on klinkhammers. 2 salmon spotted very close to bank on house side but not interested in anything.
Water low which meant great wading. An excellent beat with great directions. I look forward to returning. The whole booking process couldn't have been easier.
Spotted a mink on the far side of the bank.

4 Trout

Usually do superb this time of year on this beat, conditions were spot on, little bit of colour but fairly low, which is when the beat seems to fish at it's best. Fished late morning through until the evening, in total we landing 4 Barbel (2 each) and also lost a couple. All fish landed were all over 9 pound, including one to me mates rod which was just over 10. Some cracking Chub made an apperance, with 3 of these fish going over 5.5lb, a lot of slighty smaller ones between 2-3.5lb Fantastic beat which I have fished on a few occasions and done extremely well. Barbel are certainly still spawning, give it a week or so and this beat will be lifting.

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

No fish caught again. Please note very disappointed to see 6 people turn up to fish on a stretch for 4 - luckily we got there early and had been able to secure our swims.
River was very low, fished with swim feeders, using every bait that we had with us.

WUF note - Please contact the Foundation office on the day of fishing to report any possible poaching incidents so they can be addressed immediately.

This was the first day of 3 days on this beat. We had just had 3 days excellent fishing on Kerne Bridge. We arrived early but knew we were going to struggle as the water was low and the weather forecast was hot clear sky's but we did enjoy our day.

1 Barbel, 4 Chub