Feedback & Reports

First time here on this mainly slabs/gutters/rocky-bottomed beat. A few upwings during the day including pale wateries, but hardly any rising fish. Wasn't able to raise any non-risers with emergers nor find any with nymphs. Had two 12" and one 14" rising trout, taken on a HE emerger. Saw an otter and also three goosanders all of whom no doubt had a far more succesful days fishing than I did! Will report FEB sightings to the UUFA and to the AT's Cormorant Watch website (if these birds are residents, then not good news for the local trout population).

P.S. Spent the evening on the Gwent A. S. Ty Mawr beat above Abergavenny and had several trout on my Yellow May emerger - enough YMs coming off until about 8 p.m. to get the fish interested!

Started at 11am the first swim - fishing hemp feeder with monster crab boile plus paste wrap. First and only bite 1pm landing a Barbel of 8lb 10oz. 3pm moved to other end of stretch and whilst checking other swims with out tackle - came back to find my bag had rolled down the bank and now floating in the drink!! Thanks to the couple in canoe who saved me from getting half naked and wet!!
Settled down in the last swim of the beat with no afternoon action at all. Moved again to the mid part near the extraction pipes about 6pm - caught a small chub about 3 lb at about 8.30pm.

Arrived at 7am, caught a 7lb barbel at 10.30am, then 4 chub during the day before an 8lb barbel at 7pm.
Great setting as usual, perfect days fishing...

8 x grayling, mostly around 14 inches, 5 x trout 6-10 inches. A mixture of dries and spider patterns. A beautiful place to spend time as always (you could almost believe yourself on the Spey here). Unfortunately the afternoon was extremely hot and bright (like the summer we never had) so that grayling, although present in the usual places, were a bit nervous and reluctant to rise at times. Necessary to rest the shoals or change patterns and on reflection I might have done better with nymphs. Potted salmon present in Stone Catch.

I had not read the previous reports about there being only one real peg/barbel area. This seems to be the case during this period of low water. I fished 4pm till 8 and caught 4 barbel - 5 -6 pounds. I may fish here again but only if I were the only rod on the beat.

Water still very low with no freshening despite recent rain consequently the water was very clear and therefore making stalking more interesting. Managed one Grayling of 4", plus two small browns of 5-6". Less cloud cover and therefore brighter than previous session.

3 Wild Brown Trout 6" to 10". Missed others and saw a kingfisher, a fox, yellow wagtail and a dipper. Great day!

2 x browns approx 9" caught on small gold head hare's ear.
Water very clear lots of fry, trout parr & small grayling.
Large male otter seen approx 60-80 yards North of the footbridge. Lower Southern wooded area very weedy unable to fish. Between Southern wooded area and close to footbridge, bullocks in the water feeding on the river vegetation unable to fish most of this area. Wooded area above the North weir too deep to wade unable to fish.

6 WBT up to 10inches taken on klinkhammer and PTN's. Some fish showing in the slower sections but spooked as soon as a cast goes over them. Several small fish showing in the riffles but no signs of the bigger fish.

We met Ian Boney's friend Mark at The Boat Inn who took us down to the beat. He didn't rate our chances as the river was the lowest he'd ever seen it. With neither of us having fished a river at all for well over 15 years, it's safe to say confidence was low.
We were very pleasantly surprised to catch 19 chub between us ranging between 2.5lb and 5lb in a six hour session. Pity we couldn't find an elusive barbel but we'll be back to try again for sure.