Feedback & Reports

Water still clear despite the heavy rain over the last 36 hours. Level returned to quite low again though and more stealth than I possess was required for most of the pools. I did however get quite adept at spotting the shadows darting away in the distance ! Weather was bright and relatively warm, even a brisk wind rippling the water on occasion. 3 trout caught (4-10"), 2 of them to a tan klinkhammer, 1 to a bead head olive nymph. However, the tree canopy can consider itself victorious today as it claimed more of my flies than I caught trout! Fished until I started to get wet from the late afternoon showers, although it had stopped by the time I got back to the car so I decided to throw a tenkara line through the pools upstream of the bridge which resulted in a 5" wbt to a bead head nymph.
Obviously been some weather in the area. A fairly large tree has fallen across the stream about 1/2 way along the beat. Harder to navigate than the barbed wire and needed a hands and knees crawl in the shallows. Also, it looks as though the fallen trunk right at the end of the beat has shifted as I couldn't see the end of beat marker. Didn't hang around too long looking as I was getting damp by then.
Shared the beat at various points with; kingfisher; couple of dippers; plenty of wagtails; had to shift the bull and his ladies from the drinking point (thankfully enough driftwood around to act as a prodder because he wasn't going to move otherwise and I couldn't get passed!); and for once no swimming dogs!

4 Trout

5 x trout 6-10 inches, Rusty Klinkhammer. Very low and clear.

5 Trout

16 degrees, overcast evening. Fairly low river level. Small hatch of olives. One trout on a dry adams, few more missed. Another larger (around 20cm) on a pink shrimp from a deep hole. Lovely little stream.

2 Trout

6 x trout 6-8 inches Rusty Klinkhammer. Water now very low and no insects about, but fish prepared to rise. I must have missed twice as many. Rain is promised for tomorrow.

6 Trout

Very skinny water with little flow. started from road bridge and finished at sewage plant, so fished roughly half of beat.fished the first couple of pools size 18 midge with no success so switched to size 22 nymph with 1.5mm gold bead and was instantly into fish. First cast one of twelve inches and second cast one of 4 inches lol. It was then a case of crawling on knees to get into position casting into any fast water. I picked up a further nine between 6-12 inches before stopping. There were a fair few trout in sight but sadly the slightest wake in the slow water scattered them instantly.

11 Trout

Nice, intimate beat which definitely needs a short rod. I used a 6'6" 3wt glass rod and anything longer would have made casting very tricky.
Water was low but fish were rising. I had half a dozen takes to a green klinkhamer and a deer hair emerger but none stayed on. There are strands of both barbed and plain wire at various places along the beat but, with one exception, these were easy enough to negotiate. Shame about the rubbish in the river but a pleasant couple of hours nonetheless.

15 or so to hand in the hour or so there today between 4.30pm -5.45pm . all took size 18 black nymph under the midge on the water. largest 9 inches all the rest between 6-8 inches. Levels very low now and with the sun up a stealthy approach was needed.

15 Trout

Nice clear water, a bit lower than a couple of weeks ago but still running fast. A very pleasant couple of hours fishing, with 11 trout to the hand, countless more missed (I wouldn't last long as a quick draw in the Wild West!!). Biggest was about 10", majority were nearer 6-7". All caught on a tan or green klinkhammer, although a couple of them took the fly when I'd drowned it and was on a quick retrieve.

11 Trout

3wbt to 9" all on gold bead GRHE

3 Trout

12 x trout 6-9 inches, Rusty Klinkhammer. A most welcome rural interlude after a week in the classroom. And in fact an even more welcome escape from post-referendum turmoil. Water continues to flow and trout continue to rise.

12 Trout