Feedback & Reports

We managed 12 wbt between our 2 rods, caught throughout the day, and all taken using nymph and spider patterns. Sporadic hatches led us to try dry flies but nothing could be tempted.
Access to the water is much improved since last season, which meant a good part of the water was available to us. Wading is still tricky in parts so caution is needed.
A terrific beat to spend a day on.

12 Trout

A fish of c.20lbs came to the fly in the Cafn Pool and fish of c.12lbs and 8lbs came to the Flying C on friday on the coloured water from the Boat Pool. Another fish was hooked and lost in the Corner pool. Interestingly the 8lb fish was already a little pink rather than silver.
In addition, numerous fish were seen running through.

3 Salmon

Tried various methods hardly a touch, very difficult river to fish.

Bright and sunny, 3 trout taken and returned around lunchtime on small iron blue dun emerger patterns

3 Trout

Two shad caught on a Cascade fly, size 12, 35cm & 25cm length, returned unharmed. Also a brown trout about 2lbs took Cascade! No salmon to be seen.

1 Trout, 2 Other

Fished all the beat that would take a fly before turning to the spinning rod, for where it was running out of water a bit. A few fish showing in different parts of the beat but one silver fish showing repeatedly in the middle of rock took my eye. It had been fished past a few times during the day without success, so I decided to wait for the sun to move. Woke up on the bank when it went cold with cloud cover, three casts and it was on, a 16 pound bar of silver. Shame it was not on the fly, but a home made barbless single hook flying C, easy to remove, it's the way to go.

1 Salmon

Salmon jumping along the entire beat.

Second time on this beat and finally it all seemed to click in to place.
12 trout between 5" and 10" all taken on a size 16 olive klinkhammer.
When I returned to the car it was covered in Mayflies!

12 Trout

Good fishing weather if a little chilly, high cloud with a gentle down stream breeze. Fished the mid section of the beat from where a small stream joins the river at the top of the second field down towards the large rock about 300 yards or so. An easy section to get to and wade down although the water does run fast at the start of the rougher water slightly upstream. Upwings rose on and off throughout the day but no mass exodus.
Fished spiders including my favourite Partridge and orange, Waterhen bloa and Greenwells but no takers. The three fish I did catch fell to a nymph tied in black with silver wire body and black cocks tail with black SLF body and tungsten bead in size #14. Had three further good takes (long range releases) that may have been tempted by the spiders. No luck with dries I am afraid to report.
There are plenty of fish in this stretch of the river certainly enough to keep one angler busy for most of a day and there is nothing to suppose it will be any different in the rest of the beat. I would recommend Ashford House without hesitation and will certainly consider returning.

3 Trout

The day was cold. All catch and release. 4 trouts about 10" very nice. Allyson from the Foundation advised me not to go to another beat due to a three day festival and she showed me other beats to select. Thank you Allyson.
All trout were caught with dry fly elk hair. The fishing day finished when I fell in to the river. Very nice day indeed.

4 Trout