Meldon

[rubble]

Had a surprisingly decent afternoon fly fishing session this afternoon. Rivers were up so a bit of an exploring and fishing was called for. Pulled out 10 or so wild brownies all on a dry black gnat. Ranged from 4" all the way up to 12"! Finally I know what a larger brownie looks like. Stuck my head up the west okement at the top of the reservoir. Pretty high and coloured so left it. Was taking a pee at one point while keeping my fly rod in one hand. Hooked a fish mid flow! I obviously had found the fishy spot as there were otter spraints around, scared a heron off from landing and saw a cormorant diving not more than 30 metres away from my spot. A pleasant trip compared to some rather fishless sessions at Venford I've had in the past.

[Pete Tyjas]

I remember the days when I would be able to stop mid flow, land the fish and then finish my pee!

[JB]

Cue a comment about 'a rod in each hand'. And, not to hijack the thread, but I met this chap at Meldon yesterday evening.

[chato]

will be fishing at meldon soon. bit early for black knat? may try black zulu. have fished it many times in the past & in the evening when itis calm fish start jumping alot but will take nothing
 or just me.

[JB]

Apr 6, 2014 0:58:49 GMT chato said:

will be fishing at meldon soon. bit early for black knat? may try black zulu. have fished it many times in the past & in the evening when itis calm fish start jumping alot but will take nothing
 or just me.

I've had most success with either a hawthorn pattern in spring and grey klinkhammer patterns in summer, I should probably fish it more given how close it is but I prefer rivers really. Have you fished the East or West Okement at all?

[chato]

thanks will try them, can see gray klinkhammer working have you ever seen all the white knats coming off the water late in the day.
Do have some on black knat & Alexalder, always feel shood of done better wot with all jumping going on. East & west Okement the answer is no, did not knowe if permit or not, or its name. but have walked some of it up the valley from Okehampton it dose look good. By the way I tend to use hook size 14 up there do you mind if I ASK wot you use.
THANKS CHATO

[JB]

Apr 7, 2014 20:56:32 GMT chato said:

thanks will try them, can see gray klinkhammer working have you ever seen all the white knats coming off the water late in the day.
Do have some on black knat & Alexalder, always feel shood of done better wot with all jumping going on. East & west Okement the answer is no, did not knowe if permit or not, or its name. but have walked some of it up the valley from Okehampton it dose look good. By the way I tend to use hook size 14 up there do you mind if I ASK wot you use.
THANKS CHATO

I haven't seen the white stuff come off, I've not been there that much though to be honest. I've seen Hawthorns, various olives, and %*!@loads of midges!

The East and West Okement are also free to fish (at least there are no permits and nobody asks what you're doing), though the trout aren't as big as you get in Meldon itself.

For the Klinks I used about size 12, 14 should be good too, and maybe a little black one - say 16 or so - could be handy for the midges. For the Hawthorn I'm pretty sure it was 14, sounds like you're in the right ballpark anyway. If you're catching fish you're doing better than I usually manage. I can never figure out their cruising patterns and where to put the fly, I'm always at least one or two steps behind it seems.

Oh, I did all right with a black bead-head daddy longlegs too. Until it took up permanent residence in a gorse bush.

[chato]

:)Ok I,v looked on net cen,t see much on east/west Okement. (or not to do with fishing anyway) But do you  think the park & castle  are permet free then. if so I will stop off and have a play. will be out fishing soon as I can let you knowe how it go,s.

[JB]

Apr 11, 2014 22:15:51 GMT chato said:

:)Ok I,v looked on net cen,t see much on east/west Okement. (or not to do with fishing anyway) But do you  think the park & castle  are permet free then. if so I will stop off and have a play. will be out fishing soon as I can let you knowe how it go,s.

I wasn't able to find anything out online either when I looked, but I asked in the gun shop last year (used to be a tackle shop too) and they reckoned it was fine to fish the town and up with an EA licence only. I've seen a few people fishing in the town, Simmons Park, and up by the castle and fished a bit myself - mostly with beadhead nymphs.

[chato]

Well I,m gong to give it a go anyway. But just to let you knowe I have fished meldon last monday from about 3-8 bit windy at first but droped off about 6.30 than thay started rising, I did not catch any.
2 more came up fishing one stood on the same rock I had been on a bit befor & pulled out 2 on the trot,  I was on a black zule he was on a black beeded flie both casting the same disstance, wot can I say SOME-TIMES I HATE FISHING. but thats wye it called fishing & not catching init.       

[chato]

Iv been up the park had alook and seen the grounds man, He said yes you can fish on rod licence and that he has seen trout upto a 1bll and that sea trout samon do come up there, does not see much but seen the samon flaoting in the river.
Fished MELDOM on alighter leader this time had 3 on black knat not so big 4in. And 1 good pull on zulu but think the knote gave out

[JB]

Sea trout in the park... that is very interesting. I might have to have another look at some of the pools.

[halfstoned]

Hello all ! Having spent a few months enjoying reading various posts on this board I thought I should chip in when I saw this thread about Meldon and the Okement rivers. I have fished these quite a bit over the last four years and altough I never realy did any good in the reservoir (best fish 10" ) the rivers have given me many happy hours of enjoyable fishing. Most of my time has been spent on the East Okement parking by the bridge of the duel carriage way (sign post riding stables) and fishing up through the valley and out onto the open moorland. I have also fished above Meldon up as far as the ancient Oak forest (the highest in the country apparantly)most standard dries and duo tactics work, casting tricky untill you hit the open moorland then you realise how windy it is! I have also fished the taw above Sticklepath right up to Belstone but this was realy just a pleasant walk as it was so overgrown it was hard to get a fly in anywhere. Most of the fish in these rivers are small a 9" fish is a monster but the fun remains the same! Never had anyone ask me what I was doing the EA said any rivers above the town were fishable with a rod licence, thats all the invitation I needed.

[JB]

Welcome aboard Halfstoned!

I've fished the West Oke more than the East, though I've not got much beyond the golf course. The East Oke looks like it might be the better bet, especially up on the moor. I'll have to get up there. I love fishing the Duchy water so it would be great to have something close to home as well.

[halfstoned]

East Oke is worth a try there is a nice series of pools below and above a small waterfall that always produces a few fish. Nice way to spend an evening and its free!