Feedback & Reports

The predicted rain didn't come so I had a pleasant day on the river, overcast warm with only a light wind. Access was very difficult. Through the gate you are faced with five foot high stinging nettles and shrub, I used my wading staff to hack a path to the river, only to find I was faced with a big drop onto soft mud and had to back track to find another entry point. Two flies lost in the first three casts wasn't a good start. I used dry flies throughout and managed to consistently get rises to them, but I think they were always very small and never managed to connect. Walked the entire beat, one dead sheep on the bank quite new. Exit at the top of the beat was tricky, walked back to my car along the road.

1 Barbel, 1 Chub

I didn't fish this day as the previous day had been so good (on the same beat) that I didn't fancy a downer!

1 half pound perch.

1 Other

Perfect conditions but fish were not keen. Sheer persistence was rewarded with 4 Barbel to 8lb and 6 Chub to 4lb. All on Halibut pellets in Wood section.

4 Barbel, 6 Chub

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