Beeches

Beeches is an interesting pool which has gone through some significant changes over the past few seasons. The first point of interest is that the pool used to be in two sections, upper and lower Beeches. Upper Beeches was the only pool to be completely wiped off of the map at Finavon in the often-aforementioned floods of 2015. We are now left only with what used to be lower Beeches, which is a super pool in its own right.

Beeches is not always an easy pool to fish, the current being directed tight under the South bank by the archaic system of log croys which were placed at the head of the pool many years ago. The neck of the pool under the South bank holds fish in low water, especially in Autumn. About a third of the way down the pool, is one of Finavon’s recognisable landmarks in the form of an overhanging Hornbeam which sits above the south bank. This marks one of the very good lies in Beeches, and it can pay to be enterprising in the manner which this lie is fished. Down and across from the North bank is not often the most successful way of doing so!

Below the Hornbeam, the current becomes more laminar and centralised, and from this point down into the tail the pool fishes very well in a higher water. There are good lie stones scattered under the centre of the current most of the way down which can hold fish back during moderate flows. In a much higher water, expect to find fish off of either edge of the current, or even well into your own bank. From about the halfway point of the pool, it cannot easily be waded in a higher water, and should be fished from the bank.

In the tail of the pool, just above the aqueduct, there are a scattering of large lie boulders which were naturally excavated by the might of Storm Frank, and these provide an excellent holding place for salmon in a spate, as well as good lies for sea trout at night in lower water during the midsummer period.

Beeches is a big chunk of fishing in a fresh water, but is always capable of providing a chance of sport, no matter the conditions, and is very fitting as the last pool and lower boundary of Milton beat.