Feedback & Reports

A day that begins with a long hold-up on the M42 is probably not going to be the best: this wasn't. When I finally arrived the river was at a reasonable height but carrying a deal more colour than I was expecting. When I saw the state of some of the surrounding fields I realised why - there is still a good deal of surface water left to drain and this is bringing enough muck to make the water pretty cloudy. Despite the day warming a little in the early afternoon and the small hatch that resulted, I neither saw nor contacted any fish. The winter floods have taken their toll and the river seems to have shifted here and there since last season. There is also a large tree right across it a little way upstream of the bridge. But cold weather and uncooperative fish apart, it was great to be back out again and I look forward with hope of more productive trips soon. It's still a cracking place to be.

With summer levels and cold water temperature, too cold really, but just a hint of colour. The prospects didn't bode well. However, after a morning fishing the upper/ deeper stretch with lures to no effect, a switch to the fly rod as the sun topped the trees and fishing the quicker water below the islands resulted in a 30 inch well mended fish which pulled hard and steady but didn't posses the explosive runs of a springer. As luck would have it I was wading mid-stream and as it dropped back into the net the hook fell out. After a short spell to recover it swam away upstream without having been out of the water.
Several more takes followed throughout the afternoon, smaller silver fish of 2 to 4 lbs, but failed to result in fish landed, all on 3 inch "Cascade" tube fly. Next time I'll take a lighter single-hander to get some of these!

1 Other

No fish caught or seen..

No salmon caught or seen, water a touch too high for fly, salmon taken by someone else on the beat though so they were there!!

Hard fishing with water clear and relatively low.

2 Chub, 1 Pike

Nothing caught or seen. River running very fast and quite high. No sign of fly life as cold and windy in morning. When the sun broke through mid afternoon we thought things might improve but all hopes dashed as for some reason the water started running brown which really spoilt what might have been a nice afternoon.

Nice bright day, light breeze, .65m, clear, small hatch of dark olive around 1pm, and the odd march brown. Fished 12pm - 4pm with no takes using 14/16 weighted nymph & waterhen bloa/partridge and orange on dropper. John did his usual masterclass and managed 1 trout to 6oz, otherwise nothing.
11th looks horrid, with 24mph wind, and freezing or below, so will feel like -6. May go if wind drops otherwise unlikely.
Nice to catch up with you Barry, see you soon.

1 Trout

Bugged until it got too cold. Saw first and last fly hatch at 12.30. Watched it go undisturbed until lost to view. Lovely day but too cold for me and for the fish!

River running fast and a little high but not to bad a colour, weather fine but cool. Unfortunately as weather warmed up in the afternoon someone upstream of Eyton must have been working on the river as it started to run very coloured and made fishing a total waste of time, I wish we had known this was going to happen as we would have saved our money and holiday for another day!!!!! Needless to say nothing caught or seen.

1 x cock salmon 30 inches, Black and Gold Flying C. 1 foot 2 inches on the Fownhope gauge, slightly greyish colour in the water, and should have been good for the fly. However, I worked away most of the day with a fast sink tip and Black and Yellow tube which had accounted for a couple of kelts at Chainbridge the day before, but without a touch. Changed to the spinning rod late afternoon and was rewarded before sunset, not with a 3 sea winter monster, but a nice fresh silver cock fish from Island Stream.
Reading a report from the previous day prompts me to admit that I funked wading the V into Dog Hole. The notes tell you that you can do it at levels below 1 foot 3 inches, but then I do suspect these notes are written by someone who stands around 6 foot 3 inches in his socks and fear does not enter into his thinking. True grit! Am I right Simon?
Otherwise, it looks like some work is going on to prune some of the bushes on the banks and mark the entry points to pools with stakes. I am sure that will be much appreciated by many, especially when the jungle starts to grow again on the upper part of the beat.
Altogether a very nice day, with the sun shining at last!

1 Salmon