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Post by hardytim on Jun 2, 2016 14:15:22 GMT
I plan to venture onto the Culm this weekend, just wondered if any CFFC members have any notable reports, pointers etc
Thanks..
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Post by yeoman on Jun 3, 2016 7:48:38 GMT
Make sure you have suitable black gnat imitations and a mayfly or two. Last time I was there a few fish were rising, but not many,so it was well worth watching likely spots for a while to see if anything was happening.
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Post by hardytim on Jun 3, 2016 19:14:25 GMT
Thanks yeoman.
I took today off work, so brought my visit to the Culm forward. This was my first proper session on this river and I decided to walk down to Hayne Barton farm and fish back up. It was fairly cold this morning, and I only saw one rise on my walk down (more on this later), so I decided to start with a small beadhead nymph. After about half a dozen casts the line straightened and a BT of about 1.5 pounds (expressed in old money!) jumped 3 times then shed the hook in weed. Went on to loose 3 further small trout on this fly. Eventually worked my way up to the trout seen rising earlier, put on a MegaMay and got him! Had a few further takes but no more fish. The odd Mayfly, and good hatches of Black Gnat seen- could have done with some smaller patterns.
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Post by yeoman on Jun 3, 2016 19:31:55 GMT
Glad you had some sport.
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Post by hardytim on May 20, 2017 9:07:36 GMT
Has anyone tackled the Culm recently? And any notable hatches of fly? Fished the CFFC stretches 4 times last year and only had 2 trout, of which one was a RB ( seem to be good at catching them!)
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Post by yeoman on May 20, 2017 11:59:57 GMT
Should be plenty of fly now, black gnats, olives and Mayfly. I've fished it a few times this season, but not for a few weeks, the top beat seems to be more productive.
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Post by pusser on May 21, 2017 14:30:25 GMT
I had a fristrating and difficult couple of hours on the lower beat this morning.
I had decided to tackle it with my nymphing rod for a change ... WRONG!
The wind was quite a bit stronger than at home so it made things very difficult. I did have a few bites but missed them, for whatever reason.
It wasnt all bad though as there were quite a few Mays hatching toward the end, as well as lots of midges and some grannom.
Just as i was about to call it a day i noticed a couple of tiddlers taking flies off the top so i tied a dry to the nymphing rig and spent half an hour flicking my dry into the margin and repetetively taking fish. A few of which were either dace or roach. Great fun to finish a frustrating few hours.
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Post by hardytim on May 21, 2017 15:53:56 GMT
Sounds like you were unlucky not to connect today?
Did you see any wbt rising?
I did the same as you last season, got stuck in to a shoal of Dace, when all else fails!
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Post by pusser on May 21, 2017 17:41:43 GMT
No wbt rising of any size at all, despite a fairly large hatch going on all around me! I did connect with a few but just didn't manage to hook them well enough to get them to the net ... they were off almost immediately, bloomin' frustrating!
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Post by paul on May 21, 2017 20:37:39 GMT
I was also on the Culm with conventional gear.
The river was pushing through and a bit coloured and the wind was a pig; as always with the calcium, it changes direction eveeer y twenty yards so you don't get used to the wind.
Fishing well ahead of Pusser, I only had one fish all day, but it was a wonderful 15"- my biggest on club waters- so i went home aerly but very happy1
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Post by hardytim on May 22, 2017 7:39:11 GMT
Well done Paul, that's a good fish
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Post by hardytim on May 22, 2017 19:04:35 GMT
The enigma continues... Had an eventful but not entirely fruitful afternoon on the upper beat. After about 1/2 hour's fishing I took my best dunking yet. A couple of pints of the culm went down my waders, which required a complete wringing of all clothing. Thankfully no one else was around!
