Hall Pool
From the car park, go back out of the gate and around the front of the Old Lower Hall until you come to a single gate into the top field. Go through the gate and enter the Hall Pool beat by going through the 5 bar gate on your left. This is the very top of our Lower Hall beat and is directly below our Chicken Sheds beat. The upper limit of the beat is marked by the fence at the top of the field above the Hall, the fence going right down to the water between the large Willows. The top of the Hall Pool is heavily tree lined for the first 50 yards and is really only suitable for coarse fishing or possible worming.
The trees soon give way to clear bank toward the center of the pool providing an opportunity to fish the fly. The water is steady paced but comes around nicely even at low water. As the river bends 90 degrees to the right, it narrows slightly and the flow picks up. This is excellent fly water with good pace. The flow is relatively even across the river with numerous Salmon lies all the way down the left bank due to the rocks and deep cuts. As you progress down the pool, the river deepens slightly on our bank, slowing very slightly, providing excellent fly water down to the overhanging Willow, which marks the lower boundary of the pool. There is no need to wade the Hall Pool and it can be effectively fished all the way down from the low bank.
Note that the stretch of river directly behind the Old Hall is private and strictly out of bounds. Return to the car park to access the next section of the beat.
Oxbow Run
From the car park, access the lower field via the gate between the Old Hall and the sheep pens.
Upon entering the field the river is immediately on your right and good fishing is available from the top of Oxbow Run.
Oxbow Run is a long stretch of left bank fishing that is excellent for all methods, having a number of noted Salmon lies along its length. The main flow is middle to far bank, with slower water on our (left) bank at the top of the run. This evens out below the Willows and the flow is even across the river.
The bank is quite high and for most of its length we would not advise wading due to the soft, silt bottom on our bank. Due to the height of the bank, averaging 3 to 4ft above low water level, overhead casting is recommended. Coarse fishing members catch a large number of good quality Chub from the Oxbow Run.
Noted Salmon lies are the 2 small overhanging willows, opposite each other with the chance of a fish from either. Approximately 30 yards below the willows look for the sunken log on the right bank that has formed a natural croy due to gravel build up.
Oxbow Pool
Leaving the long Oxbow run, the river enters a short, slower tree lined section called the Oxbow Pool.
This section has deep water and is not suitable for the fly due to the heavily tree lined banks, however a single hand rod in the heavily shaded section of the pool may do well for Sea Trout.
Directly below the tree lined section, the river opens out and enters a wide, open left hand bend with the predominant flow on the inside of the bend.
This is good water for all methods but lends itself better to spinning or worming for Salmon. Coarse fishing is good through the entire pool and may well throw up a few surprises. Wading is definitely not recommended in the Oxbow Pool.
Gravel Bank Run
Here we have a stretch of excellent fly water.
Leaving the Oxbow Pool, make your way down the top of the flood bank and enter the Gravel Bank Run adjacent to the large tree, down onto the main gravel bar.
The top of Gravel Bank Run is formed by the tail-out from the Oxbow Pool and with careful wading you can make you way back up quite a way into the pool above to start a long fish down through this run.
This really is excellent fly water, even at low water with the fly coming around perfectly, the flow being nice and even with a slight increase in flow on the left bank as the main gravel bar is approached.
As the flow hits the gravel bar and pushes around it, there is a large back eddy that is very deep, this continues for 8 or 9 yards before the flow evens out again.
Fish can be found anywhere in the run with the rocky bottom forming numerous lies and long casting is recommended to maximise coverage of the water and keep you out of sight of the fish.
Below the gravel bar the water deepens considerably, however the flow is maintained even at low water. From here wading is not possible and you need to fish from the bank, which is low to the water and allows easy fishing. Fishing is possible right down to the overhanging Willow, where you will need to exit the run by climbing up the bank behind.
Noted lies are over the turbulent water toward the far bank and the island, approximately half way down the run, however Salmon and Sea Trout can be located anywhere throughout the entire run. The run continues until the river begins to take a right turn but below the Willow the bank is very steep and fishing difficult.
Sandbanks
Having Exited the Gravel Bar Run, make your way down stream. Climb over the fence into the next field and make your way along the river. Having passed the lower part of Gravel Bar Run, the river slows and forms a long right bend with deep water on the left bank and sand banks and shallow sandbar on the right bank - this is Sand Banks.
This section of river is very overgrown, has steep banks and is only suitable for coarse fishing, spinning or worming. The river starts to widen here and there is a lot of water than can be covered. This section continues the same all of the way around the long right bend until it straightens and heads down toward the Big Pool.
Big Pool
The top of this section is a wide, open, medium paced run that can be fished with the fly even at low water although at low water you may want to work the fly. Spinning, working and coarse fishing is good at all water heights.
A large gravel bank makes fishing very easy. Wading is not recommended as there are many pockets of soft sand. The river runs around to the left around the gravel bar through a turn of over 90 degrees, the old wall can be clearly seen on the right bank, the fish holding mainly on that side of the river.
As the gravel bar finishes, wading is still possible in low flow down to the Gravel Bar, however, please be cautious as areas of the bottom are soft and wading is only recommended in low to medium flows.
Gravel Bar
As you continue the wade down from Big Pool, the river shallows quickly from the left bank to the middle, you are entering Gravel Bar.
The main gravel bar is in the center of the river with strong flow and deep water to both sides of the bar.
Wading down from the Big Pool above, concentrate your fishing effort on the right bank as the fish move up that side of the river. As the sandy bottom of the Big Pool clears, you will get slightly better wading toward the main gravel bar with the firmness of the bottom improving, however, caution is recommended as there are softer areas.
As you wade down toward the gravel bar in the middle of the river you can make your way out into the river toward it, entering it directly from the back - at low water, this area is almost dry. Good clear access to fish the far bank is obtained from the Gravel Bar and it can be waded down for quite a good length providing good opportunity to swing a fly the entire width of the river toward the lower section.
Please note that, as mentioned above, the river deepens and is fast water on both sides of the lower part of the gravel bar and cannot be waded safely, even at low water. To exit the gravel bar you will need to wade back up the way you came in - keep this in mind if the flow is heavy and always use a wading stick. If you are on your own in such places it is sensible to wear either a lifejacket or a fishing waistcoat that incorporates one. Below the actual gravel bar the bank is steep and access is difficult, however this is good coarse fishing or spinning water.
Deep Corner
From the lower part of Gravel Bar, the river bends left to form Deep Corner. The banks here are steep and the pace slow making this really only suitable for coarse fishing or spinning.
Deep Run
This is the last section on the beat. The banks are overgrown and access is difficult. The river is very slowly bending to the right making our left bank the outside of the bend with steep banks and deep water really only suitable for coarse fishing or spinning. However a brave endeavour with a single hand rod may result in a few surprises.
The end of Old Lower Hall is marked by the BODSA sign on the fence immediately below the Deep Run section. Note that with the bends and turn of the river you are now only a short walk across the field back to the car park.