Cornwall next week - sea trout

[tom_o_m]

Hi All,

I'm heading down to the Fowey area next week and was planning to get a night's sea trout fishing in.

The Fowey and Camel are both very accessible; can someone please suggest good day ticket water to maximise my chances. I have mastered the art of casting ok at night, but not catching... a confidence booster is needed!

I'm particularly keen on the Fowey, but Wainsford and Rivermead are booked up. Is any of the club water particularly suited for fly fishing? Is the Lanhydrock national trust water any good?

Many thanks in advance.

Tom

[silverstoat]

Hi All,

I'm heading down to the Fowey area next week and was planning to get a night's sea trout fishing in.

The Fowey and Camel are both very accessible; can someone please suggest good day ticket water to maximise my chances. I have mastered the art of casting ok at night, but not catching... a confidence booster is needed!

I'm particularly keen on the Fowey, but Wainsford and Rivermead are booked up. Is any of the club water particularly suited for fly fishing? Is the Lanhydrock national trust water any good?

Many thanks in advance.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I've fished the Lanhydrock estate water for the last few years. It's great value for money at £35 for the week (tickets from National Trust property office in the main house). The downside is that there are really only two pools suitable for the nighttime fly due to the bank side trees. It's also popular with walkers and dog owners so the fish are disturbed during the day, and consequently don't come on until it's proper dark. Drive Bridge pool near the upper limit is the easiest to fish. Start off in the fast run in the neck as it gets dark, and work through under the bridge until you get to the overhanging tree at the tail of the pool. It pulls pretty quickly trough the whole pool, and gets deep on the far bank in the middle, so you'll need an Intermediate poly leader or line. The other pool is Horeshoe pool about halfway down. It's tricky to fish as its very still so don't go onto the pool until it's properly dark. It has a spit of shallow gravel across the middle of the pool so wade out onto that to cast, but be careful of the steep shelf into the deeper belly of the pool downstream. I had an 11lb salmon from there at 1.30am so be aware of that with your leader strength.

In both pools fish lie against the far banks. I tend to use tubes, bumbles and snakes flies in Drive Bridge pool, and surface lures when in Horseshoe pool. I go in late-May so there aren't many fish there at point, though you should do better at this time of year.

The other club offering day tickets and weekly permits is Liskeard and District AA, which has beats between Lanhydrock and Wainsford. These are also heavily wooded, but less disturbed during the day. Tickets from Rogers Tackle above Stan May's garage in Bodmin. You might want to call Roger for more local knowledge.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on. Tight lines. |\

[tom_o_m]

Many thanks SS, thats incredibly helpful.

Would you say the Lanhydrock water is more accessible than the Liskeard AA water?

To be honest i wouldn't be fishing all night as i will be after the bass with lures the next morning, so the Lanhydrock water may be perfectly adequate.

Regards

Tom

[silverstoat]

Many thanks SS, thats incredibly helpful.

Would you say the Lanhydrock water is more accessible than the Liskeard AA water?

To be honest i wouldn't be fishing all night as i will be after the bass with lures the next morning, so the Lanhydrock water may be perfectly adequate.

Regards

Tom

I've never fished the LDAA waters so couldn't compare. Lanhydrock is extremely accessible for those two pools I mentioned. If you're staying in Fowey itself then Lanhydrock is a shorter drive. Plus, if you're only looking for a few hours fishing then Lanhydrock is the better VFM of the two. You need to park at Fishermans Gate, from where it's a 1-minute walk to Horseshoe pool. Drive Bridge pool is around a five minute walk, but you're on an old horse and carriage track so it's an easy walk.

N.b. There's a combi lock on the gate down to Drive Bridge pool so make sure you get the current code from the office. I definitely advise a recce of the pools in daylight to see the safe wading lines and the path over the little bridges to horseshoe pool. Because of the bankside trees you do need to wade into the river to get a back-cast, but you shouldn't lose too many flies once you work out how much line to feed out.

The other good point with Lanhydrock is that it's lightly fished. I typically only see the same couple of anglers when I'm there, including one who puts a head torch on his Jack Russell - alarming when you see it running towards you in the dark for the first time but hilarious when you realise. Have a good week. |\

[tom_o_m]

I've never fished the LDAA waters so couldn't compare. Lanhydrock is extremely accessible for those two pools I mentioned. If you're staying in Fowey itself then Lanhydrock is a shorter drive. Plus, if you're only looking for a few hours fishing then Lanhydrock is the better VFM of the two. You need to park at Fishermans Gate, from where it's a 1-minute walk to Horseshoe pool. Drive Bridge pool is around a five minute walk, but you're on an old horse and carriage track so it's an easy walk.

