This
gives the name to this pool, Eel Cottage.
Beat 3, Roden's Hall, starts 2.5 miles downstream of Beat 2 and incorporates about 1 mile of left bank fishing. This beat is full of twists and turns, with varied fishing.
The beat starts about 1/2 mile above the car park. It is identified by the fence
line that meets the river at a 90 degree bend, just below the old cottage. This
gives the name to this pool, Eel Cottage.
This is a short stretch of deep water on the bend that quickly runs into the next pool.
There is a wall in the river running much of this stretch, through several turns. The fish lie on the outside of this wall, making it difficult to spin here. In the past, many fish have been taken from this water using shrimp and worm. At low water, the lower part of this pool can be waded and fished with a fly. Good grayling can be taken from the faster water.
As the river straightens, the water shallows to 2-3 feet. This is good fly water all the way down to the big bend. The river bottom is of hard gravel here and is easily waded. Large shoals of sea-trout have been known to hold in this water. This is also good water for grayling and wild browns.
The channel is seen here looking down stream to the Ferry
Crossing.
The big pool on a big bend has recently been called Big Ben though was previously known as the Ferry Crossing, as there was an old ferry station here. This was used by people from Shocklach and Is-y-Coed. The anchor points for the ferry can still be seen.
Occasional fish are taken from this pool, especially the tail which has a deep channel at it's centre. The tail of the pool often holds good grayling which are free to rise though difficult to tempt.
After the bend, the water narrows and quickens with broken water in mid stream.
The start of this pool is a deep hole on a back eddy which then runs for a further 100 yards and often holds fish in low water. It has proven to be a good holding spot in recent years. Caution should be taken when fishing this spot due to the fast water and sudden drop off.
After the run in, fish run hard to the far bank on this pool, making them difficult to cover. Fish avoid the backwash that exists on our bank.
Beyond this pool, the water slows and deepens. Few fish are taken here.
Towards the bend, the water shallows and quickens providing better fish holding water in the form of Mile Deep. Bank access is easy here. This water is 4-5 feet deep at normal levels, deepening at the bend. The fish lie close in on our bank on this stretch. The water then shallows again at the tail, with easy wading on a hard gravel bottom. This is easy fly water for all species, with trout and free rising grayling.
The Shingles comes next on a horse shoe bend. As you round the bend, the water deepens from nothing on our bank to 3 feet on the far bank to 4 feet on our bank and 7 feet on the far bank. Salmon lie at the fence line on the far bank.
As the water straightens once more, there is an old groyne on the far bank.
From just above the shingles through to the long straight can be very productive for grayling with a few trout. Many of the grayling here are large fish. Chub can often be encountered here, especially to the smaller spinners and spoons.
The water runs relatively steady and of a consistent depth for 200 yards below the old groyne. Half way down this stretch fish hold in the middle of the river.
At the next fence line is an old style. Below this is Phil's Run.
Just below the fence line, an island is starting to form. The occasional fish is taken here. The island was taken out by the water board in the 40s and again in the 50s. Once more nature is repairing the damage. In the days of the island, this stretch was very productive. Hopefully those days will return with the return of the island.
At the bottom of this straight is the Sand Pool which runs to the final bend on this beat with shallow water on the far bank, the inside of the bend, and deeper water on our bank.
After the bend, the banks become steep and access is difficult and on
occasion dangerous. This is shown looking downstream.
Little fishing is done here.
The gate and hedge row running across the fields signifies the end of beat 3 and the start of beat 4.
Riverside parking is indicated on the map and is accessible through two gates, the first gate has a combination lock known only to the club members.
Leaving the village, turn right onto the A 525 towards Wrexham. After 1.25 miles, at the traffic lights in Cross Lanes, turn right onto the B 5130. After 2.5 miles you will pass a turning for Wrexham Industrial Estate on your left, a couple of hundred yards later turn right. After 0.5 miles, the road sweeps to the left. Continue past the farm for 0.25 mile, taking the first turning on your right. After a few hundred yards, as the road turns 90 degrees left there is a gate on the right (there is a BODSAA sign up the tree to the right of the gate). This gate has a combination lock known only to BODSAA members. Continue down this track, through a second unlocked gate, and on for a further few hundred yards until you reach the car park capable of holding 5-8 cars. This parking area provides safe parking against farm animals.
In wet weather, caution should be taken when driving down the farm track. In winter, this track may become suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles only.