Feedback & Reports

This was the second Day guiding R and D. Breakfast in the hotel was at 8.30am so we agreed to meet at 6.45am to see if we could winkle out a barbel before breakfast. We managed 3 by 8am so mission was accomplished, nothing large (all about 5lbs). After they returned from the breakfast feast,D said he had never seen an eel so we wandered off to a deeper stretch and within 10 minutes we had an eel of about 1lb so that ticked that box. We were just talking to Don and saying we hadn't caught any chub and with that the rod arched around and we had a chub of about 3.5lbs. So 6 chub later we were made to eat our words. The chub were quite large too, 3.5, 3, 4.4, 5, 4.9 and 4.8lbs. Then two barbel followed by 3 more chub to 4lbs 10oz ending the day on a high.
R and D thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks Don and W&U Foundation. Looks like the beat is pretty full for Sept good luck to those fishing there.

6 Barbel, 9 Chub, 1 Other

2 first timers @ fly fishing! There was very little action for ourselves or the chap next to us who was fishing a worm. Gave up at lunchtime and went home contented that we had at least improved our casting skills!

After some good sea trout fishing on the Usk the night before maybe I wasn't putting my back into it. Some huge fish spotted in the big pool a couple of hundred yards downstream of the bridge between upper and lower beats but I could only tempt one of the smaller ones, 12". Worth a second visit I reckon...

1 Trout

Beautifully kept banks and plenty of swims. River low and clear. Colin very friendly and helpful. All fish caught on pellet. Barbel to 9lb. Chub to 5lb. Fantastic day. Thanks Wye & Usk Foundation.

6 Barbel, 15 Chub

A bright sunny start becoming cloudier, water low and clear. Fished mid beat as before. I caught 1 barbel 8 lbs and my fellows angler caught his personal best barbel of 7 lbs 4 oz and 3 chub to 4 lbs. Not such a good day for me but still a great day on the Wye.

2 Barbel, 3 Chub

Not the best day, one trout caught on worm.

1 Trout

What a delightful stretch of river this is, lots of likely looking spots, plenty of fly life, and fish rising sporadically throughout. Fishing the duo, Adams klinkhammer and a pheasant tail nymph, caught fish on both the dry fly and the nymph throughout the beat. Nothing bigger than 6inches landed, though lost a couple that felt a bit bigger, and lost count of the amount of salmon parr I caught. Already looking forward to my next go at this beat.

15 Trout, 10 Other

13 x grayling 8-16 inches on a Rusty Klinkhammer. The river is now very low and we could really use some proper rain. On the other hand, as the weather cools slowly, the main river grayling are shoaling and coming more into prominence. Pick one of the upper Wye beats such as Llyn Em, Abernant, parts of Gromaine, Ty Newydd etc (don't neglect the Builth Town Water), ideally on a cloudy day, and find a shoal in the right mood, get all those ducks in line...and you could have a very nice day. We had an absolute beginner this week, his very first day of fly-fishing, who got 25 grayling, mostly of 13 and 14 inches, on the dry fly, and most of them by standing in one spot. And he didn't mind at all that it was drizzling slightly with rain and he had no jacket. I did tell him, in between netting and unhooking fish for him, that grayling are moody creatures and it wouldn't always be like this - queuing up to take his fly.

13 Grayling

A blessedly overcast but warm day, with the water warmish at 16 degrees, and holding 6 inches on the local guage. As per OB's report from just downstream at P-y-F, the grayling were in obliging mood with 25 fish taken before 5pm. Not much fly all day - just a few yellow mays, some sedges and a few small olives. Some fish rose off and on but were mainly oncers, and most fish that were caught were non-risers, including the small trout and parr. All fish taken on a small dark olive emerger. Thought of trying spiders and nymphs, but given recent experiences at Abernant and Doldowlod, it seemed unnecessary to change, on the principle that if it works for now, don't fix it! Grayling of 10, 12 and 14" well represented so, as usual, better year-class succession in prospect here compared with further up at Doldowlod.

3 Trout, 25 Grayling, 5 Other

Weather warm and overcast, river low and clear, not many obvious rises. Late hatch still didn't cause much visible surface activity so fished dry in the faster water on down stream section. Used size 16 Klinkhammer in the main riffles and glides. Missed as many fish as brought to hand. One perfect 12" WBT and a smaller 6". Others were small 4" Graying. Used a 6'6", 3 weight rod. So much fun on light tackle. Access to fishing difficult due to overgrown banks and surrounding fields.

2 Trout, 3 Grayling