Feedback & Reports

8 x grayling 9-14 inches (mostly 13-14 inches), 5 x trout 6-10 inches, on various dry patterns. A slow day, a lot of which I spent snoozing on the bank. We have had some autumnal days lately, but this wasn't one of them, and it was a case of bright sun and very hot, low water etc. So the grayling, far from their usual happy-go-lucky relaxed rising right next to where you are standing sort of attitude, were actually quite spooky and it was necessary to rest the shoals regularly to get them rising again.

Otherwise, a whole group of canoes came through, school girls with a teacher, aparently unaware of the agreement. This is the third group I have seen come through this beat in the last month, all claiming to be most surprised when told that the whole river is not open to them at all times. From (polite) conversation, I'm pretty sure that in fact they all knew about the agreement, but simply chose to ignore it. I do hope we aren't going to end up with a situation on the upper river like that on the lower. Nobody would mind a few quiet canoers slipping past, but the problem is that while anglers usually pursue their pastime fairly quietly, canoers in numbers almost never seem to be able to. Is there any point in renewing agreements with people who seem to have no intention of keeping them?

Interested to read OB's return for yesterday from just up the river and am constantly amazed at how fickle insect activity and fish feeding patterns can be at this time of year. Today, with the river basking in almost unabated sunshine and a bit of a breeze, hardly anything moved at all. Hardly any insects to be seen, no hatch, surprisingly few late afternoon sedges and hardly a rising fish - I saw about four oncers all day! Tried emergers and things I could hardly see, on the top, in the film, dangling and down below, fished NZ style and dredged the depths as well. Just two 12" trout took pity on my HE emerger but the grayling were simply not in the mood. Well, it keeps you thinking! Answers on a postcard please.

P.S. Also seven very well equipped canoeists from up north who said that there was nothing on the canoe websites to say that they shouldn't be on the river at this time of year. Well there's a surprise! So much for compliance with the upper river access agreement.

Another tough day with crystal clear low water. Arrived at lunch time and eventually hooked 3 good WBT to 12 inches on a Gary La Fontaine deep sparkle pupa. Missed a few takes also + caught 1 minnow on a CDC & Elk !!

12 barbel to 9lb 2oz, plus a few chub.

Plenty of variety on this beat - from stepped and comfortable swims to overgrown and not so comfortable swims. Chub spotted but not fished for at the top end. We caught barbel from the middle section and even had the pleasure of hand feeding them just inches from the bank. I would think the lower swims could fish well in a flood, but in those conditions I wouldn't want to hook one of the huge carp spotted on this day!

Canoes were a pain but we caught a dozen or so barbel from the bottom end of the Rope Pool. Biggest around 8lbs. Salmon everywhere but no barbel from the Vanstone or above the Ford Stream. Will bring the salmon rod next time.

Very low and clear. Lovely stretch with lots of potential but only had 3 barbel - loads of chub caught though.

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...