Feedback & Reports

One of my favourite beats and recommended if you don't mind lots of barbed wire, a hike and losing flies....or the now infamous chap in the house on the right bank (yes, DO cross over the footbridge to avoid a confrontation). A long beat and a challenge with the odd Mayfly in the middle of the day. Five in all in a few hours and many more risen. Caught one excellent fish of over seventeen inches - a monster given the size of the river.

5 Trout

Only fished for 2 or 3 hours on this lovely best after arriving quite late on Sunday evening. There had been quite a lot of rain in the previous few days so was concerned that levels would be quite high - hence the Ithon which sounded like it may be less affected by rain than se of the other local stretches. This turned out to be true and the river was spot on and fishable. Fished a single PTN on a French leader, and took a few 6" or so brownies who all put up a good scrap. Very active fighters, probably lost twice as many as I got to hand. Most fish taken from the bubble lines through relatively deep water. A really nice beat with plenty of fish!

3 Trout, 1 Grayling

Couple of hours fishing on abbey dore. all trout came to mayfly dunn with beadhead nymph klink and dink .5-6 to nymph the rest to mayfly. All about 9 inches with a couple about 12 inches. Both grayling took beadhead in the deeper runs largest 14 inches the other 8 inches. Water levels quite low now. Fair few mayfly peeling off by 1pm and trout locked onto them instantly even with the hoards of spinners on the water.

15 Trout, 2 Grayling

Today there wasn't much fly life about so i fished Klink and dink/NZ style. They were obviously on the nymphs as every pool and pocket of water my flies were in I was hooking fish big and small. Managed to catch 30 plus fish from 1/4lb up to 2lb plus 18 inch fish. All wild fish and all released.

30 Trout

This is pretty beat with a good variety of water to fish. There was a sustained but very sparse hatch of yellow mayfly but the fish were more interested in the olive and brook dun hatches. Fish taken on size 18 and 16 grey with brown hackle klinkerhammer and size 14 LBD dry flies. The water was quite coloured today and the fish seemed only periodically to be rising but were obliging when they did. I fished from 11 until 14:30 at which point I had not seem any rises for almost an hour. The trees were loaded with duns though so i think the evening would have been good fishing alas I had to get home.
6 Canoeists did come and launch their canoes at the bridge in the middle of the beat. I asked if they were sure that they were allowed to access the river but they assured me they were, they also said that they would only be heading downstream of the bridge so with plenty of water upstream and fishing time being my relaxing time i left them to it.
WUF Note: There is a right of navigation on the Lugg from Presteigne Bridge downstream. However, canoeists may not cross private land to access the river without consent of the landowner, and it is unlikely this group had such permission.

7 Trout

Fished from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, caught 5 beautiful trout, largest of which about 10 inches, all taken on para Adams.

5 Trout

Fly Only area. Broken cloud and strong S.W.breeze. Started slowly but once I found the right depth etc. I was hitting fish on a regular basis. Very little surface activity and managed to land 5 fish which were taken on GRHE nymph. Things went quiet late afternoon and managed to take fish number 6 on a small muddler headed sedge type pattern on the surface. A great day.
It's a shame that such a fantastic venue is so neglected by Welsh Water. So much more could be done to improve access to the Fly Only sections of water and as always, discarded litter is evident everywhere.

6 Trout

No fish caught.

My first trip to this lovely river so far this season. The river took a while to get going after a cold night and I didn't see my first fish move until probably lunchtime. When the day warmed up there was a steady hatch of mayflies and other winged things, nothing dramatic but at least it got the fish rising.
I took most of the fish on a small DHE tied with a PT body, smallest about 10" and the largest about 13 or 14". The lower part of the river is very difficult to fish with fences across it every 100 or 200 yards, some of which are very tricky to get past. So I usually walk up the stream and start fishing beyond the first house, maybe a quarter of the way up the beat. That will get you past most of the fences and also avoids any confrontation with the owner of the house - she doesn't like people fishing! There's so much good water in the river to fish you won't miss out and it will make your day much more enjoyable, no torn waders, broken rods etc. and you'll still struggle to make it to the top of the beat.

15 Trout

Water had cooled dow a few degrees from my last visit. Started off on dry this was difficult, fish not showing much interest. Switched to nymph and started to connect with a few fish, biggest fish around a pound and a half. Went back on to dry early evening and had a few more, fishing a cdc olive pattern.
Lots of fly life ,loads of caddis, a few yellow may, pretty sure I saw some BWO, lots of spinners, and just the odd mayfly.

8 Trout