Feedback & Reports

This beat has had a bit of a hammering this season. I checked the catch returns this morning and saw that it hadn't been fished for 4 or 5 days so I thought I'd pop down after lunch for a few hours. Didn't see a sign of a fish and no rises or takes at all - even tried my trusty Can't Fail Fly, that didn't work either. Got above the middle weir and then started to see signs of life and got 4 to the net, all on a size 16 pheasant tail klinkhammer. Back home to log my return and saw that the beat was fished again this morning - that would explain it !!! Think I'll head over to the Escley next, that hasn't been fished since last year!

4 Trout

Well with myself and Mrs A on a couple of weeks hols , some admin tasks done in the morning , and some painting started in the back porch , felt it heigh time to pop down to the Arrow and tussle with the lovely brownies in there . . . . Opted for the Kington beat . . . . .

Nearly four when I ecventually got down there , looking a lovely height and water pushing through nicely , renewed vigour with this old girl , nice too see and more rain due tomorrow , happy days !!!! Cool as well with my old neaoprene waders on too , Great stuff . . . . First pool and a cracking take , good fish too , must have been twelve inches , absolute cracker , feisty brownie too good run around spot on !!!! In the tally of nine this evening , three more were over ten inches , all on the drys , Para Adams and Para Greenwells . . . , fat tubby brownies , superb !!!!

Also put on a new furled leader made by L. B. Very pleased with it , old one was looking a bit like the rope of an army scramble net , had more knots in it than I care to mention , so was lovely casting a new one , although the old one has done me well this season so far on the wildest of streams . . . Including the top half of the Kington beat which is like the mangrove swamps at the mo , but have been assuredly its on the WUF " to do " list . . . . . Tidy job !

A great two and a half hours , some lovely takes , and real vigour in the trout , think they needed the fresh water , and up at the weir , flowing over it nicely now , about time really !!! Last fish was from the weir pool , in the fast water , bang , cracking little nine inch fish , as always lovely colours quickly slipped back in . . . . . .

Walking back along the field margin , spooked Charlie who must have been out doing his rounds for an easy meal , funny really their russet colour blends in so well when foxes are still . . . Nice too see , and a superb relaxing wind down to a busy couple of days , Llynfi or Edw some stage over the weekend , weather permitting , . . . . . . . Don't you just love these balmy summer evenings !!!!!

Oh finally , I did check the Willy Brook , close to th econfluence with the Arrow , just down from the parking area , looks to be running well , water colouration normal , and lifting a few stones , plenty of insect life , also a small bullhead darted off from one stone I lifted , so a good sign . . . . May it continue !

9 Trout

Well having completed a busy , hard four day course down South in the tranquil Cotswolds , was able to fish a section of the lovely River Coln for three evenings , perks of the job !!!!!, was superb , and the chalkstream brownies gave my seven foot , four weight split cane rod a good going over , superb fun on dries , a lot more sedate than what I'm used to but nice to bring twenty plus fish to hand over the three evenings , spot on !!!!, so with myself all Chalkstreamed up , thought it heigh time to get back on my beloved Arrow , and opted for the Kington beat , got there at half ten , overcast , muggy , reading twenty degrees in the truck . . . Initially tied on a small Para Greenwells . . . Immediate success first pool , and a cracker for this stream . . . Nice start !!!!

Getting a bit low , but a reasonable flow to it considereing , and second pool , fast water leading into it , another nice fish on , Great sport . . . Went like that all the way up to the weir today . Some fish in the eleven inch class , and four of the six I brought to hand this morning were good tubby Arrow fish , in superb condition too . . Foir over ten inches , , and only the two fish about eight inches . Last fish was quite unexpected , and from the smallest pool , with some overhanging weed , as I was prospecting most of my dries this morning . Fish came out of nowhere and hammered it , spot on !!!!

Could do with a bit more water to be honest , as slower pools starting to gather algae build up on stones , which in the long term isn't health . . . But at the mo , under stones etc etc , crawling with insect life , and a huge amount of caddis , a real larder for the trout , no wonder they look so well fed . Was a really pleasant two and a half hours here , called it a day when I came to the weir , nice mooch back to the truck , feeling positively spoilt with the amount of fishing this week , and as my Mrs said . . . . " don't you ever get bored with it " well theres only one answer to that hey !!!!! As I returned the verdict with an enigmatic smile that said it all !!!!!

Back to the Ponderosa , a fun few hours , time for some mowing ggggrrrrr !!!! Back to the lovely Arrow very very soon . . . . . . Happy days .

6 Trout

Well gave the Arrow a bash this morning , still up early bells , got all the jobs squared away , before heading off . . . . Nice to target the wild streams on days off work , spot on . . . . I knew the Arrow may be a tad bit low , so knew it may be tricky today . . . .

Parked up the usual place near the bridge at half nine , weather promising , overcast , muggy and reading sixteen degrees in my truck , so not bad at all . Tackled up with my trustee six foot two weight as always , and tied on a Parachute Pheasant Tail , for starters , see how it goes !!!

First pool under the bridge , classic rise , just to the left of the faster water , took lovely , and felt a good fish for here , stayed on a few seconds then off , dooooooh !!!! Oh well , a good start though . . .

