Feedback & Reports

This is the first time I’ve fished a wild beat and it won’t be the last, Weather was cool with light showers and the fishing was tough, managed 5 to the net taken on small PTNs on the more open riffles on the top beat.

A little bit of confusion at the Trout in with the parking as I was told could not park there so parked up around the corner just down from the gate before the bridge. Other than that, a lovely day

5 Trout

All fish caught on a Parachute Adams. Tried a little nymphing and some other dry patterns but no joy - clearly the Adams is the one to go for.

River was low but easily fishable - fished the upper beat - about a third of it - plenty of fishy spots and decent fly life.

Couldn't see a way to get past the iron footbridge about a third up the beat - properties to both sides so was reluctant to trespass and it was too deep (for me) to wade. Having said that I had a really good day just on that first third of the beat. Also couldn't find a way down to the river that didn't involve climbing over barbed wire - maybe my fault but I did ask at the Trout Inn.

10 Trout

Well,what a weird start to my day , bowled up at the Duhonw at half nine ..... not a sniff of any trout activity for nearly two and half hours, nothing seen either .... how odd I thought !!@ Anyway when I returned to my truck had a chat with the chappy who lives close too the Bridge, and he reported a white grey substance to the very interested NRW, IN FACT SO INTERESTED, THEY BOWLED UO TWO DAYS LATER, commented that the water sample he took would be useless .... so there you go a totally professional response!!!! SO PROACTIVE HEY !!!!
Anyway , WUF this needs addressing as I didn't even raise a fish in quite a lengthy beat of river, none seen also .... I'm guessing pollution has done its worst !! I moved onwards to the lovely Cammarch .... and was relieved to get takes to my sparkle dun, and later on a tiny Para Adams ..... Great fun , a nice four hours, managed seven to the net, and a few that didnt male it, as always.... the fish go crazy here once hooked ..... Great fun though !!!
Made up for what I thought was a sad start to the day ..... the Duhonw used to be alive with little feisty brownies..... not any more !!! Unless an otters has stomped through the whole beat ...... mmmmm I wonder!!!! Lol !!!
Anyway .... some leg work done today , personally WUF , I'd put the Duhonw out of bounds till the grey white substances identified, that has been seen on more than one occasion so the chappy said , perhaps some investigations upstream of the Bridge parking on that beat ...
Right, time for a cold bottle of beer .... and my weeks wild stream extravaganza shall continue tommorrow, happy days ......

7 Trout

Hot and sunny conditions so trout were down and staying put, lucky to catch one small trout on a dhs. Lovely little river and water levels good.

1 Trout

A quick session this morning, Upper beat, between nine and twelve .... dank and pretty miserable this morning , made dry fly sport tricky !!! Who can blame the trout.... I wouldnt play ball either !! Still, sport was OK, they're a good stamp of fish on this Upper beat, with a couple of really decent eleven inch fish and two of about ten .... good for here !! I only went up to metallic foot bridge as above that it's just a Rocky gorge to be honest !!
Managed five to the the net, chunky strong fish too, they nailed my Para Adams with gusto !!! Two more slipped the hook, aaarrgggggggghhhhh !!!
As I'm writing this it's heavier rain now in Rhayader, down right autumnal if I'm honest !!! Berries,squirrels and leaves in the river are all the signs that the season is coming to a close !!!
I did enjoy the brief session this morning must admit, think I'll give either Llandewi or the Arrow a bash next week, seems that hardly anyone is bothering with the wild streams, shame as with a bit of work they're much better than a lot of the bigger beats on the Wye and Usk .... but I guess a lot of folks don't like the effort involved ..... cest la vie !!! Anyway, the ones who do enjoy them, leaves us with a huge array of choices ..... lovely job!! Must admit, I think a structured trimming on ALL WILD STREAMS NEEDS TO BE DONE !!!! A cracking morning, time to abuse the running machine and rower in the gym now !!! Lol !!!!

