Feedback & Reports

A big strong hen fish of 93cm on the PATSY FLY.

Saturday a cock fish of 90cm (also pictured below).

For those interested in the fly used the last picture is Patsy’ showing her usual modesty when on hearing news one of her flies had caught another Salmon ….

1 Salmon

An Extremely solid 90cm cock fish. Estimated to weigh 17l-18lb Caught in a small tube on a 7wt fly rod. The fish was in control the majority of the time!

1 Salmon

2’1 on the gauge today with a nice tinge of colour.It was quite difficult casting heavy tungsten tips with the strong downstream breeze, but I wanted to fish the top catches, which I haven’t fished for a while, so spent the morning on both sets of boards on the Gromain and Radnor banks, covering Bachawy. The inevitable happened late morning and I had an unplanned swim. So I’m going to fail my audition as a trapeze artiste.
Early afternoon I had a solid take to the flyingC that I switched to in the Spring Pool but after a bout of head shaking it didn’t stick to the crushed barb hook. A probable salmon but after hooking a 6lb + Chub on a salmon fly a couple of days ago, and initially thinking it was a kelt, I couldn’t be sure.
The effects of my earlier dip set in by 4.30 and I was glad to get to a warm car.
A pleasant day nonetheless.

2 Trout

Lovely beat full of trout but no joy with the salmon.

5 Trout

did not fish river a tad too high

washed off today

A first day on the river since October courtesy of the autumn storms. A chilly 3.5C, gauge at 1’6”, probably a little too high still, but clear.
As at this time last year, the river seemed to be devoid of any grayling today with the whole length of the beat below the bridge being fished without an offer.
An OOS brownie caught late on in the flats saved a blank.
A fine, crisp day to be out though with easy wading on the boulders and bedrock, the spates having given the beat a good clean out.

1 Trout

First time on the beat trotting for grayling. Lots of tempting runs but struggled to find the fish. Could do with some local knowledge but lovely place to fish. Just one tiny grayling and 2 lost fish which spat the hook but they felt like trout so wouldn’t have counted anyway. Looking forward to my next session to see if I can do any better.

1 Grayling

Last day of the season and via the WUF (thank you Alysson) the owner had kindly let me use an expired Rectory Wash off ticket on Gromain, a beat I had fished many moons ago but not for a long time.

Armed with the excellent detailed beat guide I set off arriving around 1030 at the fishery. The river here is quite big and a little intimidating, especially when there is a good flow running through - c. 1.36+ on Erwood gauge, though finally starting to fine down from the 3m or so it had been a few days before.

So although always felt fishy was quite hard to identify features and less obvious taking points and it felt a bit "hit and hope".

Started at the top on the left bank section near the Bachaway brook and could see that this potentially a good spot but no luck despite some wild thrashing of the fly and lobbing of a mini -flying C.

Good lesson learned that it is not good to alternate different methods as a major loss of focus, not to mention various tangles with overhanging branches as given the water didn't have the temerity to wade too deep.

Then made may way to the other beats on the left bank further downstream below the bridge. Met a friendly fellow fishermen at the the first pool and he let me fish on below him so had a go in Orchard and the Croy which looked promising though I did not connect with anything. Have to say was really impressed with the access to the river here in terms of steps and the disused railway track also had some good parking spaces and a useful place to turn further on.

A note to drivers however the return slope before the gate is quite steep and only 4WD reccommended in all but dry weather.

Back at the Bridge by around 4pm and met another very pro-looking other fisherman packing up in the car park whyowisely said that beat would fish much better at 1m and did I have any heavy tube flies and fast sink tips (had neither) as the fish would be on the bottom with all that current.

He went on to say he had had 20 for the season (gave up counting at 14) so I was inclined to believe him and decided to call it a day and blessed/cursed him as he careered off in his Porsche. Some guys have all the luck as they say.

Before I went decided to have a go on the boardwalk beneath the bridge which was safer and more stable than had looked initially, despite being 3-4 inches underwater. Managed to get a follow on my flying C from something medium sized with buttery belly( likely large trout) which grabbed then spat at the end of my retrieve almost at my feet.

The river is a cruel mistress sometimes but always teaches us a lesson or two.

I will be back to explore this beat again in the future (with hopefully a little less water) as feel have now a better grasp of the lie of the land.

2'2" on the gauge and looked promising but no salmon caught. Still a lovely last day of the season .

4 Trout