Is there anywhere more beautiful than a West Country stream in all its summer glory? I have my doubts. On a day like this, the word ‘idyllic’ doesn’t come close. I’m here to fish with the Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Toby Russell, and Beat Eleven at South Yeo is typically sublime. On our arrival the scene is set by wild flowers, light dappled water and dancing duns. The North Lew here, a tributary of the River Torridge, is perfect mixed habitat, a sequence of smooth glides, craggy corners and inviting pools. The price of a day in this little paradise? Five quid.

Thanks to the Westcountry Rivers Trust there is every chance that these unspoiled places will stay beautiful, and we can support this aim simply by going fishing. The Angling 2000 scheme is the ultimate win-win situation. The angler gets great value sport, whilst the Trust’s riparian supporters get the funding and incentive to preserve these fragile habitats. It is a world away from the clichéd elitism of fly-fishing; the rivers are open to all, the trout are free-rising and, for the price of a couple of beers, catching wild fish in exquisite surroundings.

Arriving at the waterside, Toby and I are mesmerised for a few moments. Like two kids looking into a sweetshop, we can’t wait to tackle up, but first decide to search the stream-bed a little for further inspiration. The stones here are absolutely crawling with life and we find caddis larvae, one or two huge Mayfly and stonefly nymphs, plus scores of olive nymphs. Nearby we also spot a close-knit gang of minnows and two juvenile salmon. As well as informing our fly choice, Toby also points out that turning a few stones is an excellent ‘health check’ for the river, which is clearly thriving here. He remarks that we can see this “not just from the diversity, but the quality of the invertebrates. Those we’re finding are very pollution intolerant”. Naturally, a rich stream-bed also means a good head of trout.

The olive nymphs are especially numerous and we even locate one or two in mid-metamorphosis, wings emerging. It is readily apparent why we favour smallish patterns here, in sizes 16-20. My size 18 Pheasant Tail Nymph is a passable match for one of these tiny nymphs, whilst similar sized ‘emerger’ patterns are also bankers.

Beat it
A day on a Westcountry stream should never be over-complicated. I set up an eight-foot, four-weight rod, Toby uses a slightly longer blank also with a four-weight floating line. This sort of set up will work on virtually any water on the scheme. Both of us start with a small Klinkhåmer, which should provide a good general mimic of some of the emerging insects we’ve already found. Whilst Toby starts with just a dry fly, I opt to fish New Zealand style, which for those too shy to ask simply means attaching a nymph on a short dropper directly to the bend of my dry fly. None of this is rocket science, and Toby points out, “you don’t need to spend vast sums of money. You just need a basic rod, reel, line, a few flies and away you go”. Stealth and simplicity are the key here, not fancy tackle.

It doesn’t take long to find signs of the pretty, wild trout that live here. Already we can see odd rises on the surface of the sparkling water. The beauty of these streams is that there are just so many fishy looking spots to explore and if an area is spooked or doesn’t produce, it is simply a case of moving on to the next, working slowly upstream. Toby’s philosophy on stream fishing is one of caution and common sense, “it is important not to go charging in” he advises, “go steadily and watch the river carefully for signs of fish.” As a fellow six-footer, I am in total agreement and we both endeavour to keep a low profile and move slowly to avoid spooking these wild brownies.

My first trout comes just off a little bottle-neck in the flow, an ideal position for a trout to grab passing morsels. This one hammers my little nymph, plucking the dry fly clean under and bringing my little trout rod bucking into life. He races back towards the flow, before flipping clean out of the water. For a trout of just eight or nine inches it is a spirited fight. The next take is on the dry, but I’m caught daydreaming this time, trying to spot a kingfisher seen moments earlier. Toby’s concentration is better, as he hooks into his first dry fly fish of the day, a similar sized brownie that comes from a steady, shallow run and carries out a series of outrageous jumps, further illustrating the superb fitness of these wild fighters.

A helping hand
Although anglers sometimes forget, thriving wild habitats and healthy trout stocks are no accident. Perhaps the trouble is that we tend to just enjoy the end product and miss the hard work. But can simply buying fishing tickets on the scheme really help restore and conserve our rivers?

“Absolutely,” says Toby. “The money that’s generated by anglers using the scheme goes back to the fishery owners who are managing the environment, so that they then have an economic incentive to maintain and improve the fishery.”
The Trust has had a great response working in cooperation with over 3,000 farmers to advise and assist with habitat improvement and environmentally sound farming practices. Today’s first beat is a good example in several ways. There is a thriving “buffer zone” here between stream and farmland, for instance - a healthy, fenced-off margin left wild to give the river breathing space from farming activity.

The river habitat itself is beautifully balanced. Coppicing (the management of tree growth) has been carried out to let more light into the water. This promotes algal growth, which in turn supports the abundant invertebrate life which trout depend on. Further along, where erosion is a concern, Toby points out where wooden support posts have been put in place to foster the growth of plants whose roots will help stabilise the bank. In an age when farms have fewer labourers on hand to carry out such improvements, the Trust’s work is invaluable.

To the angler, the proof is kicking on the end of the line; a healthy river environment equals a healthy population of trout and whilst we encounter no monsters this morning, Toby and I take a healthy stamp of fish, with plenty of samples between eight and eleven inches, great sport on light tackle. The highlight is a handsome half pounder that puts a cracking bend in the brook rod, thumping its way through a little pool before launching itself at the sun. All of our trout are released effortlessly thanks to barbless hooks and minimal handling.

