Some Advice Please

[JustMark]

Here's a good one for you keen freshwater anglers.
I have access to a quarter to half mile stretch of water along the Exe Valley.

Basically it's a leat that used to serve a paper mill, it comes off the river Culm at one end, and joins the River Exe at the downstream end.

My question is would there be any fish in it? If so what? There is a second leat that runs past my office window on it's way to meet the Exe and I often see splashes in there which I've taken to be likely signs of crocs hunting away from the main river so is this likely to be the case at the other end?

The single bank that I have unrestricted access to is completely overgrown so I would guess this water hasn't been fished in years, if at all.

Any ideas?

[BoldBear]

Sounds like it could be an excellent leat you have.

I don't live anywhere near there (I live in Hertfordshire) but after having a delve on the internet it seems there are wild trout, Chub the odd Barbel and a host of other species along the main rivers, so the leat should hold them as well.

Have a look at the Exter angling Association web site to see what they have caught from the river exe and the river Culm.

Do you have a Postcode of the mill (or another building along the leat) so that we can see the leat from the air using Google Earth (or map reference)? it would give a better indication as to its nature, how deep & wide it is etc.

[JustMark]

The post code is EX5 4RJ. You can't quite see for the trees, but the lower end of the leat is as wide as that part of the exe almost up to where it meets the site.

From the satellite pic you will see the leat entering the site at the top right corner. The smaller leat then leaves about halfway down the feild side and rejoins the culm.

The main leat follows the line of the road and emerges just below where you see the Culm meet the Exe (About 800yds) It's this stretch that I have unrestricted access to. The rest of the land is owned by the Church Commission,so I am talking to them for access to the other side and possibly the main rivers as well

Anyone fancy helping me explore what's there?

[JustMark]

Just bought an 8 day EA rod licence and am gonna start groundbaiting the leat tomorow ready to fish at the weekend

[JustMark]

Ha ha, so much for that idea. First of all I approached the leat from our side and found it all but impenetrable bramble. No matter I thought, I'll approach from the other bank and cross at a narrow stretch.

This is the narrowest stretch. Needs cutting back a bit you think?


I walked a little downstream and spotted some problems. Recent flooding of this part of the valley has brought trees down all along this stretch. Subsequantly, all the other flotsam washed down by the floods is now jammed up all the way along here affecting not only the leat, but the Exe as well.



It's not all bad though. This only goes on for a few hundred yards, once I get all this cleared up it will be running like this again.



Fishing with chainsaws.