Feedback & Reports

Nil return. Water was slightly coloured but fishable with a bright fly. Very heavy rain from mid morning.
Biggest disappointment was not knowing enough about the parts of the beat that were possible to fish at this time. We had tried calling the fishery manager several times and established when we booked into the Royal Lodge hotel that he was tied up assisting some filming with Dean Macey. On the day we spent nearly 2 hours looking up and down the beat to determine where we could fish and more appropriately where we could get into the water. On the left bank many of the pool areas had very steep banks and were bordering on dangerous to try and get down to the water. We did manage to speak to the fishery manager about lunch time and were advised to fish the pools we had settled on but from the right bank. We found these and had a few hours of enjoyable fishing. However during that time each of us slipped over multiple times getting down to the river. Some strategically placed ropes to assist would have helped greatly. We were told that we could wade out to the island at martins pool but as the water was somewhat cloudy and we had no idea on depth again ropes would have given us both the appropriate location to wade and an aide to avoid any accidents.

Went to the upper stretch first but found very few swims and decided to fish the lower. Ended up with 3 Barbel, 1 Chub and a Gudgeon.

3 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

Caught 11 barbel to 7lbs 2oz and 4 chub on Thursday. Great days fishing. After the rain on Thursday, the river was just right first thing Friday and a 7lbs 14oz barbel and a few chub were caught. Then the river rose very fast and we had to pack up at 4.30pm as the foot path became flooded. Much debris coming down and difficult to hold in the slack in the bottom swim on Wyebanks.

12 Barbel, 7 Chub

2 Barbel, 3 Chub

A 10lb hen fish from Beat 3 caught on a willie gun. Ably assisted in landing by Alistair Campbell.

1 Salmon

At last some water, however was like chocolate. Fished all morning with fly as river was dropping. Thunderstorm and heavy rain at lunchtime so sheltered in car for an hour. Switched to spinner for afternoon but river started to rise rapidly and soon became impssible to fish. Ended up fishing from second step at the rock pool as all bank flooding.

Nice place. 6 fish.

3 Barbel, 3 Chub

7 Barbel, 4 Chub

Arrived early morning prior to sunrise & very high tide. On high tide the river lifted 1' right up to Cadora pool, saw a couple of rolling fish on the tide but unable to fish for them with the fly. Waited an hour after high tide then resumed fishing.
Fished until 2pm had 1 small Trout. Throughout the morning the river continued rising bringing with it lots of leaves, logs and debris.
Pretty disappointing end to a very disappointing season on the Wye.

1 Trout

Fishing as a guest of the owner : 6lbs hen, and 13lbs hard fighting cock on small black fly on full float line.
My first return trip to the upper Wye since my May salmon capture and so encouraging to fish in the rain for a change. Well most of the pools up here have held salmon since all that winter and spring rain. Now with temperatures dropping and a small river rise, the salmon (as I write) are not yet running through, but beginning to think about it. My plan was to wade deep in the low river, and with a small black fly on a full floater fish the fast shallow(ish) heads of the pools. It's great fun and a tremendous asset, to use the exposed boulders to hold the line out there over the holes behind. Sure enough, right at the head of the ash tree pool a 6 pounder came to the net. Two hours later in the fast white water of the Aber Pool a very strong 13 pound cock fish fought all the way to the net. The Craig Llyn beat is indeed a wonderfully exciting place to fish for salmon, and I believe the upper river presently holds quite a few. Given one good spate there should be plenty to catch.

2 Salmon