River Report
We try to keep this page current but please look at the date of the report and remember that the Camel is a typical spate river and conditions can change in a few hours best used in conjunction with the local forecast also the report refers to the middle reaches of the river and conditions may vary above and below Dunmere
click here for the local weather forecast
Friday 27th November 2009 1933hrs
10mm of rain over night maintained the river on the high side all day,
there's been some colour in the water and not too many leaves compared with last week. I've heard of two fish caught and returned because they were "red", (please be careful as there are a lot of coloured fish about) fresh fish are elusive at the moment and it needs some luck to guess where they are at a given time.
Thursday 26th November 2009 0928hrs
The river is high probably too high for the lower beats but it is a nice grey/brown colour with very little suspended matter and very few leaves, all in all an excellent spinning river from the mid reaches upwards. There have been one or two salmon caught so far this week but today offers the best conditions we've had for several days.
Wednesday 25th November 2009 0807hrs
14mm of rain overnight and the NWL forecasting a lot of showers for today has rendered the angling prospects "a bit iffy" the river is high and with a nice brown colour and not too many leaves. The problem is the water height, it's probably unfishable on the lower beats and even our uppermost beats have a lot of water so the fish may be anywhere (or not there at all) there's a lot of luck needed to catch a salmon in these conditions.
Tuesday 24th November 2009 1131hrs
12mm more rain has kept the Camel high, there is a little suspended matter and a few leaves the river also has a nice brown stain. Fishing in this sort of water is for the more optimistic angler, and the chances of finding a taking fish are small. There are reports of a large fish making it's way up river but from the description it may not be a salmon, probably best referred to as a USO (unidentified swimming object)
Monday 23rd November 2009 0932hrs
23mm more rain has made the river rise and it's now unfishable in the middle and lower reaches. There is a lot of suspended matter and leaves and it is too high for fishing to stand a reasonable chance of success. The NWL gives it clearing up later this morning and afternoon so it may be possible to fish higher in the catchment this afternoon before the next weather system brings its rain.
Sunday 22nd November 2009 1049hrs
Surprisingly after another 20mm of rain the river although high is fishable say from Helland upwards. There is a light brown stain with a small amount of silt and the leaves are not as bad as they could be. (A lot of the leaves are gone now and only the beech are holding on to theirs as they do until the spring).
The NWL is promising a lot more rain to come today, if she's right the river will soon rise and become unfishable.
Saturday 21st November 2009 1140hrs
Another 9mm of rain has made little or no difference to the Camel YET.
The river at the moment is a nice spinning height with a brown stain in the middle and upper beats but with regiments of leaves to annoy the angler.
It's just started raining and if the Nice Weather Lady is correct (she often isn't) about the amount of rain to come the river will be unfishable later this afternoon.
Friday 20th November 2009 1128hrs
After 19mm of rain overnight the Camel has risen and coloured with a fair bit of suspended matter and a lot of leaves. The river will probably be fishable in the higher beats by this afternoon when hopefully most of the leaves and suspended matter will go and leave a high and stained river eminently suitable for spinning.
Fish have been scarce for most of the week but this last spate and a lot more rain to come tomorrow should encourage some more into the river.
Thursday 19th November 2009 0935hrs
The great wind has continued and the Camel has a lot of leaves to hamper the angler. The river is now clear and at a very good fishing height (a shade above average winter flow), the salmon appear to be well spread throughout the system but there are not so many as last year.
The NWL is promising some more rain for tonight and a lot more for Saturday with the great wind continuing to blow.
Wednesday 18th November 2009 0832hrs
The Nice Weather Lady has sent us a great wind but no rain as a result the Camel has dropped a scripeth and is now a little above an average winter height. The water is clear with a slight greenish tinge and the leaves while annoying will not be too much trouble at the moment, All in all a good if blustery fishing day.
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