Feedback & Reports

The river had dropped further overnight and looked really inviting, had a chub first cast and a grayling a bit later and that was it. The weather was so nice and the beat so peaceful we got a bit lazy and didn't move around, enjoyed the day though.

1 Grayling, 1 Chub

Nice height and a very warm day for mid March. Sunny all day so probably not the best conditions. Fished the fly through the upper pools but nothing doing. Moved down to bottom end and fished through with flying c but still nothing doing.

My first time on the beat no takes only used the fly rod only fished the middle of the beat

Lovely to be out but a really tough day. Many pools seemed devoid of fish!

5 Trout

Lovely sunny day, I decided to walk in the hills rather than fish.

River had just fined down after Wed/Thurs flooding. River still really pushing through. I blanked, my Dad had two Barbel early on. Fishing feeder very hard holding bottom. Banks had took a hammering, some big cracks in part of the swims we fished. Looked like they would fall in the water at any moment.

2 Barbel

Caught 6 rainbows and had at least 4 get off. Also had lots of plucks and pulls. Fish in good condition and fought well. Used an intermediate with black snake. Fish were shoaled and moving up and down the bank about 20metres out. Just a case of watching for a fishing surfacing and moving to that area and that's where the shoal had moved to.

6 Trout

River was a foot or so lower than Thursday running at a more fishable pace and starting to clear, we were fishing the top weir when I heard a galloping on the opposite bank, I turned to see what I thought was a dog but was surprised when I realised it was an otter that carried on running past and superman like dove off the bank into the weir right in front of us we stopped fishing but did not see him again. I am shocked at the size of this otter as the only one I seen before at an animal park was tiny in comparison, I googled otters and this was a fully grown adult that's obviously had a good winter from the size of him. No fish were caught no fly hatches.

Arrived on what will probably be the last day of winter after a frosty morning, weather remained cold and overcast with a maximum of 9C, the river looked about normal level but was pushing through surprisingly powerfully, and was nice and clear with a slight blue/green tint where it was deep enough.
Access downstream of the bridge was very limited with barbed wire, stock fences, fallen trees, steep banks and deep pools making things very difficult so I made my way upstream instead which was much easier going. I tried heavy gold heads to get down into the deeper water on the bends but failed to get a take. This is a lovely stretch which judging from past catch returns fishes very well but I think I was a month or two early as I saw no fish or fly life on the water.
I stayed at Pilleth Oaks B&B which was very nice and just a short walk from the river.

Took a chance on the Hindwell fining down faster than the Lugg. Was not the case! Still attempted trundling heavy bugs through steady pools, but no luck. Lovely couple of hours though to be on the water.