The Upper Yealm Fishery is part of the Westcountry Angling Passport scheme.
Access is available on a day or season ticket basis. Salmon fishing runs to 15th December
We hope these anglers' catch reports and comments help you enjoy your trip. They contain useful pointers to successful tactics.
Tight lines, enjoy your fishing. Paul Kenyon & Russell Weston
November 2018
30th November
Paul Kenyon fished Lower beat 2:30-4pm. One offer trout?/salmon? Fly: Black and Orange marabou wing. River level: 0.64m. No leaves
River levels for the last 5 days
15th November
Westcountry Angling Passport visitor: Nil
14th November
Westcountry Angling Passport visitor: Nil
12th November
Paul Kenyon fished (2-4pm) for salmon (using Black and Orange marabou winged fly) above the weir. One offer a few feet above the lip of the weir. Water level 0.60m, heavy brief shower, blustery wind, increased number of leaves in water.
October 2018
25th October
Paul Kenyon fished (2-4pm) for salmon (using Stoats Tail double) on Lower Stretch in pools below the weir. No salmon seen. Shoal of sea trout seen above weir in usual place; difficult to count number due to variation in sunny intervals. Water level 0.26m, sunny intervals, increased number of leaves in water.
20th October
Paul Kenyon walked Upper Beat checking angler access and fishability.V. brief glimpse of ? otter ? above suspected 'hover' Then observed shoal of 9 fish on Lower Beat with polaroids.Saw two larger fish, possibly salmon or large sea trout. Water height 0.31m. Did not fish. Sunny, no wind.
The owners of the Upper Yealm Fishery carry out regular bankside improvements throughout the year to benefit anglers and fish stocks. Here is a short collection of video clips of the Upper Beat. The owners strive to provide good access for anglers whilst preserving sufficient bankside vegetation to provide overhead protection for brown and sea trout, and a potential source of terrestrial food for brown trout. Suggestions for winter work from anglers who have visited the river in 2018 welcome.
17th October
Paul Kenyon walked Lower Beat checking angler access and fishability. Saw one larger fish, possibly salmon or large sea trout. Water height 0.31m. Did not fish, saw kingfisher.
The owners of the Upper Yealm Fishery carry out regular bankside improvements throughout the year to benefit anglers and fish stocks. Here is a short collection of video clips of the Lower Beat. The owners strive to provide good access for anglers whilst preserving sufficient bankside vegetation to provide overhead protection for brown and sea trout, and a potential source of terrestrial food for brown trout. Suggestions for winter work from anglers who have visited the river in 2018 welcome.
15th October
Paul Kenyon fished four pools on Upper Stretch 2.30-4pm for salmon. No salmon seen. Water height 0.33; falling from peak of 1.2m on Saturday. No salmon seen. Used 9' rod, AFTM#7F line with 12 inch Orvis Mini Lead Head and 5 foot tippet to fish fly (Cascade & Stoats Tail) subsurface. V. light wind, overcast, v.few leaves. One fine trout returned.
3rd October
Paul Kenyon walked Upper and Lower beats. One sea trout seen in area previously occupied by a shoal of fish. Salmon fishing extends to 15th December.
September 2018
30th September
Westcountry Angling Passport visitor. One 12 inch brown trout
29th September
Paul Kenyon fished 7:30-9pm. Chilly. 2 brown tout to X-caddis (tied on size 10 Fulling Mill 31550). One brief connection with sea trout at dusk. River went v. quiet after dark; no sea trout heard. Water level 0.26m.
25th September
Paul Kenyon fished 7-9pm. 5 brown trout caught on X-Caddis before and after dark. One sea trout lost after promising start, another shed the hook on first airborne leap. C'est la viefor a sea trout angler.No sea trout heard jumping. Chilly. Water height 0.26m.
25th September
Westcountry Angling Passport visitor. 4 brown trout landed between palm and hand span size. Brown nymph fly. Lots of fish rising.
23rd September
Paul Kenyon fished 2:30 to 5:30 pm. 5 brown trout, best 8 inches. Plus 3 splashy rises to Grey Sparkle Dun.'Cruncher' fished down and across was effective in coloured water at 0.39 meters after rain. No sea trout seen or heard.
16th September
Westcountry Angling Passport visitor: Nil return
9th September
Two Westcountry Angling Passport visitors caught 17 brown trout on the Lower Beat and 7 brown trout on the Upper Beat. Flies: CDC emerger and Parachute Adams.
They emailed this report:
"Just to report Dad and I spent a great day yesterday on the upper Yealm. Level was low at around 4” below when we fished with you, but we still managed to tempt the fish.
I notice some pruning has taken place to open up some of the sections which has helped to reveal some more likely areas.
Wildlife out in force with a kingfisher giving us a great display.
Managed to fish the upper beat too with dad taking a 12” fish out of the last pool before the upper limit. We also took a few double digit trout out of the upper bit also.
Best thing was that we saw a sea trout holding under those trees up from the weir. Didn’t seemed bothered by us at all, but great to see.
I saw some otter footprints in the mud/shale bank on the corner where I tried my best to hook and miss a number of fish, so they must be around not too far away.
The upper section is really quite incredible - Like stepping into a different world. I don’t know how much it has been fished this season, by it felt quite untouched and the perfect habitat for happy trout!"
5th September
Note added by Paul Kenyon: Some years ago a survey of invertebrates in
the River Yealm in September found:
- There was:
- increase in the presence of
Caddis(
Trichoptera)
- high abundances of
Midges/
Buzzers(
Chironimadae)
- high abundances of the
Stonefly(
Leuctra fusca)
- high abundances of the Mayfly (
Habrophlebia fusca)
More details of the survey are
available here
More details of the survey are available here