Feedback & Reports

I have hesitated before submitting this return but I am going to tell it how we found it. Fished from 10am till 4pm. Conditions were warm with a mixture of overcast and sunny spells. First time on this beat. We parked in the layby, crossed the field and turned downstream on the nearside bank with a view to working our way back up. Very nice, very new, very substantial 3ft or more barbed wire fencing almost to the bottom of the beat with only a couple of stiles. From the fence to the river was very overgrown severely limiting access. Eventually got into the water and waded back upstream. The stream bottom is a combination of small boulders and large slabs. Quite slippery. Care definitely essential. My colleague managed to hook a few fish but only got one to hand - which we believe was a salmon parr. I hooked a WBT of about 7inches - to hand. On the way upstream we met a few obstacles - fallen trees etc. which, together with the fencing and overgrowth created difficulty for getting out. We called it a day when we got back to the point by the layby. We haven't fished the upper part of the beat yet but our advice would be if you intend to go downstream, get onto the far bank as soon as you can. I find it difficult to understand why such substantial fencing is required to separate a field of oats from the river! If this is to be operated as a fishery, then reasonable access to the river must be offered. We aren't wimps and have fished many of the wild streams but barbed wire and waders are incompatible. It would have been a minimal additional cost to install stiles at more frequent intervals to offer the paying fisherman access to what looks like a beautiful stretch of water. We will return and try the upper stretch of the beat but based on our experience, to describe this as double bank fishing is somewhat misleading.

1 Trout, 1 Other

A lovely part of the world, though we were unlucky to see very little fish movement at all today. One bite that went un-set was all we saw. Access is pretty good, with lots of recent fence work having been carried out.

What a lovely river with a great deal of careful long-term management. Water clear but falling back. Hatch of mayfly,BWO ,other ephemera & a few small sedge but very few rising fish. 3 good fish over 12 in and several lost even though apparently securely hooked. Paradun and tungsten HE.

5 Trout

Ten wild brown trout up to 11” on the dry fly, mostly Grey Wulff, and about the same number again seemingly well hooked but never netted. Handful of mayfly in the afternoon with nice increase in fly activity at about eight o’clock.

10 Trout

Quality challenging fishing. Caught on nymph spider and dries.

11 Trout

14 Trout

First time fishing the beat. Only fished half the water at a leisurely pace, but what a day. 12 trout ranging from 8 to 11 inch all beautiful and putting up a good account for themselves. Taken on graying bugs, baetis and may fly patterns.

12 Trout

Well opted for the lovely Hergest Court beat , parked up at half nine and at the same time a white truck pulled up from the WUF , had a nice chat with Louis and still doing work on this beat ,but assured him I'll only be fishing from the bottom up!! Looks like quite a bit more fencing work to be done here and stiles too I believe !!! Chappy I spoke to later did say Stiles are also being put up near the weir !! Spot on I thought !!! Much needed!!

Anyway , onto the fishing , good fishing this morning , nymphs , both flashback PTN , and baetis nymph hit hard this morning , fish ranging from five to eleven inches , spot on !!! No interest in dries as only saw one rise , and that was at midday !!! Some LDO's showing at half twelve but I was wrapping things up at half one so didnt get any dry fly action.!!!

Still a fun four hours sport , nine Arrow beauties to the net and two long range releases , spot on.!! Rivers at a lovely height just now , and I may give the Kington beat a quick bash one evening this week if weather permits !!!

Be excellent here when the WUF chaps have completed all the work !! And some cracking fencing and tree kickers now in situ , great for the trout ,lots of hard work done !! A fun morning, great sport as always , lovely job . . . .

9 Trout

Had a nice 4 hours on this stretch which was new to me. It was intermittent cloud and sunshine but still quite cool and the water level were quite low. Saw a couple of fish and there was a small hatch of flies at about 3.30pm with the odd rise but the fish eluded me today. Tried a couple of nymphs but didn't have any interest. A nice stretch though.

Thought I'd give the lovely Hergest Court beat an early recce !! Pleasant when.i parked in at the lay by!! Loads of rubbish there real shame tbh !!!Anyway bimbled down to the beat start and more three strand barbed wire to climb over !! WUF can you have a natter with the farmer to maybe snip off the top rung !! It would be sooooooooo helpful !!

Anyway onto the fishing , good takes on a tiny baetis nymph ; cracking fun , in the faster water running into pools !! Had seven this morning all in the streamier water and hitting the nymph hard !! Like it was their last meal !! A few lost but lovely condition fish all between seven and eleven inches , superb!!

The only thing that spoiled the morning was the fencing work and tree kickers etc being done !! Looks like alot was done yesterday too !! A hundred yards or so up passed the footbridge !! That part of the beat was dead as a dodo !! Shame really, some lovely pools up there and the alders etc that have been cut are now in the river doing bank.protection so a bit of a mess at the mo !! I'm sure it will naturalise and soften up !!

That said a fun four hours on a cracking beat . Dippers nest under the footbridge has residents in there !! Lovely little bird the dipper !! Always on the go . . . .

A fun few hours back here next month , up at Claerwen reservoir with a buddy early next week , should be fun., oh and hopefully the Edw back end of next week , lovely job. . . . .

Fishing Passport Note : Works are due to be completed W/C 3rd May 2021

7 Trout