Coping with near bank back eddies..?

[JJ]

I have a pool in mind that is about 25 yards wide but only the far 3-4 yards flows freely, the rest is a slow stagnant back eddy.
(The chain pool on the welsh dee).

Its meant to be a good pool but do I have to keep the fly in the current or will the back eddy hold fish too? Wont the fly fish badly in a slow backward flow?

(Incidentally I cant fish the far bank where the flow is so I have to cast across and putting a downstream mend in the line would seem to scare any fish rigid?)

Shall I just find an easier pool to fish?

Any help much appreciated.. - JJ

[charlieh]

Does the back eddy run the whole length of the pool?

I can think of several pools, on different sized rivers, that are have backwaters in the middle section. Typically they occur where the current is all forced over to the far bank, often because you are on the inside of a bend. If so, you may find there's streamy water in the neck, followed by the section affected by the backwater in the middle, and then a nice tail where, if you are able to wade through the backwater, you suddenly find that the fly starts to fish round properly. If your pool is this sort of shape, I'd concentrate fishing effort on the head and tail.

Otherwise get out the spinning rod.

[JAD]

JJ have a word with Gwilym Hughes on the Welsh Dee thread on the flyfishing forum he has fished the Chain pool many times and caught lots of fish

[JJ]

Good advice all round though the head and tail seemed a bit shallow and the sun was very bright on saturday ( I could see every pebble on the bottom!)

Not easy this lark is it?

[Fruin]

Your best bet would be to find out where the fish lie before approaching a pool like this. Some of them are best fished bottom to top.
You could end up standing on top of the lies as fish will sometimes sit in the back eddy facing the normal downstream direction.
Is it worth spending time on, if there is equally productive water nearby, don't frustrate yourself by trying to fish this pool. You're casting will go to pot and you will lose confidence.