Feedback & Reports

Another scorching hot day with a shady swim essential. Had 4 barbel early on then nothing until evening when got another 2.
Fished pellet feeder.

6 Barbel

Hot! Lugg low and crystal clear but trout obliged all morning with JM catching 3 and ML 5 on small dun patterns. All on bottom 1/3 of beat. Couple at 6", rest all 8" to 12".
After lunch moved upstream of bridge and nothing caught. Maybe the problem was the guy in his underpants who appeared at 4pm and had been spinning his way upstream all afternoon in front of us.
When advised that the fishing was private and fly only he brazenly said that he had had a successful afternoon but put them all back bar one - which he showed us. It was a magnificent brown trout 2lbs + and heading for the barbeque.
As many details as possible have been emailed to WUF separately.

8 Trout

Arrived mid morning on the hottest day of the year to find the Barbel clearly visible and flashing in the sunlight mid river (along with 2 Salmon). The river was very low and clear and a 50g feeder was enough to hold the bottom. Fishing a hair rigged pellet and micro pellets in a black cap feeder I was able to pluck 6 (to 9.5lb) from this shoal, a few canoes' passed and some of the shoal dropped into near bank cover where I was able catch another 6 with the same tactics.

12 Barbel

Very hot and sunny day with occasional rises. Two six inch browns caught and released on light olive spinner dries.

1 Trout

2 nice brown trout. River quiet probably due to low conditions. Lovely water though.

2 Trout

Beautiful day and lovely beat. 10 trout up to 10 inches caught between the two of us, mostly on the nymph. Fishing on the challenging side given the low water and bright sunshine, but what a pleasure to fish in such glorious weather for a change!

10 Trout

3 eels on pellets. A very hot day, bright and sunny by 6am.
After 12.00 too many canoes to fish. A lovely stretch of water, would like to give it another chance on a cooler autumn day.

3 Other

Caught on worm. Dry, sunny day.

1 Trout

A difficult day on Courtfield with temperatures reaching 29 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
Primarily targeting chub on the float I heeded Don's advice and headed for the Boat pool and just above. Had two 3lb fish before Don's arrival at 8:45 to sweet corn but bites were very sporadic and hard to come by. Not helped by the number of canoes and swimmers coming down the river (I kid you not!)
Managed another couple of fish, biggest just under the 4lb mark by mid afternoon when I called it a day, beaten by the weather and lack of activity.
As ever Don's advice vital to making a very difficult day, conditions wise, worthy of the trip. Thanks Don, see you soon.

5 Chub

2 Rainbow trout caught on ledgered worm, plus 3 perch - very hot, 28c plus so not great conditions.

2 Trout, 3 Other