Many thanks to Simon Francis for sending North Devon Angling News this update on the beautiful East Lyn
April and early May is a wonderful time to fish the East Lyn for its beautifully marked wild brown trout.
The sun has warmed the waters (which this year is very low). Hatches of grannom and olives are trickling off from mid morning, and the fish are looking up, presenting the dry fly enthusiast with enviable sport. The trees are green but not in full leaf (so casting is mercifully easier), and the native birds are nesting (wagtails, dippers, wrens) and summer migrants like the flycatchers arriving. It’s a wonderful time to be by the river whether fishing or not.
I avoided the few walkers from Watersmeet by fishing upstream from Crook Pool, up through Rockford, and onto Brendon. The water was low so I skipped over the pools in favour of the runs and pots. Fishing these is fun. Presentation can be tricky, with swirling currents and a breeze, and drifts short, but the broken current allows you to get closer than you can on the pools. I fished a 7 foot 2wt old Orvis, overweighted with a 3wt line. I fished a ten foot leader down to 2lb tippet. Some new flies from Phil Middleton (https://instagram.com/thephilmid?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) graced the business end and worked fantastically. Sedges, olives, CDC’s, work well in this early season. When the rain comes, a change to Klink and Dink set up with a gold ribbed hairs ear or is very effective, if not as much fun as the dry flies.
Day and season tickets for the Watersmeet fishery can be brought from Barbrook service station, both at a fraction of the cost of single “stockie pond” ticket.
Many thanks to Simon Francis who sent me this inspiring feature on the tumbling waters of the East Lyn.
Wild Brown Trout on the East Lyn
The season for wild brown trout has sprung into life on North Devon’s East Lyn. Having bought my ticket from Barbrook Petrol station, I fished the National Trust Watersmeet and Glenthorne fishery, especially the stretch from Crooks Pool (that used to be called S Pool) up through Rockford, to the Meadow Pool in Brendon.
Whilst cold on the opening days plenty of fish were taken. Mostly from noon to 3pm. Almost exclusively they took the point fly and invariably this was a barbless bead head hares ear, or pheasant tail. I tried shrimp and caddis patterns, but it was the gold head hares ear that took the majority of fish.
The fish held just off the main current, and takes on my New Zealand rigged setups were pretty gentle, just a pause, a dip or the wool just drifted under. I saw just two rises on the first two days, presumably parr, most fish were sat right on the bottom.
A few Grannom, a rare March Brown and a couple of Stone Fly were hatching. Heron, Dippers, Nuthatch, Treecreepers, and Ravens kept me company, but the Otter spraint from previous weeks was absent.
Whilst I’ve not fished the river this week, I’ve walked it every day, it’s dropped and has cleared, and is crystal clear now. The fish have risen in the water column, and a hatch will trigger surface action. I’ll be out in the next few days armed with some elk hair caddis, March browns, but also general attractor patterns.
I saw one, quite large, sea trout or grilse quite high up the river, and will return with something heavier than my 3wt and 2.5lb tippet!
For anyone that hasn’t tried the East Lyn before, you should. It is stunningly beautiful. It’s wild fishing. It’s as far away from bashing put and take rainbows as you can get (fun though that can be). It’s not for the wobbly, or faint hearted, as some of ravines and rocks are hard work, but the rewards of wild spotty in your hand are more than worth it.
If you are passing Primrose Cottage www.primrosecottageexmoor.co.uk in Rockford, pop in for tea and tell us how you are getting on, or for emergency flies!
Rod Licenses are required. Fish barbless. Leave no trace of your presence and pick up any other rubbish you see. Tickets are available at the Barbrook Petrol Station,Barbrook Filling Station, Barbrook. Tel: 01598 752248 or the Tourist Information Centre, Town Hall, Lynton. Tel: 0845 6603232
