Feedback & Reports

This beat was fished on Sat 13th May as part of the LAFA Wild Stream Fishing Day and a number of fish were caught.

1 x 11 inch fish on a nymph, lost 2 fish on a dry fly and missed takes and lost a few fish on nymphs. Weather bright and sunny, river low and clear. Beautifull beat, plenty of wildlife.

1 Trout

River was very low and clear so I feared the worst. I tackled up with my new bite indicator ( a blob made from yellow dear hair spun onto a number 10 dry fly hook) I suspended a gold head hares ear about three feet below it and began with a series of short casts. I was rewarded with a couple of lively fish and added another to this brace later. on reaching the end of the beat I switched to a deeper sinking black headed nymph and was soon into a sizeable fish hooked in a deep gully. It finally came to hand after several spectacular leaps and weighed in at a round pound. Well satisfied and a little surprised given the low water I returned home. I like this stretch of the Arrow as it offers a wide variety of water even when conditions are difficult. ( tie my bite blob folks it casts really well and floats forever!)

4 Trout

Fished the bottom of this beat after lunch. There were quite a lot of LDO's hatching but no rising fish. I did manage a single fish on a small beaded nymph.

1 Trout

First time here and was disappointed to find the river up, coloured and pushing through quite fast, not really fishable so almost went home without casting a line. The beat looks idilic and with the river at normal level and clear I suspect wading would be easy but being unfamiliar with the stretch and not being able to see where I was walking I was a little dubious today as I'd already showered that morning!
Made my way upstream and came to a double barbed wire fence with no way over so crossed the river but then couldn't get back down as the banks were steep and the river deep, or at least it looked it. Had a few casts in likely looking areas, lost a few flies and gave it up as a bad job. I'll give it another go on a better day.

Water very low so had to find fishable areas where there was a flow into a pool. 4 Trout around 6 inches, lost a couple of bigger ones on a small Tungsten bead nymph. Fished from the second bridge to the wooded section between 2 and 4.

4 Trout

Thought it was about time I gave the Whittern beat a recce. Always seem to end up at the rather lovely Titley or Mowley wood beats! Rather lovely here too and the peace and quiet is the same as the other beats, feels like you could be hundreds of miles away from civilisation and I do enjoy that!
Of course the river was down to its bones and the fish (of which there seem to be a good number) were super spooky and its times like this in clear water conditions you get reminded how good a trout's eyesight is! A few very nice sized fish where spotted...briefly.
Winkled out a few handsome Arrow beauties to a dry cdc elk hair fished to likely looking spots, the markings and colours on the Arrow fish is always really beautiful.
It is quite a wooded beat, particularly up at Lyonshall wood section, and a good beat overall for a warm sunny day I reckon and worth a bit of bushwacking to find some super pools and runs.
There is a fair bit of large (some very large!) woody debris in the river but just adds to its character and easy enough to get around if needs be.
Now I have 3 Arrow beats to try and decide from in future! Life's hard at times ....

5 Trout

Lovely sunny day but river shaded and lots of fallen trees.
However a really magical afternoon and evening. All fish over 8 ins and one 14 ins -very fit. Small wild stream fishing at its best.

5 Trout

11 x trout 6-9 inches, Rusty Klinkhammer. A cool, cloudy and windy day with showers threatening. Very little rising so mostly prospecting likely places - fished to the top but nothing large seen.

11 Trout

4 x trout 6-12 inches, size 18 Griffiths Gnat. I fished during the afternoon just between the two bridges (the bottom field) and hoped for some mayfly action. Instead, the trout were affected by "persistent black gnatitude" and generally the river was rather quiet except for the odd fish rising in glides.

4 Trout