Feedback & Reports

This is our 3rd visit to Caradoc with only 4 rods fishing as per the local rules, again the river proved rock hard on what has to be one of our favourite beats available, extremely peaceful and quite, especially after Wyastone Leys the previous day, all set in stunning surroundings.
Like may other previous reports the weed was a problem throughout and despite searching most of the beat, starting on the shallows and working our way back upriver past the hut, only 3 Barbel around the 7lb were landed by the pellet anglers.
One of the rods did put together a reasonable catch of silver fish trotting sweetcorn from one of the croyes, dace and chublets etc, with none of the bigger Chub or Barbel being tempted by the method.
Again many Salmon were heard and spotted crashing around, especially around the hut leaping well clear above the water on several occasions, this must me some ritual the fish perform to entertain the anglers.
All in all a fitting end to a wonderful 3 day beak, made even more enjoyable by record braking weather, “we will be back”.

8-9 18cm to 25cm. 1 x 25cm fish killed. A dozen or so under 18cm.

19 x grayling 12-17 inches, 1 trout 12 inches. This was dry fly heaven; they were rising when I got there and it went on all day, so no need to try any other method. I started with a small Klinkhammer and went back over the same pools a second time with a Grayling Steel Blue when the first fly had lost its charm. Very nice fish with an excellent average size - a lot of 15 inch fish in the Irfon at the moment. The temperature had reached 24 degrees C when I finished mid-afternoon.

Not a bite didn't see any fish either, but it was very hot and sunny, there was so much weed coming down it was very hard to keep the rod in the water (huge clumps). Apart from that, lovely place, nice swims, easy parking.

Caught around 30 fiesty young barbel in the 1.5 to 3lb range. This is very encouraging to find two to three year old fish in what appeared to be large shoals. Rarely catch barbel under 5lbs usually. We also caught a few chub to 4lbs and half a dozen barbel in the usual 5-8lb range. All taken on halibut pellet.

Bring on the Indian Summer if this is what is going to happen - sunny and hot all day but pretty breezy too from mid-morning until late afternoon. Early stonefly, a few PWs but none of yesterday's olives seen further up the river at Abernant. Very few rises; mainly oncers. However, we managed to catch 42 grayling between us (but very few trout). Most grayling taken on emerger patterns irrespective of whether they were rising or non-rising fish. Flies included HE, olive and PW emergers and Grayling Steel Blue (about 1/3 of all emerger-caught fish taken on this pattern). L's catch, whilst fishing duo, also included eight grayling taken on a tiny, gold tung-headed pink nymph whilst D, less productively at this time, slavishly persevered with emergers (the benefit of ringing the changes)! Fish from 8-12 inches, and a significant number in the 13-15 inch class. A good day to reward L's journey from the Dee.

2 Rods fished today 2nd trip of the week! 2nd 10LB Barbel ( 10lb 4oz ). Total was 5 Barbel & 3 Chub to one rod. Same tactics Pellet & paste. If you want big fish this is definitely the stretch for it.

2 early mornings and 3 evenings fished. Salmon were spotted by the willow between the Upper Rocks and the Rocks on the wooded bank, at the Rock itself, below the Chine and at the cables downstream of the bridge. Sufficient in number to be fishing with purpose. I enjoyed fishing the Upper Rocks and Rocks with the double handed rod. My casting has improved from the left shoulder, left hand up. Fished for trout on Friday mid morning at Wood Stream, caught 7 small ones lost 1 good trout plus missed a few. If we are having July weather at the end of September, can the season go into November?

Hot and sunny day. Five Trout caught all on dry fly. Met Stewart retired Game Keeper who made the day with his amusing tales and expert knowledge of the river. Excellent fishery with easy to find insructions from Wye and Usk Foundation.

6 trout on Klinkhammer or gold head nymph. One at 10oz retained.