Feedback & Reports

3 chub to 3lbs, 3 Barbel to 7lbs.

I fished the Upper Clochfaen yesterday [ 13/9/09 ] and forgot to leave a catch return...........Two fine fish were all I had time to catch, a Grayling of 13" and a Trout 14" both to dry fly.

10 x grayling 10 inches - 17.5 inches; 5 x out of season trout 8-10 inches.

I liked this beat, which is also new to me. It has interesting gravel shelves and flats for those who like to fish at long range, plus the usual deep trenches for trundling heavy nymphs at close range. Something for everybody here, and several really nice grayling were included in the bag. Mostly grayling wets, Treacle Parkin and Grayling Steel Blue, and a few fish taken on dries late afternoon with olives hatching. It would be nice if we could park off the main road by the farm though. Also, it is really 1.6 miles long? I seemed to arrive on Lanfechan quite quickly.

[WUF note: Our apologies, this is a misprint in the Passport - the beat is actually 2/3 mile long. The website will be amended asap.]

Many thanks for my day out at Llanfechan - the first time that I have fished this stretch from this side of the river - am more usually at Cefnllysgwynne! It is delightful and offers different access to the river.
Fished after our second 2 degree frost of the autumn. A cold 2deg C at 8.30 (thank God for the gloves) but warmed to 15 by mid afternoon. Water temperature now down to 6 deg C. but a beautiful sunny day.

Had a non-rising 14" grayling second cast on a HE emerger so they were even in head's up mode by then. By the end of the day I had taken 10 graying mainly 10" but two 14" and one 16", and five trout with the best 1.5lb. All returned. Most fish on the emerger but some on a brass tung-head GRHE nymph. Gnats early on and some small Ephemerids emerging by the afternoon and fish rising. Saw no goosanders nor cormorants.

Clear water and a bright day. We caught only half a dozen chub on luncheon meat, biggest 5lb-10oz. Nevertheless a very enjoyable day. Thank you.

1 x 6 inch grayling. Out of my comfort zone here as I haven't fished the Ithon before; couldn't do much with it, possibly due to colour in water (well, I have to have an excuse!).

Monday Caradoc: To rent this much water for the day for £20.00 each must be the bargain of the year. Only problem was where [swims] to settle first? So much choice.

Probably didn't choose to wisely as days returns didn't quite match our hopes on arrival. 1 Barbel 6.4lbs & 6 Chub to 4.5lbs, all fish caught on Pellets. A big thankyou to the Ladies at Wye & Usk Office for their assistance in helping to make our first trip so enjoyable.

There can be few finer sights than a mist shrouded Lyepole valley on an autumnal morning. River very low and clear - so much so that, with the bright early morning sun low in the sky, it was all but impossible to avoid casting a shadow over the fish I was trying to cover. A few spooked fish and a few tentative plucks at nymphs with banker pools/glides not producing and an angler rapidly running out of ideas before hitting a run of quality Grayling on Czech nymphs and weighted shrimp patterns. A dozen plus fish to maybe 1.5lb plus 3 small unseasonal Trout.

Highlight of the day though was stumbling across a big dog Otter as I climbed down the bank at the bottom of the beat. I say "stumbling" advisedly as I all but trod on it as I crashed through the Himalayan Balsam as I made my not very elegant entry to the river. The Otter was not in the least fazed by my arrival and carried on doing what it was doing - turning over stones (and feeding on whatever it was finding beneath them). I must have watched it for fully five minutes - from no more than 15 feet away - before it got bored with me and ambled off. Priceless

Nil return. Didn't see or connect with a fish all day. Clear blue sky and bright sun overhead not ideal (for fishing) but water looked very good.

The weather and fishing gods blessed a lovely Autumn day. A dozen or so grayling to 15" brought to hand; some on goldhead nymphs but most to a para emerger pattern.