Feedback & Reports

Did not fish for salmon on the day; booking the salmon ticket was always optimistic. River level was fine for trout of which we saw plenty but caught none.
We didn't fish the lower beat pools (Blue and Chain) as getting into the river appeared a lot easier than getting back out. Generally the beat is lovely and we found the easiest access where a stream runs in a couple of fields upstream of Ashford House. We had no problems wading.

4 Trout

Warm sunny day, fished for 3hrs in afternoon. River low but good flow. 1 x 6"trout on a klinkhammer. Missed 2 others. Very little rising.

1 Trout

Great days fishing with my son, Both caught PB's mine a 9lb 10oz perfect conditioned Barbel, and my son an 8lb 12oz Barbel. All other Barbel between 3 and 7lb with Chub up to 5lb
Only fished from 6am till 13.00pm, all fish came to pellet on feeder from first cast. Lost a few too many on snags but just really enjoyed the morning. Some weed coming down the river but not to bad. Just a word of warning if you fish the bottom of the beat, as we did, travel light. It's a bit of a walk and a little hilly.

12 Barbel, 10 Chub

0 fish caught

0 fish caught

Arrived at 3pm to avoid majority of canoe traffic. Fished until 9.30pm, had 15 barbel from bottom pool, 10 of which were under 1 pound.

15 Barbel

Unfortunately my scheduled companion for the day was ill so had to cry off at short notice. Weather was bit to hot and river low. The ghillie from the stretch above had 2 salmon anglers for the day and indicated that they might want to fish the top swim, (Vanstone Pool), if I didn't mind. I was happy to leave them to it but did struggle during the day for just 3 chub. When they left at 5 p.m. I moved into the pool and added another chub and 4 barbel to 8lbs. A satisfying end to the day but I was less happy that the ghillie told me that the pool would no longer be available to coarse anglers next season. It is a difficult, snaggy swim but does produce fish. This fishery has contracted considerably over the years and if it is to do so again not sure that we will want to book it in future.

4 Barbel, 4 Chub

Dry fly.

12 x trout 6-12 inches, Rusty Klinkhammer. Although I say it as shouldn't, 12 inches is not a bad trout for this little brook - although not a record. I mean one can catch a 15 pounds salmon from the Wye and nobody blinks twice. But with a 12 inch trout under the belt, one can swagger back from the Bideford Brook with a definite spring in the old stride, eh what.

12 Trout