Feedback & Reports

I fished Lyepole today for the first time. The river was noticeably low, with some shallow runs and exposed stones, so I decided to focus on the deeper pools just upstream of the bridge where there was still a decent flow and some good holding water.

The conditions were clear and calm, which made presentation quite important. I worked through the pool carefully, watching for rises but didn’t see much surface activity. I tied on an Irresistible Adams — partly because it’s a pattern I’ve been wanting to try, and partly because it felt like a safe choice when I wasn’t sure what else to put on.

After a bit of casting practice and a few drifts through the seam, I was rewarded with a lovely grayling. Not a big fish, but a real milestone for me — my first on this beat and my first grayling on a dry fly.

Although it was just the one fish, I came away feeling encouraged. The low water made things tricky, but the deeper pools clearly still hold fish, and the Adams gave me confidence. Definitely a spot I’ll come back to when levels are a bit higher, as I think it could really come alive.

1 Grayling

Very low water meant that a goods deal of the beat was showing no signs of fish but two deeper pools yielded the only four grayling of the day. Two good size fish and two smaller ones but all in fine condition.

4 Grayling

Water was very low and the fish were hard to find but the two small trout caught were in very good condition and returned in good shape.

2 Trout

I visited in the morning and I was suprised that the water wasn't as low as I would expect after no rain. Fish were rising to casts on fast water. Caught and returned an 8 inch grayling that went for an elk hair fly bobbing along a riffle.

1 Grayling

Hard work today on a low and clear river; with most of my fish coming before 10:00 am. This included 5 Grayling from the same run; when I briefly entertained hopes of bagging up. Not to be though; with the day petering out - and scarcely a touch after lunch. The Grayling were the typical Lyepole 8-10 inch fish, but one of the Trout went 14 inches. An early finish for my lovely wife's supper of Pork Tenderloin with Armagnac and Prunes

3 Trout, 7 Grayling

After an early season cosseted on Cotswold Trout streams, it would good to get back to a wild river. Not there was that much wild about the Lugg today - in my 20 plus years of fishing it, I have never seen it so low. In spite of the lack of water, it retained a reasonable flow, and fished well; with most of my fish coming from faster water. A couple of risers on a Klinkhammer - with everything else on an Endrick Spider

4 Trout, 16 Grayling

Caught on nymphs and drys to 10" trout and c3/4 lb grayling.

5 Trout, 2 Grayling

3 Trout, 6 Grayling

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

Tough conditions after a heatwave and low water. Fished early morning for a couple of hours, caught 2 WBT and 2 OOS grayling, all nymphing. KM

2 Trout, 2 Grayling