Feedback & Reports

Decided to see how arctic the grayling were feeling today, after two consecutive nights of minus 8 and one of minus 2! Arrived at 11.30 a.m. with the air having risen to zero degrees (which got as high a two later on), ice in the margins and the water temperature <1 degree all day. No sun but kept warm with the neoprene's first trip out this year. A lovely day for trotting the centre pin with no wind at all. The grayling duly obliged with fish from the off, until exceedingly cold feet drove me from the river four hours later, with another 15" fish on the dangle from what proved to be the last run of the day. Found fish in the creases and also still in quite shallow water. Fish from 10-15 inches, around the 1.5 pound mark. The trout were at it as well and two fat 3.5 - 4 pound chub also found the red and white maggot combo enticing. All in all a very rewarding day. Who says mega drops in temperature put fish off the feed??!! Me, but what do I know?

8 Trout, 21 Grayling, 2 Chub

Fished with DM from Swansea. Water below normal and clear. Overcast and a balmy 5 deg C on arrival and it didn't get any warmer. Snow on hills and ice in the margins. Both of us trotting and trying not to wade much as the water was painfully cold. Total catch about 40 grayling mostly around half a pound, and mostly caught by DM, but a couple of larger fish to ~1.5lbs. A few large out-of-season trout as well to about 3lbs; superb fish. Had to hunt to find the grayling.

3 Trout, 40 Grayling

River had finded down to just above normal level and was surprisingly clear. This was our first visit to Sugwas Court, what a lovely stretch with some very interesting features. What we hadn't reckoned on was the treacherous nature of the banks after the previous weeks floods.
Rolling meat under near bank fallen trees produced a Chub of 4-5lb with two other similar lost. Great day was had, thanks.

1 Chub

After the previous weeks flood levels the river was gin clear and had finded down to just above normal. One thing we had not bargained for was the treacherous nature of much of the bank was left after flooding. We did however have a great day although only one Chub of 4 - 1/2lb was caught, this was on rolling meat close to a fallen tree. A wonderful beat, will re-book next season.

1 Chub

A very cold day, with frost still on the ground, but overcast and not clear like the last few previous days. The river was higher than I had seen it back at the end of September, but still not massively high (plenty of evidence of high floods a couple of weeks ago). It had a good strong and fast flow in places and was pretty much crystal clear.
Not much fish action, didn't see any but did hook one but it shook free before I could land it (on tungsten nymph, with Klinkhammer indicator). In retrospect I think I should have been fishing a bit deeper on the dropper. A enjoyable day none the less.

Visiting angler Alan Clerk fished most of the beats with sprats sink and draw to take 4 pike 8- 16 lb. Much larger fish seen turning away from the baits. Water temperature and height rising slightly throughout the day.

4 Pike

I was stitched up by the weather forecasters today. When I booked this trip the forecast was for cloud spreading down from the north and temperatures above freezing. When I arrived the car temp gauge was reading -6 without a cloud in the sky. I arrived about 9:30 and as I had never fished here before, I decided to walk the beat first in the hope that temperatures would rise during the day. I probably made it about halfway up the beat before returning to the car for sustenance. I made the trotting rod up anyway and headed back to the river, more in hope than anticipation. Starting about 11:30 just up from the church the line was still freezing in the rings and the river looked lifeless and the float failed to submerge. I carried on upstream looking for some pacier water which I found about 100 yards or so above the wier. After a few trots down, I managed to find a good line which took the float down through the turbulent water into the steadier water towards the far bank. The float went under and a strike was met with resistance which then started to thump back. Thinking this was going to be my only chance of the day I played the fish very, very carefully until a lovely looking Grayling came into view. Apologies to the game fishermen but I measure my fish by weight rather than length and this one tipped the scales at 1lb 10ozs. I carried on fishing this pool and caught 3 more Graying of a similar size and one tiddler about 8ozs. The trout then showed up and 3 were caught and released in the water before it then went quiet. With the sun dropping behind the hills I called it a day feeling rather chuffed that a very unpromising day yielded some satisfying large Grayling.

5 Grayling

very cold frosty day, nothing caught.

Beautiful beat, well maintained and perfect for a grayling day. River looked to be flushed through following last week's rain and was very clear. Wading here is mixed with some impossibly deep pools and slippery bedrock, but it's possible to get a line to plenty of good looking spots. Managed 16 grayling, best was 19", and 3 trout. Most fell to a pink shrimp or ptn red tag. There was a hatch around mid-day and for half an hour grayling were rising all over the pool and I took 8 on the same olive emerger pattern.
Struggled a bit with cold hands and feet today and needed to take frequent breaks to thaw out, but well worth it.

3 Trout, 16 Grayling

River higher and colder than earlier in the month. Nil return