Feedback & Reports

Despite the warm, sunny weather there was little fly life apart from the occasional olive. So only 3 out of season grayling (10" to 12") on Kite's Imperial and snipe and orange spider. All fish returned in the water untouched.

Glorious sunny morning on the Wye; no fish until a strong olive hatch around noon, when a small grayling took a tung-head GRHE, and things looked promising. Then the kayaks came, a lurid multi-coloured flotilla of them (very polite paddlers I should say). End of fishing in such clear water; all went dead and so I packed up for lunch. At tea time on the flats at the top, trout were rising to emergers. Hooked into but lost what felt a decent one, on a hairs ear klink.
A mixed day all in all.

4 x grayling 9-15 inches, 1 x out of season trout 10 inches, trotting with centre pin. This beat fished marvellously well during the late summer and autumn, but has been slightly disappointing on my couple of winter visits. They must be in there somewhere!

3 x grayling 6-12 inches, 8 x out of season trout 8-15 inches, trotting with Avon and centre pin. A rather disappointing day, with the usual graylng lies seemingly occupied by ravenous post-spawning trout, lean and hollow, with ragged lower fins and carrying leeches from where they have been lying on the bottom. Otherwise, the weather was truly horrible, with a freezing and near gale force wind trying to hurry the float downstream, intermittent rain and sleet. Compensations were a red kite circling the river during the morning and buzzards after lunch; a hen salmon was still cutting a redd in Stone Catch.

One or two (literally) LDOs early afternoon. Saw just one rising fish which when taken on a small HE emerger proved, as expected, to be a trout and a pretty tatty one at that! Bugged for most of the day but couldn't find a single grayling. However, a skinny 26 inch, four pound salmon was tempted to take the pink bug. Not really what I was looking for though, and scant reward for the day's graft. Water 1 deg C and air 3 deg C at best. Good fun though and certainly beats the hell out of doing the decorating!

We arrived to find a good looking river on a morning considerably milder than forecast. However, strictly in coarse fishing terms, the day proved to be a disappointing and it must be said, expensive - BLANK! Despite fishing 8 different swims during an 8 hour session we didn't hook a single chub or dace between us on trotted maggots and, if there are any pike in the stretch, they completely ignored our normally very effective large soft plastic 'replicant' type lures. Nevertheless we did still very much enjoy the day thanks to a steady stream of obliging and feisty, if mainly small, grayling and (out-of-season) brownies that were all carefully returned.

A reasonably pleasant day weatherwise, with a nasty downstream wind which came and went, and even a bit of sun as well. Fish rising when olives and needlefly about. Had over 50 grayling and one or two trout between us. Most fish on olive and hare's ear emergers, P and O spider and dry Grayling Steel Blue. Others on Orange Otter and a few on nymphs. Most fish 9-12 inches with a few at 14". Water getting much colder since last week (time for the Long Johns again or am I just getting older?) and many fewer fish rising.

Had a great day trotting maggots catching from the first cast. We had at least 50 to 60 grayling up to two pounds and 20 to 30 trout between the two of us. Thanks for a wonderful days fishing in beautiful surroundings. we will be back soon.

Having had a recce two days ago, I took a neighbour who cannot risk wading, hasn't cast a fly for over 20 years and who has never caught a grayling. The bottom section provided him with ideal access and BG caught 8 grayling - no monsters - but he was over the moon. The fish seemed rather less active than two days ago, possibly as a result of the two back to back 3 degree nights. It was certainly much colder, and the olives emerging from about 11 a.m. after the sun got up didn't elicit the same level of surface activity. Still managed to tempt 22 grayling, mainly in the 8-10 inch class but some of 12-13 inches. Taken on bugs, nymphs and a hare's ear emerger but couldn't tempt a fish with a spider!

A lovely day with 26 grayling falling to various bugs and spiders, as well as to a dry Grayling Steel Blue, and to pale watery and hare's ear emergers. Some PWs and small olives around from late morning but not too many fish actually rising - still clearly looking up though!! Most fish 9-10 inches but about nine of 13-14 inches. Always a delight to fish here.