I have done very well with a Kylie Conehead as well, defintely an all time great. In peaty water a red flamethrower takes some beating. On the Barle I have done best with my Exe Tube. A silver Stoat is not to be sniffed at. But If I had to choose one fly for the rest of time on all waters I would probably choose the Exe Tube.

Absolutely no doubt about this! On the Barle its got to be an Allys shrimp closely followed by a Cascade shrimp. Both around size 8 or 10 depending on the water level.

Ok I will get this going Pat. During the last few years it has been without doubt the Kylie Conehead and not just for me. I could tell you many "wiping of eye" stories that have occurred when this fly has been given a swim, following a chuck with more traditional patterns.

I think historically most fish have run the Barle but I have heard reports of many more fish seen running the little Exe in the last couple of years. By the way does anyone know what the final rod catch figure for 2008 was?

Traditionally most salmon turn left and keep swimming up the Barle, because of this the Little Exe really is underfished for salmon - so is a bit of an unknown quantity.
I have no idea how the 'small' grilse make it into the Barle without being spotted in the Exe, maybe they're alot cleverer than we thought.
Well done MoD on yet another catch!

Do the relatively few big fish all turn right up the Little Exe?

interesting that their seems to be a number of very small grilse in the Barle. I have not heard of many that small on the Exe, either from the blog or from Glyn's round robins. On the main river David Rice never seems to catch a fish under 10lb and there have certainly been a few more big fish reported. I wonder if anyone can offer an explanation?

One more for me yesterday (08/09/09). A small but perfectly formed (not skinny) grilse of about 2.5lb, well coloured.
Didn't see a lot else.

MoD

Fished the Barle upstream of Marsh Bridge this morning. Got two very small (2-3lbs) fresh grilse to an Allys shrimp. Still a bit high for our beat which makes it hard to keep the fly down.

I can confirm that I did indeed get six fish on Saturday.
Put the spinning rod up in the morning as it was still a touch high for a lot of "my" bit. Got three on the spinner but soon put it away again as the salmon wouldn't leave it alone! Three on the fly in the afternoon.
Fish approx. 9lb (30 inches), 9lb, 8lb and three around 4-5lb.
Two silver and four horrid kippers. I silver bleeder kept.

Fished again today with a friend who rose three and lost one, so it looks like most of them have gone on up...

No rain forecast, doom and gloom!

MoD

Two fresh fish above Tarr Steps!
They are obviously running hard, all gone past me no doubt...
Any chance of getting a boat on Pinkery?

MoD

"The Barle is up a good couple of feet ..."

Looked more like 1 foot 8 inches on the webcam ;-(
Is there anything to come, been very quiet of late just below us.

However I am tying flies frantically and shall commence the slaughter of the salmons this Saturday!