Tim2

Colin, Thank you very much. Sounds just like the piece of kit I need and at a rasonable price too. Such equipment has moved on a lot since I fished Rutland 25 years ago with a basic depthfinder. Can you tell me how easy it is to interpret the on-screen details of the 245. I also understand that the transducer fixes with a suction cap to the bottom of the boat. Does this work equally well with both wooden and fibre class vessels? Regards Tim

Its a toss up between 2 Otters surfacing just yards from where I was fishing and a cow falling in from the opposite bank. Both when fishing the River Frome,Somerset.

I suppose the difficult terrain and being able to fish in isolation is what partly attracts me to the stretch. But not for everyone. Perhaps you caught a Roach or Rudd/Bream hybrid, I have had a few as well. It is surprising what you do sometimes catch. I once had a ghost carp that must have originally come from somebody's pond. However, I mainly catch chub up to 4 pounds although I also had a roach of a pound and a half the other night, that is after having to negotiate, cows, bulls, new electric fences and swarms of midges. No, the landowner did not get prosecuted despite the water authority investigating. I suppose there is some benefit if you can get them out and into your freezer.

The stretches I normally fish are below Lullington. Along Lullington Lane, you come to a cross-roads. There is the entrance to Orchardleigh on the left and a road taking you to the A36 on the right. Half a mle or so down this road there is a large lay-by. Park the car, walk back up the road a hundred yards and enter the field on your left. You then have to cross the field, go through another gate across another field and through another gate into the final field where the river is. This particular area is known as the Poplars and dog field. Frome AA own all the bank for the next 2 fields up river. It is hardly fished because people cannot be bothered to do the walk, especially as there is no proper access. This year the fields are ploughed so you have to walk around the edges rather than cut across. However if you are prepared to put the effort in, travel light and fish very early or late (overnight fishing is not permitted), then some very good catches can be made. Frome AA stupidly sold a section of river further upstream to a millionnaire Landowner who has set up a trout fishery, who then proceeded to 'illegally' stock it with Rainbrow trout up to - can you believe it, 15 pounds and more. Not surprisingly these fish have migrated up and down river and sometimes you will hook one. Landing them is another matter though. If you do join Frome AA (only£15) then good luck and let me know how you get on. I will be fishing the Poplars stretch tonight. Tim

Jon, Having just joined this forum, I have across these messages which I find interesting. I have been fishing the Frome since 1989 and if you know where to go and are prepared to walk a bit you can enjoy very good sport. I have caught carp to over 15 pounds Bream to nearly 7, chub to over 4 and Trout to 6+. There are also Tench and good Perch as well as a good head of Roach. Unfortunately Frome AA is not a well run club and some stretches have been lost in the past - but the best is still available. Did you ever join Frome AA and, if so, how did you fare? Tim