N.b. There's a combi lock on the gate down to Drive Bridge pool so make sure you get the current code from the office. I definitely advise a recce of the pools in daylight to see the safe wading lines and the path over the little bridges to horseshoe pool. Because of the bankside trees you do need to wade into the river to get a back-cast, but you shouldn't lose too many flies once you work out how much line to feed out.

The other good point with Lanhydrock is that it's lightly fished. I typically only see the same couple of anglers when I'm there, including one who puts a head torch on his Jack Russell - alarming when you see it running towards you in the dark for the first time but hilarious when you realise. Have a good week. |\

I'm convinced! Mainly by the prospect of seeing the dog with a headlamp. Thank you, it sounds ideal.

I'll get there early with my little trout rod and have a go at the browns under the trees once I've had a recce and before it is dark enough to go anywhere near the pools.

Is a 8ft6 #6 up to the job or is a 10ft #7 more appropriate? I suspect the latter in case of a marauding salmon.

Thank you for all you advice

Tom

[silverstoat]

I'm convinced! Mainly by the prospect of seeing the dog with a headlamp. Thank you, it sounds ideal.

I'll get there early with my little trout rod and have a go at the browns under the trees once I've had a recce and before it is dark enough to go anywhere near the pools.

Is a 8ft6 #6 up to the job or is a 10ft #7 more appropriate? I suspect the latter in case of a marauding salmon.

Thank you for all you advice

Tom

I think you'll have fun with the browns as there's a reasonable amount of smaller fish rising at dusk.

It's a small river so I use a 9'6 6# for sea trout. Admittedly the salmon I caught there two years back broke the butt section of my rod, but that's the only salmon I've caught there at night. I'd take both and see how you feel when you get there. Hope you have good fishing. I blanked on my May holiday this year so hopefully there are more sea trout in the river by now.

[tom_o_m]

I'll let you know how i get on.

Thanks for the really useful advice.

Tom

[andyantiquefly]

I'll let you know how i get on.

Thanks for the really useful advice.

Tom

The top of Lanhydrock is the pool under the viaduct near Bodmin parkway,I've often seen fish in there and also going downwards away from the crowds there's some nice water I think it's where they have the fish counter and I've seen pods of up to a hundred round there,obviously there'll be rules about fishing so many yards of it but upstream you'd expect to have fish travelling through all night.

Personally I'd go for Liskeard cause around Tragopan Mills they have some lovely pools easy to fish upstream from Wainsford and river mead and they also have Golitha falls which if night fishing is rained off that place on a spate could be mega.
Same club have fishing on one of my fav rivers the Lyhner,quite simply I rated that river so much and I remember turning up in July when there was a caravan park at Notter Bridge who owned a stretch from the first sea pool to the bridge and the bridge pool was stuffed with sea trout and also salmon in the deeps,sea trout were waiting for rain and were actually taking flies off the top in the day,rain came and they were gone.
One bad memory was when the bailiff came to check my ticket and I told him of a bright fresh dead salmon in the river,on inspection it had snapped off a wormer and died from the deep hooking,18lb salmon too gives you an idea of what's in there.
Bodmin anglers have nice water up to Blissland with shell woods being a fav place and at times can provide some good salmon fishing in June,July given water,lower down Wadebrige anglers once did day and weekly tickets from the tide up but never fished it and finally a little heads up if you want to go for the trout,angling 2000 tokens have a beat on the Allen a trib of the Camel where I caught over 30 trout in a few hours but the best kept secret is the Fal at Grogarth,beautiful river with a larger average size of trout than the recognised salmon and sea trout rivers,free rising with pool after pool full of fish,peal are often caught on nymphs through the day as it can often have a tinge of colour cause of the clay,quite simply it must have a run of sea trout as the Fal is a huge estuary and the river full of trout that must surely go to sea,even the tiny stream at Lerryn has always had peal in every time I've gone in June but it's so small that casting a fly is all but impossible.
Think I've all but covered everything there but over the border in Devon at this time of year the seldom fished Walkham a trib of the Tavy will always have fish at this time,I've been in June both times and crazy thing is the big sea trout both times were in one pool far up the system near the moor but by July T&S reports are always good for the Walkham,my fav of the lot though has to be the Dart around Buckfast,I've had some memorable nights where it all came together on a beat called Abbotsmead on Totnes anglers though like everywhere I believe it's struggled the past few years.