Eventually had the third fish stay on a lovely typical Arrow beauty , about eight inches , slipped back in , cracking !!!!! Had another next pool , very low now , splashy take , tight in to the bank . . . Was a case of getting the dry exactly in the right place this morning , and the further up the beat you go , the more of an unkempt jungle it becomes , especially after Malhollam Bridge , some cutting back and major pruning me thinks , WUF take note , the upper stretch is in dire need of some attention !!!i would have done some pruning myself but folks can get arsey , so I did the decent thing , and relayed my findings !!!!

Had brownies in very different locations today , as the river is low , they are positioning themselves generally in difficult locations , that involves wading ever so carefully and presenting the fly bang on , or they're off in a flash !!!! Good fun , but tricky tricky today .

Ended up with five beauties today , some nice takes on the Parachute Pheasant Tail , and even with the river so low and clear , get the fly in the right place and they were having a pop at it . Hopefully some rain immenant , but looking last nights forecast , thought we may have had some decent rain , but only a bit of drizzle . . . . So a fun four and a half hours , fished just up passed Malhollam Bridge , had my fifth fish under the bridge , very excitable splash toy take , good fish of ten inches too . I then walked back down the road to the bottom bridge , and the local farmer from Bredward Farm pulled in on his quad bike for a natter . . . . Generally very interested on how it's fishing etc etc etc . . . . What was concerning is that the little Brook that is on his ground , and flows throughout the old industrial estate , is generally a nasty colour etc etc , he said even his sheep won't drink from it , and that Brook flows into the Arrow , just down stream from the Wild Streams beat start . Perhaps the LAFA and EA need to contact "Ian "the farmer there , and arrange a visit , too asses the water quality to their Brook . He referred to it locally as the Willy Brook !!!!!!

Anyway , a fun few hours as always on the Arrow , will give it a break now , as I feel some well earned rain is now needed to refresh it , and the trout !!!!! still good fun this morning , a lovely little gem , spot on !!!!!


Booking Office Note: Thanks for the update Joe, we'll see if we can't get the top section trimmed!

5 Trout

Gave the Arrow at Kington a bash this afternoon , been a long week of shifts , up at four , and hot hot weather , so nice to skulk up the lovely Arrow , searching for rising fish !!! Was about four when I parked up at the bridge , reading 25 degrees in my truck and bright sun , maybe tricky , but still nice to be out . . . Some rises so nice to see , and as usual the feisty Arrow brownies obliged to a small Para Greenwells , splashy rises , great fun as always here . . . .

Fish were the usual colours of the Arrow fish , lovely red spots too . . . Gorgeous , cheers up your day that's for sure , and sizes ranged from six to ten inches , a nice wind down yo be honest . . .

Seems a favoured spot of buzzards , as last year had a close encounter with a young bird keeping cool near the river , well again they were local to the river , except this time youngsters flapping in the trees above , three I think I saw , and the adults giving them a real telling off !!!!!!! Still great fun yo watch for a while . . . .

Well a fun relaxing two and a half hours , six crackers to hand , which I was pleased about in the bright hot conditions . Water levels in the Arrow getting low again , could almost do with a good nights rain again . . . . . Nice couple of hours , back soon , happy days !!!!!

6 Trout

We started at the lower reach of the beat and worked our way up just beyond the weir. After that things got a bit too overgrown to progress further. We hooked 6 fish between us (three each) but most wriggled their way off the hook before they came to hand. One brown trout landed, five escapees and numerous misses - many of which cost a fly as the rebound took the line into the nearest tree! Most came to a nymph of one sort or another with one very spectacular take on a mayfly imitation - there were still many about.

1 Trout

Hoped that on arrival at one , At the Kington beat of the Arrow , that the river would be flowing at a nice pace by now , reversed the truck up to the parking area over the bridge , and had a look . . . . Seemed pretty decent , although still racing through at a fair old rate of knots !!! But still lovely and clear . . . . .

Initially decided to give the Mohican mayfly a bash , first little pool and run no takers , next one , a good splashy take , and an eight inch gorgeous brownie brought to hand , a good start . . . And so it went like that all the way up to the weir . . . Great sport as always , some feisty tubby fish too , having gorged on mayflies the last few weeks . . .

Fish ranged from seven to eleven inches , and lovely colouration as always , missed a few today too , fishing a Mohican mayfly , and a large grey Wulff , seemed to tempt them up . . . Some cracking splashy rises to them too !!!!! seven to hand , and a few flumped strikes , but a superb two and a half hours sport . . . Great to see the river up and racing along in June , bit of a change from this time last year . . . .

I did search for the landing net from the gent who fished here on Sunday , and did get the email also from the WUF , had a good mooch around the weir , but no joy , even rang Chris to find out if there was a more accurate wereabouts ???? So no joy in the end , I'll keep my eyes peeled on this beat see if it shows up . A fun couple of hours on this beat only went up to the weir , will be back here again soon , nice to still catch on big mayfly patterns . . . . . . . Happy days !!!!

7 Trout

Totally different river to the one I fished a few weeks ago. It's was hammering through today. Not too coloured though and found fish taking msyfly in the deeper slow water. All average size.
Managed to leave my net up by the weir. Would be good to have it back if found. I'll pass my contact details one to WUF would really appreciate you getting in touch if you come across it. Thanks.

6 Trout

10 Trout

3 Trout