Feedback & Reports

Beat B40 - Cefn Rhosan Fawr. 18-Sep, generally very few fish were rising and there was little evidence of fish activity during the day, 2 Brown Trout caught, both less than 6” and returned, flies used Adams Parachute (#16) and Orange & Partridge Spider (#16). Fishing a BH GRHE (#12), in the deep pool on the bend approx 50m upstream of the water fall I encountered what appeared to be a substantial fish that stayed deep, but lost it (unhooked) on my light tackle – great sadness. In the early evening numerous fish were leaping the falls, great fun to watch.

Beat B42 – Penpont. 19-Sep, numerous fish rising throughout the day and evening beneath the beech trees in the upper bridge section, but they were easily spooked. There was little sign of fish activity throughout the rest of the beat, although I caught two small trout on Adams Parachute (#16) in the section around “high bank” beneath the trees.

Beat R21 – The Lugg, Pilleth Beat. 20-Sep, I have to agree this is one of the most beautiful rivers I have encountered. Unfortunately, there was no sign of fish activity and blanked. I have one major issue with the handbook guidance notes; whereas I agree wading is easy the river cannot be wadded in wellingtons as indicated. Very many of the pools were too deep for even thigh waders and the nature of the river banks along with the heavy undergrowth along the banks make it impractical to leave the river to pass around them. As I only wore thigh waders on this beat, I eventually gave up out of frustration.

General comments:
I stayed at the White House Country Inn, Sennybridge; a most welcoming and accommodating establishment.

The general WUF telephone advice was excellent and I thank you for your patience in addressing my many questions. I appreciate that the general guidance notes in the handbook advise chest waders for the main rivers, however, I believe the Beat Summary guidance notes for both B40 and B42 are wrong to suggest that these beats can be fished in thigh waders; throughout both beats I encountered many occasions where chest waders were essential.

Overall, I enjoyed my few days fishing the WUF beats and look forward to next season.

Hard work on a low, clear river. Not helped by the weather -in spite of a forcast of a mild day with plenty of cloud, it turned out hot with more or less continuous bright sun (not that I am complaining). Not much happening at the bottom of the beat but more activity in the faster runs in the top two meadows. A few small Browns rising to what looked like olives.

Eventually suceeded in hooking one on a PWO (Size 18). Better quality fish to follow - the best Grayling and the second Brown were both 1lb plus - on weighted nymphs before an early finish to try to beat the traffic on the A44.

Blank. I went through the fly box offering patterns large and small without getting a fish to take. By last knockings I was totally frustrated and had progressed to a five inch Collie Dog on the leader - why not, I had tried everything else. As I reeled it back across the surface of the Vanstone Pool before going home, one did attack it with a tremendous bang...and of course missed completely. Nor would it come again. One of those days; as I drove off at dusk, there was a cheeky salmon breaching exactly where I had been wading.

Four good sized grayling and a salmon parr caught on a small salmon fly. No salmon seen moving, river very low. All fish returned.

Managed to make it this time! Absolutely glorious day to be on the river. Sometimes you have to stop fishing and take in the wonderful suroundings. Fished from about halfway up the beat had a beaded HE under a klink. Started to get snatches at the klink in the faster water, no hook ups though, took two 10" trout on the nymph. Crossed the river above the weir and fished a run on the other bank, took five grayling on the nymph, one lovely fish of about 16". After landing that big boy and faced with a long drive back to Kent I finished about 1pm a happy man.

Around 10 grayling, all returned, taken from the top again, biggest at 2 1/4 lb. Around 10 brownies all under a pound also on dries, all returned. Best fishing below the lodge where the stream enters the main river.

Fantastic fishing and environment as usaul and some great trips to the roving voucher streams too. Thank you.

(3 rods)

Stunning location, easy to find due to good directions. Weather dry and sunny, river level low. Catch returns as follows:

I.M. 4 x Grayling to 15".
T.H. 3 x Grayling to 12" and 2 x Trout to 10".
All fish returned in good condition.

I made a tactical error here, by deciding to fish dry fly on this lovely warm September day. But nothing much hatching, nothing much rising, and by mid-afternoon I had a 6 inch trout to show for my efforts. Only when I changed to a heavy nymph rig in the last hour to search the deep pools did the grayling start to come: then 4 x grayling to 15 inches. In other words, the beat fished exactly as it did in February and I should have stayed with the heavy flies all along!

Incidentally, the holiday cottage bit, where you can't fish when it is occupied as it was on this day, has some of the best grayling pools, unfortunately.

Always a tough beat although (even tougher with low clear water) perseverance normally results in at least one "porker". Not this time however, as usual the bottom pool by the camping field provided some nice fish eager to rise to a dry, got 4 about 8-10" in the morning.
The rest of the day and the beat was a blank. Hung around by the house as conditions were perferct for an evening rise, nothing doing however.

3 grayling to a max 2lbs beuatiful fish in top condition, 4 brownies to max of 1 lb. All fish returned. Low water but a hatch and all taken from the top with dries.
(3 rods)