Feedback & Reports

A very raw day fishing the likely pools at the top end of the beat. Flushed a woodcock walking through the woods. Not much on the fishing front. Just one very cold grayling that came in like an old twig. I look forward to having another go when the fish are a bit more obliging.

Water extremely high so no surprise that nothing caught. Even in depths of winter in full spate this is a beautiful beat and well worth a trip just to admire the scenery. Can't wait to come again with sensible water conditions!! A great day out nevertheless.

Location - near Ross On Wye. Bait - Large dead roach. Tackle - 30lb braid, Size 6 trebels, dart float. Catch - Pike 32lb 2ozs Caught at dusk.

WUF Note : Not a Wye & Usk Foundation Booking

I'm sitting here looking at all the ice on the web cams and trying to imagine a system of rod ring de-icers, something to do with a battery in the pocket and little wires to each ring. Do you reckon that could be patented or would a carbon rod vanish in flames? My teen-aged daughter is saying: get a life, Dad.

One of the coldest days I have ever fished, didn't help when I had a major wader leak! Fished various heavy nymphs as the river was still pacy, but never had a touch. So for the record, two blanks.

Still enjoyed the day out though and will be back.

Had a 19lb 2oz at 8am on a large whole herring. No more runs. Rained all day.

No fish caught on either nymph or dry, the river was above normal winter level and turbid.

Freezing cold day with snow on bank and sheets of ice coming down river. Piking on deadbaits - not a run all day.

We had a great day paticularly myself. R caught 1 out of season trout 10" and 1 grayling. I had no sucsess with the fly rod iceing being the main problem and I gave up after 1.5 hrs. Turned to trotting and caught 1st gayling of 2.5lbs but had to manoeuvre this over 3mtrs of ice in front of me. Before going to lunch I entered the water still in my wadeing gear and cleared about 10mtrs of ice sending this on down the river. After lunch, first cast, another fish to 2.5lbs followed by 8 more. 10 fish in total, not bad considering the conditions (I will be back).

12 x grayling to 14", traditional grayling wets fished deep on sinking leader. Forecast promised plus one degree temperatures; what we got was minus one degree, which makes all the difference between rod rings icing and not icing! So trotting was impossible, but I did manage to take some with the fly rod which at least has bigger rings to clear the ice out of. You can work down a run with a constant length of line out spey casting, but once you catch a fish, you can't avoid it, you have to draw line in through the rings which is necessarily followed by wading ashore to de-ice.

Coffee in a nice warm kitchen at owners where major cooking operations were going on, followed by lots of snow to cause a delayed journey home...very Christmassy!

I hope you had a nice holiday.