It's a very safe bet that almost nobody reading this blog has fished Beat 5, certainly not in recent years. Most of you won't have even tried Beat 4, at least not beyond the short left-bank stretch below the Green Concrete Bridge, where we've put in several ladders, steps and some deflectors. If you want some 'commando-style fishing' or at least a quiet and more adventurous beat, then cross over that bridge and follow the river down Beat 4 to where it forks, and on your right will be Beat 5....

I don't know how long it will last, but finally today, the river rose to a decent level (33cm) from the painfully low 23 or thereabouts that it has been, for far too many weeks. It's even risen a bit higher still this eening. I was lucky enough to have chosen today to visit the river again, and it was such a pleasure to find a decent flow almost everywhere. Admittedly the very strong easterly wind and the bright sunshine, combined with very murky water, all provided excuses for my failure to...

Some of you will probably find it difficult to remember how bewildering our lovely river could be when you were first getting started. You could wander along a beat and miss two thirds of the fishing spots, assuming you could find your way to the beat in the first place. We have a lot of new members this year, and it's clear that some are experienceing that bewilderment that we did many years ago. So here's a few pointers on how to get going. 1. Look at the Beat Map . Don't look at this...