Feedback & Reports

We fished this stretch early morning with no bites, packed up around 11am and returned at 5pm. Fished cage feeders with banded 8 mm fish meal pellets on the hook, caught barbel to 10lb some chub and a very nice dace, river slightly high and some loose streamer weed which was a continual nuisance.

11 Barbel, 6 Chub, 1 Other

feeder and pellet

46 Barbel, 10 Chub

1 Barbel

I was slightly concerned that reports from this beat so far this year were down on last year and the reports of a major snag/tree in the lower pool. I ended up having an enjoyable, but somewhat frustrating day. Weather was warm, but mostly overcast. I fished from the bottom coy from 12:30 - 21:00 and caught steadily all day. The frustration was that I lost so many fish to hook pulls and only just managed to come out on top. 10 barbel landed and 9 lost to hook pulls. The swim is very heavily weeded, particularly down the near side and all the fish were lost as they got into the thick weed. I think that the snag referred to as a tree in other reports, is in fact very thick weed. As fish got held up in the weed, they appeared to be able to twist themselves off the hook. I fished a pellet feeder all day and didn't loose a single feeder or break off on a fish. The barbel were a very mixed size with a few of around one pound, a couple around 3lb, a couple more around 5lb and two at 7lb.
I found the fish in the faster water, fishing at about 45 degrees downstream, 3/4 of the way across. Used 12lb mainline with a 10lb coated braid hook length.
I'm not sure whether the stretch is fished only through the WUF, but I had to clear the peg of litter, which included luncheon meat tin lids. Very disappointing that anglers can leave such a mess.
Other fish were one chub and one small eel

10 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

2 Barbel, 3 Chub, 1 Other

Enjoyable session on a very hot weekend. Lots of canoe traffic as expected but it didn’t seem to cause too much of a problem. Several chub over 4lb and barbel averaging 5lb.

7 Barbel, 2 Chub

Same session as above for second angler

1 Barbel, 3 Chub

Fished on 26/06 with little success but conditions looked much better today. Unfortunately the fish were just not feeding, very odd as water had dropped considerably and had cleared. Quite unbelievably we did not have a bite between us. Beware of the snag in bottom swim, I can only assume its a tree as was snagging up from level with the post on the far bank for 20-25yds down stream.

7 Barbel, 4 Chub

6 Barbel, 5 Chub