RIVER EXE, OAKHAY BARTON – STOKE CANON

A secluded stretch of the meandering River Exe ideally suited to the roving angler, fish stocks consist of dace, chub, roach and grayling. This is not a water where anglers are able to “bag up”, offering instead some high quality fishing with large dace and roach in situ. For the angler who enjoys fishing for grayling then this water is ideally suited, the few grayling anglers that fish here; tend to use a light bullet lead rolled down the long shallow runs with maggot and simply feeling the line for the thumping bites from “the lady of the river”. For the roach and dace anglers it would pay to fish either the small back eddies or the slower deeper runs, both of which tend to catch the better quality fish.

This stretch of the Exe is not a water where you can go to fill your keepnet; it is however, a water that offers total seclusion coupled with the prospect of catching a previously uncaught fish due to its extremely low angling pressure. If you are into fishing at a relaxed pace and in total peace and quiet then this is the venue for you.

Directions: From Exeter take the (A396) Tiverton road; after approximately 4 miles the road turns sharp left, you will then cross a long series of narrow bridges leading to the Stoke Canon village, on entering the village on the left there is a small corner shop, turn left and continue until you come to an old railway crossing on your right, park up and walk across the crossing and follow the footpath to the river; our boundaries are as given below.

Rules: As per the Association handbook

Season: 16th June – 14th March

Boundaries: After you have walked across the small railway crossing from the old railway station, walk across the field to the right, the top end of our fishing being the railway bridge, our rights then continue downstream (left hand bank) until the next railway bridge, this being the bottom boundary of our fishing.

WARNING: Beware of power lines on this water