Feedback & Reports

Suffering from serious picscatorial withdrawl symptoms so just had to wet a line on the home fishery!
Went out today, and what a difference a day (sunny again but an east, south-easterly wind) made compared with yesterday. Arrived earlier today at 11.30am but didn't see an LDO until 1.45 p.m. and then precious few. Plus just a few March Browns. What few LDOs there were, fizzled out by about 3.15pm. Duns of both species were pretty well ignored but some fish rose to nymphs, presumably to the olives judging by the grayling caught on a dark-olive Klink. Given the cold, they must still think it is February/March! Much fewer fly than yesterday and precious few wind-free windows for the fish to get up at them. Most rises looked like grayling and only grayling were caught, so I guess that, unlike yesterday, the trout just weren't having it.
On Saturday of course, the weather was lovely - sunny and little breeze but I was only able to fish from about 2.15pm until 4.15pm but, in retrospect, that was probably prime time. Fish were rising quite freely from arrival until about 4pm. LDOs around and fish rising but not to duns. Caught trout and grayling and dropped or missed as many again, all on HE and olive emergers. Must be rusty or just plain incompetent!
On both days the water was still pretty cold at 41-43 degrees F and will presumably stay so for while as the snowmelt gets into the water.
Tomorrow looks even windier and then Tuesday and Wednesday rain. Must be time again for the garden, some indoor jobs and the tying of a few more flies. Come on spring, where are you!
Given the cold weather, we may well not see the Grannom for a while yet...and to think that in 2011 and 2012 they were here before the end of March.

We were washed off so no report. We fished Red Lion, but saw nothing and had no pulls. Water dirty and rising.

Didn't touch or see a thing unfortunately.

14lb hen fish from Red Lion beat on a Blue Charm.

A last minute decision as I was visiting the Royal Welsh Show. David at the Foundation and Mike the fishery owner couldn't be more helpful sorting my requirements. Arrived at 5.30am and was instantly impressed with beat allocated & looking forward to a hard morning fishing. Problem was the Gods had better idea! Long story but broke top tip of rod so never made a cast. So sadly not much to report apart from reaffirming its an excellent fishery and in the time I was there saw a few silver tourists just to rub it in.
Will be definitely revisiting the beat again and this time take more than one rod lol.

16lb from beat 3 on a fly.

18lb salmon on fly Beat4

Fished from 2 - 5.30 pm. Rather windy on arrival but it abated during the afternoon. Arrived, probably at the tail of the day's main Yellow May hatch, but Olive Uprights were also emerging. Found some rising fish, one gently sipping in a foam lane. Missed it the first time on a Yellow May emerger, but saw it, and as is so often the case, little sips can mean big fish. Ten minutes later, a two and threequarter pound beauty fell to a Duck's Dun style O.U. emerger. Later five out-of-season grayling to 11" and five trout to 12" were taken on similar DD style patterns. Needless to say, all fish returned. At 5p.m someone turned the switch off.....time for a beer!

20lb on Fly.

Have fished the home patch here at Moccas off and on over the last few weeks and also the Gwent Anglers water at Ty Mawr on the Usk. The Grannom hatch has developed slowly on both rivers since 23 March as per last year. Grannom now around on both rivers in substantial numbers but not yet "plague proportions"! Fish taken on all three grannom emerger patterns. f you tie flies see my article on Gwent Anglers website with tying details(go to flies/trout)and, if you don't,you can now buy two of them ex-Fulling Mill from Hartley Fly (Fulling Mill new 2012 range). Also try tying up a weighted pupa tied along similar lines. Has worked well this year upstream alone or as the point fly with team of spiders.