Feedback & Reports

No fish caught!! Heavy frost and bright conditions and low river level

8 x grayling 12-16 inches, Grayling Steel Blue, Red Tag, Sturdy's Fancy. Another very cold day for October, in fact minus 3 and a hard white frost when I arrived, so I went to the cafe for a second breakfast and came back when the sun had warmed things up slightly. River very low and clear. A few grayling were now rising and large dark olives in evidence after lunch so dry flies could be used. By 3 the temperature was rapidly falling again and no more surface action , so in a sense it was like a March day in reverse. What a pleasure to fish a well-maintained beat with stiles all in good order and benches overlooking every pool!

8 Grayling

No fish , no sign of fish , Waste of Time and money !!!!

First visit to the Wye. River running low and clear making conditions very tough. Used pellets, meat and maggots. Just 1 pull towards the end of the day resulting in a Chub of 3 lb 10 oz. Delightful stretch. Lovely scenery. Colin, the bailiff, was helpful but on this day conditions came out on top.

We stayed at Falcon House at How Caple. Excellent B&B. We dined at The Moon in Mordiford - good quality, down to earth, food.

1 Chub

When we arrived c.9:30 it was minus 4 celsius with a stunningly beautiful hard frost. The river was low and clear. The fish were elusive. Late morning MT had three good sized Grayling up to 1.5lb towards the top of Abernant Stream fishing spiders with a weighted nymph on the point. He picked up several more Grayling further down stream during the early afternoon.

We were both fishing the lower end of Lady Alexander's Catch at 3:30 feeling very cold and contemplating an early finish when things took an expected and quite inexplicable twist. Twenty seven fish were caught in the space of an hour. All but one were out of season trout ranging from .5 to 1.5lbs. At one point we seemed to be making contact with a fish on every cast as we put lines across to the trees and allowing the flies to drift down and across the main stream. The weighted nymphs accounted for most of the fish with a Jon Barnes, barbless 'Black Magic Nymph' proving to be almost irresistible. Quite why remains something of a mystery. We saw the occasional fish feeding sub-surface but nothing spectacular and there had been nothing of a hatch all day. Perhaps there was a concentration of terrestrials washing through on fallen leaves.

Boy it was cold!

24 Trout, 8 Grayling

hard frost , gin clear , bright sunshine . not a sniff of any barbs or chub

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

We were in to minds weather to fish or not it was really cold and minus 3 when we arrived. And river was very low , we set one rod maggot feeder and thought we would try for pike on the other . Good decision after 20 minuets a run on the deadbait ( fresh sardine ) after a good fight my son had a big pike in the net . We didn’t have scales! But think it was touching 20 lb see what you think picture sent , nothing else to report , but did see lots of birds and 3 kingfishers . Packed up at 11 ish great day

1 Pike

A cool one when I arrived at the Abbey Dore beat at ten , about three degrees and sunny , gorgeous views of the Golden Valley , as always , and the little Dore looked an absolute picture , as I started working a tiny single flashback PTN . . . . .

Still tight under the canopy , but always fun here . . First fish , a feisty brownie , great condition , about twelve inches and quickly released . . . Next pool same again , good take on the PTN , another brownie , where were all the grayling from summer time !!!!!!

Worked slowly upstream , changed to a black klinkhammer , a different rise , and playing him in a deep pool , slipped a grayling to the net , superb , at last , thought the Dore was getting thin on the ground of grayling . Must admit water very cold now , but still flowing well . . . Fish was about ten inches and slipped back in . . . .

A couple of good rises spotted so worked my way upstream , another good take on the klinkhammer , and another brownie , superb condition , and a real tubby one , about ten inches , slipped back in wished him well for the next season . .

Had another two brownies , both off the top , no more grayling putting in an appearance today , still a fun three plus hours , and a pleasant mooch up the Dore , perhaps a decent cold snap is just what we need on this little river to bring the Grayling on the go , back soon , Shall give the Arrow a bash in a few days . . . . . . Spot on !!!!!!

5 Trout, 1 Grayling