Feedback & Reports

A super day on a lovely beat. Weather was mild and mostly sunny with light winds. Fish were rising but only in bursts of about 5-10 minutes, followed by a lull for perhaps 30 minutes. All our fish were caught on dry flies, mostly small (size 20) griffith gnats. Best fish was 16 inches, perhaps about 1lb 10 ozs, but average size was 12-13 inches. Another Angler sharing the beat had more than 20 grayling. He was obviously more experienced (or skillful) than us.

8 Grayling

15 x grayling 6-16 inches, 2 x out of season trout, 6 and 10 inches. On dry flies, mainly Grayling Steel Blue, except for the OOS trout taken on nymphs. We had to work for our fish today. A bright, distinctly cold early morning, with nothing much hatching or rising until lunchtime. An otter was busy giving Stone Catch the works, so nothing doing there. After lunch, the grayling did start to show a bit as the day warmed up and pale watery duns were hatching, but rises were fussy and hard to hit and change flies often needed once you had missed a fish. It really got going about 5.30, but we were due to leave. Note to self: start later and finish later when possible - that last hour before dark can be the best of the day.

15 Grayling

Winter Grayling ticket....although it felt more like mid summer. Managed two grayling on a dry fly also missed a few. Had a go with nymphs had one take but missed it, a very picturesque beat.

2 Grayling

A fantastic location, able to fish every inch of this beat and being able to get car to bank added bonus. although hard work locating fish getting knocks M.B. managed to land 3 barbell, 5lb 5.5 lb and 7.2 lb. 2nd rod blanked but as a travelling duo never had a day on Wye when both rods blanked. another barbel and chub were lost of hook just before netting. Still a lot of salmon jumping. Would like to revisit the beat at start of season to get more out of it. Normal feeder pellets tactic used so the end of another 2 day trip to the Wye, not too many fish caught but the tranquility of being bankside in the country without a care in the world fishing superb waters and chasing the dream of a Wye double barbel is far better than being at work.

3 Barbel

Poor day, not even a bite, although first time we fished this venue. Conditions not easy (sunny, clear,low water).
Fished beats 3, 4 and 5 did a lot of walking, nice place as expected but long drive home.

5th blank in a row, very disappointing.

Saw fish on both beat 2 and beat 3 but failed to catch anything.

As this was a first visit to this beat, tried a number of different places: firstly on the section downstream of the woods and then towards the end of the day, in the woods, by the large rocks just upstream of the Froth Hole.
Fished with feeder (marine Halibut and pellets) and halibut bead for an end bait + a proprietary, strong-smelling paste (Ambush from Severn Valley) that I was trying for the first time .
Didn't have a single bite. Don't know whether this was to do with the bright, sunny weather, water temperature (it was cold) or my own lack of experience. Lovely day on the river though.

Fishing very poor, river very low with lots of debris and weed coming down the river, was impossible to keep a rig in the water for more than 5 mins!

3 Chub, 5 Other

River low. Fish easily spooked. Lovely day with heron, kingfisher and woodpecker in evidence.