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Post by jezney on Apr 14, 2014 22:08:35 GMT
I decided to go out for a few hours this afternoon but couldn't decide where to go. I ended up just getting in the car and seeing where my mind would take me and I ended up on the Dart. My first port of call was Dunna bridge but someone else was tackling up which turned out to be another member of this forum so I left him be to enjoy his fishing and headed over to Bellever instead. I walked down stream a short distance,not as far as the white house and slowly fished back up. Nothing was rising,little hatching (a few sedge and small olives) and the water was crystal clear so I thought about using my french leader but the water was very shallow so I opted for duo instead. After 10 minuets of nothing showing a vague interest in the nymph and having two fish go for the dry I snipped the nymph off and fished dries on a very short line. In the 3 hours I fished I had 26 lovely little trout,most very small but 4 good ones 12-13 inches and missed at least as many as I landed. just goes to show that summer is coming and the fish are finally looking up for some food.
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Post by rubble on Apr 15, 2014 6:42:58 GMT
Nice report. Might be up there myself today although it looks more windy and cold than yesterday.
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Post by rubble on Apr 15, 2014 20:58:40 GMT
Fished Hexworthy up to just short of the Swincombe today around late morning/lunch time. Thought I had a nudge or two when running a leaded nymph through the pots nut can't be sure. Switched to dries on the top half of the course. Nothing much happening until the neck of the last pool I was going to fish. A small para Adams brought up a Dartmoor beast of around 13". My best Dart trout so far and also this year. It really porpoised on the fly and was safely returned after a good fight. Lovely to be out on the moor again even if it was slow going. I could fish all day here and be happy even if nothing was caught. Attachments:
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Post by JB on Apr 19, 2014 8:22:51 GMT
Nice fish!
I fished up to Two Bridges from the Blackbrook yesterday and found it similarly slow going until about 2pm when there was half an hour or so of activity and I caught a lot of small trout, trout parr, and one salmon smolt. At the very end I had a better fish of 8" or so on an elk hair caddis but it was very close to the bank. Earlier in the day I had flushed a bigger fish out of cover lower down river so I think a lot of them (on the WD at least) are still hiding rather than feeding. Beautiful day though, and a beautiful place to be.
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Post by paul on Apr 20, 2014 7:03:28 GMT
Went out Saturday. Holiday and a severe cold meant this was only my second outing of the season and I had got a full day pink ticket form domestic chores. As my membership of the Taunton club came through this year, I decided on a change of scene, so drove up to the lower Bradford beat- scene of my pathetic attempt to swim across the river in waders full fishing gear one February when a guest on the water.
Its a good 3/4 hour drive; got there, parked, got into my waders and went to put on my waistcoat which lives in the boot during the season- left at home! I took it out for an early season overhaul! No flies, no tippet, no nothing.
Why is it that the most angry you get is hen you only have yourself to blame?
Happy ending! I managed to swap the pink ticket for the following day and returned properly equipped to be rewarded with a glorious fit fat 13" brownie (and 4 tines)! River in good nick- very clear- and bullocks in the other field!
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Post by rubble on Apr 22, 2014 19:30:31 GMT
Found myself on the west dart again on Monday, about 4pm. Above Prince Hall Hotel which is new to me. Nothing showing and no action to report. Found a fat bloated cow (a dead one, not an I'll favoured female relation) stuck in some trees on the bankside up around the large bend in the river. Looked like it was ready to burst with flies all over. Will fatten the trout up nicely if all the maggots get washed into the river. Be warned though, approaching this area from downwind is not recommended!
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Post by starsky on Apr 22, 2014 19:52:17 GMT
I had a similar incident with a pig on my local river in Kent last week. This bloated specimen was lying right bang in the middle of the river next to a really fishy spot. I was downwind of it and it stank. The only way to get a cast to this spot without spooking the fish was to stand next to it. I got a good cast out while holding breath and preying one of the flies didn't go up my nose. I deserved a fish but no trophy this time. The things you do to get a tug on your line...
I would rather be doing it all on the Dart though...
Some good fish coming out, well done all.
Mark
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Post by jezney on May 3, 2014 22:37:44 GMT
It seems the east Dart has woken before the west. I'm going to wait until July now before I get on the dart myself again as the commonwealths are approaching and the fish need time to settle down after being hammered by the comp guys. Great to hear everyone is catching a few.
