Fly Fishing on the River Bideford Brook

Bideford Brook is a small stream that drains the easternmost part of the Forest of Dean. On the map it forms near Blakeney, where the Blackpool Brook and the Forge Brook meet, and runs a short way east to the Severn estuary, which it enters east of Blakeney, a little upstream of Lydney. Its last stretch to the estuary is marked on the map as Brims Pill.

This is lowland small-stream trout fishing. The brook runs below field level for much of its length under a fairly thick tree canopy, so it is well sheltered from the weather. Expect wild brown trout up to about 12in from small, deep pools and short, straight flats. Wading is easy over a gravel bed, and a rod of 6 to 7ft with a 2 to 3 weight line is about right.

The Forest of Dean streams hold native white-clawed crayfish, and fishing them comes with a condition: disinfect waders, nets and tackle before and after fishing so that crayfish plague and other disease are not carried from one brook to the next. Virkon is the disinfectant asked for, and it is sold in most tackle shops.