5 Trout

Later afternoon, I did four lovely, stealthy hours on the Upper section of the Lower beat .... lively too, with good sport from about three ish .... took refuge under a big oak from half two , only a quick heavy shower but really lashing it down!!!
When it stopped activity was good from the off in fairness ... dry fly sport on both an olive klinkhammer and iron blue was bang on, lots of insect life appeared after the rain, including sedges ........ The usual stamp of brownies here, between six and ten inches today.... feisty strong little fish, that absolutely smash a well placed dry, suuuuuuuuuperb stuff !!
Nine made it yi the net, and two or three that slipped my hook ..... still a fun afternoon .... this beat is huge so breaking it up is perfect for me .... I used another grass verge pull in, close to where I go out four days ago, which I'd earmarked, ... was perfect to set off from were I finished the other day .... its great dry fly water and even in the glides, cast tight to the sides and they're quite happy to come out and nail your offering !!!
Lots of grey squirrels seen today, and in fact I could have bagged about a dozen .... starting to feed up heavily now on all the nuts and beech mast!!!
Will have to touch base with the farmer .... see if my services are maybe welcome !!! Anyway, a great few hours, got out shy of the main drag and walked back down to my truck, it's fast becoming a favourite dry fly water of mine..... Great fun,nothing huge ,but that's not what a wild stream is all about .... back home and a bottle of very chilled Amber nectar awaits !!! Will fish one of the Elan lakes early bells tommoz well before campers, dogs and screaming kids turn up !!! Lol !!! Lifes good sometimes hey.....

9 Trout

Hadn't fished the lovely Cammarch for quite some time, so decided on the lower beat ...plenty of water in it when I parked up at half ten, cracking, with its usual reddy tinge to it .....dry fly perfection I'd say !!!
Fished a single dry as I always do in the summer months .... its just gotta be done hey !! A tiny Para Iron Blue brought them up after some stealthy wading .... hard work with the tree canopy and growth to be honest, and I'm tired of saying this beat needs a haircut , that beat needs a trim, so I'm not going too, but it does,big time !!! Lol !!!.....
Superb fun where it opens up and i had four respectable stream trout in a tally of eleven...ranging in sizes six to perhaps eleven inches .... like grease lightening here.... thought I was on the ball with my dry fly work,but I missed maybe four good rises , oh well, still great fun ..... and also three good fish didn't quite make it to the net ... aarrggghhhhhhh never mind .......
A lovely four hours, only did half of the lower beat, as got out, up the steep bank hit the road for the longish walk back to my truck, but a smashing few hours dry fly sport, I'd go as far as to say its as good as the Edw and the fish go barmy when hooked!!!
Will give the Upper beat a bash next week, nice to be back in the confines of the stream, up close and personal with the brownies, after a couple of great days on Caban Coch and Claerwen reservoirs, lovely job, home time and a bottle of Rev.James is waiting for me , spot on !!!!!

11 Trout

Fished for a few hours around mid-day, which in mid-August probably isn't the best time. Nice to see the river with a bit of water in it. Very little fly life a few midges and a couple of caddis, didn't see any rising fish. However I did pick up a few on the nymph. So a very pleasant few hours on this very nice beat.

3 Trout

Fished lower beat only. No fish seen (except fry), no takes or fishy activity.
Tried different flies and methods, all in the pouring rain. River rising steadily but fishable, just about.
No access to upper beat. The Trout Inn car park is separated by barbed wire fencing from the field, which might otherwise provide river access. No safe access from bridge at the bottom of the upper beat either, only a drop into the river down a steep bank. Access around bridge very overgrown and would damage waders, which are pricey.
A tree is down in the lower beat making wading impossible throughout the whole stretch.

Unbelievably hot evening, river worryingly low, I was delighted to rise anything at all and consider 4 little uns a good result under the circumstances. Couldn't find access via field to left of pub, ended up using the bridge a little downstream. The pint afterwards in The Trout Inn was the most refreshing I've had for many a month....

4 Trout