Devon and Cornwall 2018

[tom_o_m]

Starting a South West thread, I imagine all rivers are suffering the same malaise at the moment so until we get a bit more rain things may be quiet.

I fished Butterwell last weekend with my father. I lost one good sea trout at the net (around the 4lb mark), and landed a small one of about a lb soon after. Conditions were generally poor, clear skies, full moon, low water and no real push even near the pool heads. These fish were active during a very small window on the first night when storm cloud rolled in and the atmosphere noticeably changed. 2 hours or so later clear skies and dead water did for that night and the following night.

During this window my dad did manage to pull out an 18lb salmon. It was absolutely ridiculous, the camel is a small river at the best if time but when the water is this low it just seems extraordinary that this fish was there. I landed it with a small trout net, not a good idea. I will be investing in something that can handle the unexpected.

This is our second time at Butterwell since Sam and Rachel took the reins. What a great job they're doing, the new cabin is seriously comfortable and everything is really well maintained. Sam put me on to the fish and is obviously learning the river quickly.

We're now waiting for the conditions to change before fishing somewhere new, perhaps the Teign (we're very open to suggestions).

Tight lines

Tom

 

[haptonlad]

Starting a South West thread, I imagine all rivers are suffering the same malaise at the moment so until we get a bit more rain things may be quiet.

I fished Butterwell last weekend with my father. I lost one good sea trout at the net (around the 4lb mark), and landed a small one of about a lb soon after. Conditions were generally poor, clear skies, full moon, low water and no real push even near the pool heads. These fish were active during a very small window on the first night when storm cloud rolled in and the atmosphere notably changed. 2 hours or so later clear skies and dead water did for that night and the following night.

During this window my dad did manage to pull out an 18lb salmon. It was absolutely ridiculous, the camel is a small river at the best if time but when the water is this low it just seems extraordinary that this fish was there. I landed it with a small trout net, not a good idea. I will be investing in something that can handle the unexpected.

This is our second time at Butterwell since Sam and Rachel took the reins. What a great job they're doing, the new cabin is seriously comfortable and everything is really well maintained. Sam put me on to the fish and is obviously learning the river quickly.

We're now waiting for the conditions to change before fishing somewhere new, perhaps the Teign (we're very open to suggestions).

Tight lines

Tom

Nice report Tom
Thanks for taking the time to opening the South river thread.
Unlucky on the sea trout that got off at the net, better luck next time pal

 

[tom_o_m]

Nice report Tom
Thanks for taking the time to opening the South river thread.
Unlucky on the sea trout that got off at the net, better luck next time pal

It would have been my first large sea trout, I swore, a lot!

It was beaten and heading into the net but my dad missed it in the dark and it was off. Painful.

Once we have some rain I'll be back in the area trying to make amends.

Tom

 

[haptonlad]

It would have been my first large sea trout, I swore, a lot!

It was beaten and heading into the net but my dad missed it in the dark and it was off. Painful.

Once we have some rain I'll be back in the area trying to make amends.

Tom

We've all been there Tom
It's what keeps us going back for more, keep at it & you'll land a few believe me.
I've only hooked one myself this year & it was a very good fish too, but it broke my dropper knot.
Shit happens.

 

[tom_o_m]

Yes exactly, and it was a great experience anyway. It was airborne a lot and when it wasn't it was pushing hard for the tree roots. Exhilarating stuff.

 

[tom_o_m]

We're thinking about fishing the Teign next week, conditions look marginally better.

Does anyone have any advice on which beat, and ideally which pools, we should focus on that are open to day ticket anglers? Given the low water i was thinking the lower Teign, but there isn't much in the way of guidance on their website.

Many thanks,

Tom

 

[tom_o_m]

Teign

Teign

My dad fished the Teign on Thursday night and landed one peal, around a pound and a quarter.

There was plenty of sploshing, and a much bigger fish hit where the fly was a millisecond before, just after he pulled it from the water. No more than a couple of meters from him.

It was warm until late and the fish were active until he left around 2:30. There were 2 other anglers there, neither caught and left around midnight.

This was his first sea trout! He's ecstatic.

I couldn't get away due to a busy week at work but will try next week.

Tom

 

[tandem]

Hello Tom . There are fish to had in the Teign . I have caught several over the last week including one of around 6lb . I have been concentrating on the lower river .
Fish are very cagey and smallish , sparsely dressed flies have done the business. Always fish a surface lure through at the end of the session .
Has been a grim season .

 

[tom_o_m]

Hello Tom . There are fish to had in the Teign . I have caught several over the last week including one of around 6lb . I have been concentrating on the lower river .
Fish are very cagey and smallish , sparsely dressed flies have done the business. Always fish a surface lure through at the end of the session .
Has been a grim season .

Hi Tandem,

We fished on Monday on the lower Teign above the weir. Lots of fish about but we didn't have a pull, the only interest I got was 3 missed goes at the surface lure. It wasn't particularly enjoyable fishing as the water was stagnant, is this a feature of the Teign pools? I like a little bit of a push through as it feels a bit too much like reservoir fishing otherwise.

Thanks for your advice on flies, we were using bushy black stinger flies. These were probably overly dressed.

Lots of the runs and small pools looked more enjoyable to fish if there was another 6 inches or so of water present.

Regards,

Tom

 

[tandem]

No water Tom . I assume you mean Chudleigh Weir ? Usually a great pool for Sea Trout and Salmon but slowed to stop this year . I’ve been a mile or two downstream fishing amongst the mullet . Fresh water but only just .
The river runs a good deal higher in a normal year .

 

[tom_o_m]

Thanks Tandem, I wondered if that was the case.

Yes it was Chudleigh. There were fish there but it was still as a pond.

I would like to fish it again in better conditions as I like the river.

Were you fishing the lower end of the LTFA water?

Regards

Tom

 

[tandem]

I have been fishing about a mile above the tide . Sea Trout and Salmon share the lower pools with Mullet and Flounders , worth remembering when you could spend a happy evening casting to a shoal of fat Mullet !
Fish have been running even in the lowest water and they have been caught all the way through the LTFA , even Grilse have been seen splashing through a couple of inches of water .
Hoping for more water next season .

 

[tom_o_m]

My dad caught 2 peel and lost a third, all around the 13" mark, from the upper Teign last night.

The sport died once the temperature dropped and the mist rolled in around 01:00.

I was unable to get over there but am visiting family 'up north' next week so will slip off for a couple of hours on the river Wear near Bishop Auckland.

Regards

Tom