[tom_o_m]

Apologies for taking so long to update. I did fish the fowey on two nights, on the free water, beneath the road bridge, along with lanhydrock.

On arriving in lostwithiel with a car full of luggage i stopped on my way to polruan to check on the pool beneath the road bridge. I got the shock of my life, there was a school of up to a hundred peal.

I floored it to polruan, emptied the car and got my gear together and was back in good time before dusk. It was a different river, the tide had dropped the pool was surprisingly shallow and the peal were nowhere to be seen. I did have a go once it got dark but there was nothing moving apart from suicidal brownies the size of your finger.

Lanhdrick looked very inviting and i had high hopes, but i didnt hear a single splosh all night. It's good water but they weren't there at that time.

I'm fishing the camel in a couple of days, fingers crossed!

Tom

[silverstoat]

Thanks for the update Tom. |\

The Fowey does have surprisingly big runs of sea trout, and it's an enigma to me how soon they disappear in such a small river. They obviously run quickly and disperse through the system if they're not kept back in holding pools. I heard from a local that Lanhydrock's Horseshoe pool can be jumping with fish in July/Aug if they can't get through the neck. It's a shame you didn't hear any jumping though as you can quickly lose confidence thinking there are no fish in the pools given how small they are.

I'm wondering about trying the Liskeard waters next season but will have to check with Andyantiquefly as I think he knows these beats.

Incidentally, I've never been able to find a guide for fishing for sea trout on the Fowey. Does anybody on here know one and have contact details?

[andyantiquefly]

Thanks for the update Tom. |\

The Fowey does have surprisingly big runs of sea trout, and it's an enigma to me how soon they disappear in such a small river. They obviously run quickly and disperse through the system if they're not kept back in holding pools. I heard from a local that Lanhydrock's Horseshoe pool can be jumping with fish in July/Aug if they can't get through the neck. It's a shame you didn't hear any jumping though as you can quickly lose confidence thinking there are no fish in the pools given how small they are.

I'm wondering about trying the Liskeard waters next season but will have to check with Andyantiquefly as I think he knows these beats.

Incidentally, I've never been able to find a guide for fishing for sea trout on the Fowey. Does anybody on here know one and have contact details?

liskeard is the best bet as its just above Wainsford and similar holding pools.
So many sea trout rivers inc the West Country inc the Dart have certain pools where the fish have running for generations in fact when I first started fishing the Dart,Walkham,Lyner,Fowey and Camel I reckon I must have spent weeks overall fishing in the wrong places,sometime these places can be a pool up near the moors and I've found big fish in June just in one place.
The bigger fish bomb up to Golitha and the refuge above it in no time at all but certainly Liskeard is the best bet I'd say,Trago mills around there always holds fish but you need to be on it from first cast starting just a rod length and into the bank as so often you're standing over fish.
I prefer the Lyner myself,cracking river that I've not explored fully.

[tom_o_m]

liskeard is the best bet as its just above Wainsford and similar holding pools.
So many sea trout rivers inc the West Country inc the Dart have certain pools where the fish have running for generations in fact when I first started fishing the Dart,Walkham,Lyner,Fowey and Camel I reckon I must have spent weeks overall fishing in the wrong places,sometime these places can be a pool up near the moors and I've found big fish in June just in one place.
The bigger fish bomb up to Golitha and the refuge above it in no time at all but certainly Liskeard is the best bet I'd say,Trago mills around there always holds fish but you need to be on it from first cast starting just a rod length and into the bank as so often you're standing over fish.
I prefer the Lyner myself,cracking river that I've not explored fully.

Thanks, next time i will certainly give it a go. If you can recommend some pools by PM that would be great, the main put off for me was not knowing where to start given the volume of water.

[tom_o_m]

Camel

No luck at Butterwell. The water was up but clear, there were fish there but not in huge numbers.

The new owners, who are excellent, warned us that things would be difficult given the water height and so it proved. 2 of us fished until half 2, we lost 3 fish and had a couple more hits.

Fun times, but starting to get disheartened.

Tom