The river Fowey is a true Moorland river, rising near Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall.

It flows for 30 miles to the sea at Fowey and is little influenced by agricultural or industrial activity.

Characteristically gin clear, it provides a real challenge to the fly fisherman.

Mark and Nick Tranter from Switzerland decided to go for the 'Bass' during their December 2002 week. They have some great stories to tell but unfortunately cannot remember much detail!

Alex Grey is a busy Management Consultant in Birmingham and was looking forward to a relaxing week in August. Having barely unpacked he walked down to fish Duck Pool. After a while a huge fish moved in through the tail of the weir pool below. Alex needed no encouragement and his mini rapalla was soon swimming around in Weir Pool!

The week before, Alan Hunstone of Rivermead beat below us, had reported seeing the biggest fish he ever saw in fresh water. Bearing in mind that Alan has caught salmon over 20lb, it must have been some fish.

Son Jeff burst into the house hardly able to speak with excitement. A big fish had been lost after a 90 minute fight. I rushed down to find Alex standing dejected by Weir Pool. His friend Jon Marks was able to tell the story, but even he was shaking!

Alex had hooked the fish and played it for 25 mins. before it swam up the weir into Duck Pool against the full strain of his rod. 40 mins. in Duck Pool saw the fish bored and it moved on to Rock Pool. Inevitably on such a long line, the hooks eventually straightened. HOW BIG WAS IT??

Son Jeff, Jon and friend Nigel all saw the fish as it swam up the weir race. A dark lean cock fish - four feet long! Amazingly it would probably not have been a record for the Fowey, but we all feel it was around 38-40lbs. After October we do not recommend less than 15lb b/s line!!

Alan Dimmock runs a successful carpet wholesale and fitting business in Bedford. Alan has always prized the wild sea trout as a worthy adversary but at the time of his July trip to Wainsford, his best was a 3lb fish taken from our Rock Pool.

After a difficult week Alan decided to try a daytime fish in the 12' deep House Pool. Alan has caught plenty of salmon, so when he hooked a heavy fish he realised that another salmon was on its way to the net. Round and round the pool it went and Alan expertly turned it each time it approached the tail of the pool. Each time the fish moved up the pool Alan had to raise the rod and line over the large bush which separates the high bank from the low platform. Up and down he went for about 20 minutes!

Sods law states that the fish was ready for the net when Alan was on the high bank. Never mind, he leaned over and netted the salmon at second attempt. Up she comes a good 10lb fish - but no salmon - a sea trout!

He says it was all in slow motion, but the fish almost smiled as it slid backwards through a hole in the net! Splashing back into the pool, at least the hook was saved as it transferred easily into the net.

Luckily I met Alan on his way back to throttle his son, who had failed to mention having caught the net on a barbed-wire fence the previous day. Family union was preserved as I convinced him that it was every anglers' responsibility to check his tackle before wetting a line. In any event catch and release is good for the river!!

We think the same fish was eventually caught and returned in October by John Claydon from Kent.

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