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Post by rubble on May 16, 2014 19:18:47 GMT
Fished the west dart from cherrybrook to blackabrook and up a bit today. Only about 7 fish, two of which don't count as they came off at the net. My biggest two of course. Lost what looked like a 12" at least, pulled like a train. All on a hawthorne. Saw two guys heading up the east dart from dartmeet, any luck chaps? Also saw at least two others, one heading to the cherrybrook, the other somewhere below? Be interested to hear how you got on.
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Post by boisker on May 16, 2014 20:44:26 GMT
I fished up from the White House to the Bellever car park today, 3 fish in the first 15 mins all on a little tungsten nymph, largest 11" the other two the more usual 5-6"; then nothing for a couple of hrs. Had a break at the car and then headed back to try a dry for the eve, 1 fish first cast of about 6" again then nothing. Although for some reason my casting went into a complete free fall and break down, it was like I'd just picked up a rod for the first time! Bizarre. Time to get out on the playing field and practice. All in all a reasonable day, even if I was ready to throw my rod in frustration for the last hr
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Post by jezney on May 16, 2014 23:42:17 GMT
The teams for the commonwealths may have been out. The darts going to be mighty busy until mid June.
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Post by rubble on May 26, 2014 18:57:12 GMT
Fished a stretch of the east dart today that appeared to be overlooked by me on the past, from Bellever to Postbridge. Hard going underfoot on the way down but once on the river progress upstream was not too difficult but still required some scrambling in places. Water was somewhere between tea and tizer colour. Only a few risers here and there but managed about ten small bt on dries including para Adams, white wulff, balloon head caddis. Biggest was about 6". No sign of silver fish seen.
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Post by rubble on Jul 4, 2014 12:52:44 GMT
Fished the lower cherrybrook yesterday evening. Water was really warm and the fish very willing. First fish was the best at about 10 or 11 inches and really fat. Lost a better one later on when it went airborne. About 16 to hand with almost as many lost and more which were missed completely. Good 2 and a half hours worth of sport. Lots of flies, remember your insect repellent at the moment though!
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Post by rubble on Jul 10, 2014 20:05:27 GMT
Fished the very lower end of the west dart today which was new to me. Very pleasant stretch but not ideally suited to right handers if I'm honest. 10 or so trout on dries, best of about 9". A few migratory types seen, not sure which.
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Post by jezney on Jul 13, 2014 7:45:51 GMT
Hi rubble. How did the migratory fish look ie could you see any rot on them. So many fish this season,even ones at Totnes weir pool are covered in it. Lots of dead fish around too.
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Post by terry on Jul 13, 2014 11:16:43 GMT
Fished the lower cherry brook and the west dart around Prince hall hotel and was rather disappointed to see the "PEG" boards from the recent commonwealth championships still in place.
There are several every 75 yards or so which look really out of place. Perhaps someone who knows Dave Grove and co. Could mention it.
Terry
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Post by jezney on Jul 13, 2014 15:36:21 GMT
Thanks for that terry. I will let Dave and the organisers know and try to get them removed as soon as possible .Im away all next week and would do it myself but I'm unable to.
If anyone else finds any along the rivers then please let me know as they shouldn't have been left there I'm sure and and I will let the relevant people know.
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Post by rubble on Jul 13, 2014 20:56:18 GMT
No disease that I saw. Hard to see through broken water but all very dark with none of those white patches. Guessing sea trout at this time of year? Mostly in the pots where I would flush them out when wading.
Had a bash at the lower east dart today. 12 bt to 8". One migratory seen again. No idea how u would fish for them in the pots when the water is gin clear. They almost always see you first and scatter.
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Post by rubble on Jul 26, 2014 17:44:51 GMT
6am to 10am upstream of the Dartmoor training centre. A bit slow but picked up around 9 am.
Hooked a 3" bt on a dry from some pocket water and I was pulling it in when it got stuck in some weed. I moved towards it ready to grab the tippet and free it when the weed moved slowly away. 'Odd' I thought. Then I realized that my fish was clamped around its gills by a 14" bt! Despite being only 3m away it wouldn't let go and then tried to haul it's catch under a large boulder. Only after I dragged it out (which was putting quite a strain on my kit) did it let go. The tiddler was shredded and despite swimming away swiftly I don't fancy its chances now. I've not seen that for 25 years when a perch swallowed my gudgeon in a canal when I were a nipper. Biggest Dart brownie I've seen. I didn't really notice a take, my line just appeared to get stuck. I'll be back to get him!
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