The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I am excited!
It has just been confirmed that I have a day ticket to fish the Yarrow Farm and County School beats of the Wensum on September 15th and to say I am over the moon is a bit of an understatement. I have not fished such a wonderful looking stretch of chalk stream before but have often gazed into the river in various places and hoped that one day it would become a reality.
My river fishing, especially with a fly, has been very limited (almost non existent) so this should be a challenge to say the least but I am hoping that it is going to be the catalyst that steers me away from the lakes and broadens my fishing knowledge and know-how.
Any hints and tips always welcome

Silfield wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:43 am I am excited!
It has just been confirmed that I have a day ticket to fish the Yarrow Farm and County School beats of the Wensum on September 15th and to say I am over the moon is a bit of an understatement. I have not fished such a wonderful looking stretch of chalk stream before but have often gazed into the river in various places and hoped that one day it would become a reality.
My river fishing, especially with a fly, has been very limited (almost non existent) so this should be a challenge to say the least but I am hoping that it is going to be the catalyst that steers me away from the lakes and broadens my fishing knowledge and know-how.
Any hints and tips always welcome

A good piece of flake trotted down stream should see you well

Very fortunate. I long for a miraculous chalk stream to appear up here in the north.

I've never fished a chalk stream so my advise would be useless, other than to say look for cover and spend a lot of time on your knees. Tight lines.

Pallenpool wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:56 am
A good piece of flake trotted down stream should see you well

Thanks-I had hoped to be able to return in the future but I think that may well put the kibosh on it-I was thinking more along the lines of a bit of pork pie
Marc, I suspect that I will be spending a lot of time on my knees anyway if the fish aren't biting-praying to the piscatorial gods!

Green with envy, wish you tight lines.

Hello and I hope you enjoy your day on this water. I know it well as I was a member for many years and still fish it on occasions as a guest of a member. By September the weed will be beginning to die back and the fish likely to be quite cautious. Tread carefully and spend most of your time in observation, either for the odd rising fish or, more likely, fish moving to subsurface food items. Nymphing can be very successful although fish can tempted to rise at that time of the year even to a mayfly or, by the evening, to sedge patterns. Upstream end of Yarrow beat usually more productive but fish can be found along most of the stretch.
Look forward to hearing of your success on this, my home river.

As a matter of pure curiosity, do we know what the roach population is like on this stretch?

Tengisgol wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 5:04 pm As a matter of pure curiosity, do we know what the roach population is like on this stretch?

Not a clue on this particular stretch but I have spent many hours walking the banks of a stretch further upstream and have seen a fairly healthy population of roach-mostly small but encouraging never the less. Who knows what is hiding in the abundant weed?

Tengisgol wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 5:04 pm As a matter of pure curiosity, do we know what the roach population is like on this stretch?

In a word, poor! At least over the years and areas I fish!

Rutilus wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:27 pm

Tengisgol wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2019 5:04 pm As a matter of pure curiosity, do we know what the roach population is like on this stretch?

In a word, poor! At least over the years and areas I fish!

We’ve had a reasonable increase downstream with quite a few pound plussers. Getting them to then make that jump to the magic ‘two’ proves the challenge although I did see a group of very big fish one evening.

Down toward Norwich a friend had a genuine two pounder a couple of years ago.

About ten years ago I fished upstream of Bintree and caught lots of small roach but I don’t know what has happened there recently.

Thanks Rutilus! Good luck Silfield.