Considered going home at that point but it was a lovely warm afternoon, so moved upstream and tied on a Mayfly. Three casts later caught a 9 inch wbt which shook the hook just as I netted it. That proved to be my bit of good luck. Hooked another wbt which jumped and came off. A bit further upstream I saw a small fish rising on a bend , covered him and wham- rod bent round, this wasn't a small fish. Within inches of the net it came off- a beautiful marked fish of 14-16 inch. A lot of swearing was necessary.
Spent the rest of the session covering a rise . When I finally got the right fly my reward was a plump Dace!
Despite the todays shenanigans, I will return.
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Post by pusser on May 22, 2017 19:51:07 GMT
I may well have to take a visit tomorrow!
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Post by paul on May 22, 2017 21:00:36 GMT
Full marks for perseverance, Hardy Tim. Bad like with the biggy that got away.
My last dunking was in February- afew years ago-no chance of continuing so now I am a wimpy wader!.
They are clearly there on the Culm, but I have never had a hatful. However long I have spent, the best has been a half hour of fun in one pool then nothing more-just like yesterday with one fish from a lot of casting.
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Post by bluegrizzle on May 23, 2017 9:13:55 GMT
Hello Gents
I have fished the Culm a few times this season and had a fish or two on most visits since early April. Two outings last week had mayflies hatching in the afternoon and being taken greedily by the trout. Slashy/splashy rises with the fish sometimes missing the floating duns completely. Also pleased to report modest success with imitation mayflies, most successful being the Wulff, best BT 13 inches. Any members interested in a joint expedition to compare experiences with this sometimes unpredictable river? I live close by and can usually pop along for a day at the weekend or an evening after work. Send a message and see what we can arrange.
Tight lines!
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Post by pusser on May 23, 2017 18:16:39 GMT
I had a few hours on the upper beat this afternoon and fished just dry fly and emergers. I had 3 decent sized fish to the net, all of around 8" or 9" (2 of them in the photos below). ... Plenty of hatching fly life but not much in the way of rises, the fish I caught were to very explosive rises. I did see a fish sipping flies from a smooth stretch but couldn't tempt it with one of mine. Finished the afternoon being watched, see the photo (and they didn't like me getting out of the river in their field at all, so I got back in and waded to the next field to be on the safe side!)
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Post by bluegrizzle on May 23, 2017 21:27:07 GMT
Nice catch of fish Pusser! The frisky heifers and snorty bullocks at the upper end of the fishing do appear a bit intimidating but they seem just to want to gather round and have a good sniff at what you are up to. While fishing last week they were all gathered round me at one of the upper pools, a trout sploshed at a drifting mayfly (it may me jump!) and the whole herd spooked and ran off down the field. I didn't catch the fish of course. Give the cattle a shoo-ing and they will back off. HardyT and Paul... those both sound like v good fish indeed. They are certainly there in the Culm, just a bit moody at showing themselves and obeying the conventional rules.
Keep that fly on the water!
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Post by hardytim on May 24, 2017 7:35:05 GMT
Thanks bluegrizzle. I may well take you up on your offer. Just need to get ground clearance at the moment ( if you know what I mean)
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Post by devonfishing52 on May 26, 2017 16:10:59 GMT
Fished the culm today at skinners farm between jobs either side of lunchtime Very hot and bright a fair few fish on view but nothing breaking the surface Spooked a few getting in to the water that were laid up in the margins and had one inspect and refuse my fly which was the closest I got to a bit of joy On the plus side I managed to stay dry and not lose/break anything which was a small win Confession time after my last visit to the culm about 3/4 weeks ago, another blank I decided to fish the next day on the Yeo, after accidentally driving from cullompton to Exmouth with my rod and reel perched loosely on the roof,I left it overnight in the street, I went into Exeter the next day parked for two hoursin town then drove to Crediton to fish stopping at the garage for snacks I found the rod still in place !! Fishing gods smiled on me that day
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Post by halfstoned on May 26, 2017 20:13:30 GMT
Next time I'm doing my tyres in that garage Rich I'll keep an eye out for any fishing tackle just in case😀😀
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