Tamar and Ottery
After a rewarding mornings’ sport, we move towards Angling 2000’s heartland at Launceston. Anglers are spoilt for choice here, with more beats than a drum machine. Beat 16 at Ham Mill offers fishing on both the Tamar and Ottery. Today our efforts are focussed on the Ottery, another smallish river with healthy stocks of trout and the added bonus of grayling.

Keen as we are to continue, here in the Westcountry there is no rush and we enjoy a leisurely game of fish-spotting from vantage point of the bridge. Back in the water, a little brownie taken yards from the access point makes an encouraging start, before the afternoon doldrums set in. Rises seem more sporadic and inevitably the fish are less active in the hot, bright conditions. Time to experiment a little. Nymphs seem to be the way to go, and as the river here is a little deeper and has a tinge of colour, we change to Goldhead Bugs, picking out larger patterns to try to grab some attention. Our dries are refused in the bright light and it seems that most takes are now occurring in the shade in shallow, steady paced water. There are some lovely, craggy corners here, which look inviting, if a little cramped. Such spots require side-casting and we catch odd trees as well as trout.

Although the fishing might be slower in the midday lull, it is impossible to feel deflated in such a gorgeous place. Sharing the beat is a sociable way to proceed and we take it in turns to cast our way upstream, comparing notes as we go. It also allows time to watch the water and gives me the chance to find out some more about the scheme from Toby. Angling 2000 really has opened public access to our wild rivers and countryside in a huge way and I’m impressed with the way it aims to make fly fishing affordable and accessible, helping to break some of the old stereotypes. “With 50 kilometres of water there really is great variety and something for everyone”, says Toby. “The brilliant thing about the scheme is that people can get to those beautiful areas of countryside they’ve never visited before. You can access those bits of water you always see when you drive over a bridge and day-dream about casting a line – and that benefits visitors and locals alike.” A real rivers enthusiast, Toby simply loves immersing himself in wild places and admits “I never take a watch when I go fishing”, although this doesn’t always endear him to his wife. His most magical day’s fishing was on the Inny, when a mad spell produced a grayling of a pound and a half, a brownie of similar size and a sea trout of around 2lb all from the same pool. Usually it is all about the experience, however, rather than weights and figures on these lovely waters.

Whilst no huge examples come our way today then, we still get odd takes on the nymphs throughout the session by keeping active, which is often the key to catching well. Perhaps the best brownie of the day, a feisty specimen, comes from deep in the trees and well out of the bright sunlight, engulfing a big, scruffy Hare’s Ear tripped along a slightly faster run, lined by tree roots. Once again, the fight is surprisingly vigorous for a half pounder, another crazily-spotted, thoroughly wild trout.

Preserving paradise
Having enjoyed an idyllic day on the rivers, it seems almost unfeasible that today’s fishing adventure has cost the grand total of £12.50 for two beats. The journey back to Exeter’s building developments and road works reminds me exactly why it is so important for us to fight to preserve our wild rivers. So apart from buying Angling 2000 tickets, what can anglers do? One simple answer is to join the Westcountry Rivers Trust. “Our membership is vital”, says Toby, “signing up will be directly helping to improve rivers through our projects”, and he adds, “when we go fishing it’s very easy to forget all the lobbying and hidden work involved behind the scenes”. The statistics speak for themselves and amongst other achievements the Trust has restored over 250km of damaged river bank. £24 a year seems a small price to pay to preserve these unique, wild habitats. Indeed, as I set off back to the city I can quite happily imagine a world with no offices, tower blocks or rubbish tips; a world without unspoiled countryside and meandering rivers, however, would be no world worth living in.

Dominic Garnett’s Five of the Best
There really is something for everyone on the scheme, but here are a few gems:
• Beat 1: Champerhayes, River Culm (3 Tokens) As well as quality trout, cracking chub to 4lb provide great summer dry fly sport here. Within easy reach of Exeter.
• Beat 3: Witheridge Mill Bridge, Little Dart (2 Tokens) A delightful little stretch, stuffed with pretty, pint-sized brownies and the odd surprise. Pools can produce sea trout given good water levels.
• Beat 18: Treburtle, Ottery (4 Tokens) Excellent mixed trout and grayling fishing, six fish a day the average catch. A whopping 3200m of water allows ample space for two.
• Beats 22 & 23 Sydenham, on The Lyd (5 Tokens) Two quality beats with just about everything: salmon, sea trout, some good brownies and superb grayling taken to over 3lb.
• Beat 35 Grogarth, Lower Fal (3 Tokens) Head way out west for some quality Cornish brownies plus sea trout, which can be targeted during daylight hours here.

Your rivers need you: join up!
For just £24 a year, you can help the Trust with its vital work. Every penny goes back into worthwhile projects and members receive a gift map of Devon and Cornwall.
For more details: www.wrt.org.uk Westcountry Rivers Trust, 10 Exeter Street, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 9EQ.
Tel. 08707740704.

Factfile

---

---

Click here to enlarge

---

The scheme is simplicity itself. Every beat has a token box; just fill out and post your tokens and off you go. Angling 2000 tokens cost £2.50 each. The invaluable Day Ticket Guide gives full information and road directions/maps for every beat. Buy online at www.angling2000.org.uk or call the Trust (0870 7740704 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) for tokens and general information. Tokens can also be used on the “Wye and Usk Passport” and “Go Wild in Eden”schemes, as well as several south west reservoirs.