Feedback & Reports

Hard work but a great day. River was a great colour but so so low. Could see the bottom about half way across in a swim we've fished a few times before. We fished from 11:00 to 21:00 and the barbel came late in the session. Best was just under 7lb.
Some of the swims are quite overgrown but still accessible. Might be an idea to take a billhook in case some space is needed.

4 Barbel, 3 Chub

Cooler, overcast day with intermmitent drizzle but luckily little wind. Fish were rising sporadically all day but with no consistency. Fly hatching all the time and a few mayflies were still about.
Fished from bottom of Lady Alexander's Catch to the top of the pool in the morning then Abernant Stream in the afternoon.
After a quiet first half hour settled on something #16 , white with a green body - then the fun started.
Had 11 grayling and 2 trout in the morning - all on the same fly bar 1 grayling on a nymph when I decided to plumb the deeper fast water at the head of the pool.
Switched to a #16 deer's hair emerger in the afternoon and caught consistently along the length of Abernant Stream. Stopped counting when I got over 20 grayling.
Most of the fish in LAC were 6" to 8" with one at 10" and another at 12". The fish from AS were consistently larger - but none over 12".
Both trout were around 10".
Fishing barbless I must have hooked and lost another 10 fish and in LAC must have missed as mant fast takes as I hit.
All in all a wonderful day's fishing.

Footnote:

This time last week I was fishing in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park for wild rainbows and brook trout. Wonderful streams like the Little Pigeon River and the West Prong. Should have taken my tenkara rod as would have been perfect on these tumbling rivers and streams.
The Smoky Mountain Angler in Gatlinburg in an excellent, helpful store. Hired me a 3wgt sage rod and reel at $15 a day and a 3 day permit was another $30. Recommended method was "dry and dropper" with "anything with yellow" for the fly and a small ptn or hare's ear.
Plenty of small rainbows caught - but beware snakes in the river and on the banks (3 seen) and the small matter of black bear - we saw 8 but luckily none when I was fishing.

2 Trout, 20 Grayling

The day was overcast and the forecast was for rain, so thankfully canoeists seemed to be discouraged, although sadly not eradicated. We were fishing with fly only and we covered all the fly water above and below the bridge, on the Symonds Yat West side of bridge, before heading down to the sand/gravel bar which looks as if it may have been washed away during the winter. We ended up fishing the island and then one more run down to the bridge. We saw one fish crash out of the water near Martin's Bar, impossible to reach with a fly. The water level was surprisingly low and we were told the farmers were given permission to abstract water from the river in the last few days. A very pleasant day with no fish caught.

Used small greenwells glory dry flies. These little trout are really quick. Usual plonker walking a dog throwing sticks in the brook despite me being in the water fishing!

8 Trout

River looked daunting to this usual small stream fisherman and I wasted the first hour of the evening (six til ten) attempting to wade across the top flats to some rising fish. Rest of the session was concentrated around tail of pools further down. Not a lot of fish rising and they almost stopped after a brief shower. Took one 12" grayling on a 14 gold head GRHE and one 10" trout on a rust Klinkhammer. Needs a whole day and I'll be giving that soon.

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

Another great day on the Wye, very nice stretch easy access.

2 Barbel, 4 Chub

Late start after moving from another section that was not for us, bit of a struggle in reasonable conditions warm over cast all day river low but still a little colour all fish on feeder tactics and taken at random throughout the day and nothing in the evening period!! Still a super time had thanks wuf.

7 Barbel, 4 Chub

Great day out and a lovely location.

14 Barbel, 6 Chub

Chub to 3 lbs, Barbel to 6 lb 2. Lots of Salmon seen.

4 Barbel, 7 Chub

Terrific day's fishing, into big chub and a barbel early doors, picked up the odd chub in the middle of the day , a film crew on the opposite bank about 100 yards upstream , aided by a guide, had 6 barbel in couple of hours.(I could hear every word they were saying, all the patter about 'The golden torpedo of the river') I was getting knocks and thumps on the feeder/ hair rigged pellets all afternoon.. Changed to a light bomb and superglued pellet, touch-legered - boom - instant barbel. Had 7, plus three big chub, in the next hour and a half.Packed up after barbel number 8 - quite enough excitement in such a short time! Can't fault this beat - good pegs, easy accessibility, paved with fish.

8 Barbel, 12 Chub