Feedback & Reports

Fished for about 3 hours. Water condition was excellent. It was a really cold day with a brisk wind. Water was freezing on the rod. No takes.

Stood under the open hatchback reluctantly sliding into waders that were still wet from the day before thinking I must be mad to fish in this wind and pouring rain? Then a passing loan jogger told me she had already covered 19 miles in the same weather! Who's mad?
Unable to control conventional techniques I resorted to the Czech style. Couldn't get the mental image of a tea pot out of my head for some reason? This is very cold work in these water temperatures. Left shortly after netting 12 inch o.o.s Grayling, returned.
Although not the most productive of trips, I couldn't wait any longer since not being able to come up since October, weather/river conditions and that, but enjoyed and learnt again.
Many thanks to all at WUF and Bronwye guest house.

1 Grayling

Blank.

Our 1st visit to the upper Wye, hoping to catch a Grayling, my first. The river was clear and low with hazy sunshine. Both my companion and I had a great day watching the Dippers, Red Kites and other wildlife on this beautiful stretch of river, despite the lack of fish. 5 Trout and a Grayling between us to long trotting. We will be back for the grayling next season. Thanks for a memorable day.

5 Trout, 1 Grayling

River low and clear and very cold!! Trotted maggot in all the likely places and most of the unlikely ones, got interest in 2 swims which both required wading and fish picked up at 40 yards, couldn't draw them up the swim and a swirling downstream wind made presentation difficult.
Had one good Grayling of about 2 1/2 lb (left scales at home!!) and some nice Chub over 4lb backed up by some small brownies and two other nice Grayling.
All in all an enjoyable if hard day, glad to get out of the icy water and in front of the fire at the Red Lion!!
Can't wait for next Autumn and another crack at those elusive Grayling shoals.

10 Trout, 3 Grayling, 5 Chub

Unfortunately nil fish caught. I tried everything I know to no avail. It was cold but the river appeared in good condition. I will be back to fish the Wye again in the Trout season.

The river had come up a couple of feet overnight and was fairly coloured as well as fast and cold from the snow melt. We fished all day trotting maggots without a single bite, despite small and often loose feeding. Guess the conditions were not that good. Looking forward to next time. Thank you .

Catch 0. River coulored and rising on arrival.

6 x grayling to just under 2lbs. 4 x chub to 4lbs. 12 x brown trout topped by a stonking fish of 3lbs+. River in perfect condition. Rain set in so left around 2pm. Apart from chub caught on bread flake the rest were on bronze maggot. Contrary to another return for the area the trout were in fin perfect condition. Great day out.

11 x grayling 8-17 inches, 7 x out of season trout 8-15 inches, long trotting.
A very warm, rather dark, cloudy day. The upper Wye was running clear but still quite high. I'm not really sure how high, because when the Llanstephan gauge emerged from the flood waters after all these weeks, it turned out to be gone, just the iron mounting pole left. Can we have it back WUF, because we are a bit lost without that when planning our fishing? My guess was that the level was around 2 feet, OK for fishing at Abernant. The EA gauge for Erwood showed 1.32 metres.
In fact the fishing was quite difficult. Searching during the morning only produced two small grayling and a number of unwanted trout, one of them cormorant-injured, all occupying prime spots where grayling should be expected. Another rod out fly fishing helped me search the river (thank you C) but it was only late afternoon near the bottom of the beat that we located some feeding grayling. The swim was developed a bit by dark and a few good ones showed up, including a very nice fish just under 18 inches. Nevertheless, grayling were "picky" and wanted the bait literally dragging the bottom, single maggot on a small hook.
For all that, it was good to be out on the river again after all these inactive weeks.