Feedback & Reports

Fish was rising on and off through the day, so caught mainly on dries on sedges. Fish was smutting on small flies and changed flies thoughout the day. Many fish missed. Fish taken throughout the whole beat with grayling and trout up to 2lbs and another rod had a cracking grayling around the 3lbs mark.

4 Trout, 24 Grayling

Another day on this superb beat. Sean the owner again took time to point me at specific areas and hotspots. The river looked perfect. I had a few grayling and missed many more over the course of the day. The first however was a immaculate personal best 19.5 " specimen that grabbed my Holy Grail nymph. What a fish! The rest were taken on dries today. One of the things that I really like about this beat is it's accessibility.

5 Grayling

I arrived at around 11AM and by chance met Sean in the car park. He told me he owns this beat and offered to show me around. What followed was that he essentially became my professional guide for the day and apart from his insight and knowledge even gave me some coaching. Lots of grayling were caught, mainly to him, but I had a few and missed even more all to dries. They were taking small elk hair yellow and olive patterns. A fantastic day on this beautiful beat with great company. I learnt a huge amount, not only about the river but technique. Many thanks Sean.

4 Grayling

This beat was fished by five members of the Grayling Society on this occasion. The river was running clear at 12C and was well up owing to compensation water from the Elan Reservoirs.

1 Trout

Arrived late and only had a couple of hours or so. River looked in great condition but struggled to get any takes today.

The river was back down to just above summer level but was flowing quite quickly, the weather was overcast, warm with a heavy downpour around 1700 hrs. Very few fish rising and no significant insect hatch all day, I fished with the intention of catching trout and achieved catching nine fish to 2lb, all were in excellent condition and all returned.
The large fish took a GRHE the rest, all around the pound mark, took partridge/orange or snipe/purple size 14 fished across and down and we're all taken at the tail of the pools.
Regards Brian.

9 Trout

Was to have fished Craig Llyn, but washed off; fished River Elan courtesy of Richard, considering conditions a very good day, Shaun taking 9 Grayling and 4 trout on a 3 wt brook rod and 2lb tippet. One Grayling 18ins wt 2lb 12oz Plus 4 trout up to 2lb mostly on elk hair sedges. plus odd Grayling on a grey klink. I myself took 1 fish and lost 3 including 1 large trout. my presentaion was all wrong for this river. Only had 6wt with me after seeing wx report. I will have to avenge my poor performance when I see Shaun again!! Pete

5 Trout, 9 Grayling

River was on rise and pretty coloured. Fished tight to the edges with big Snaelda. One medium sized sea trout. Lovely beat.

1 Sea Trout

Very fishable beat and an enjoyable day. Others aren't joking when they advise felt soles, it is slippery.
2 trout caught, 1 large salmon slashed at a sunray shadow but was missed. Water coloured up during the day and was abandoned late afternoon.
Very enjoyable day.

2 Trout

On the basis that, no doubt, some smart 'arris fishing a mile upstream of me will have emptied the river, I had better be careful what I say next but, compensation water from the Elan Valley made for a very difficult day - and not what I had in mind when I climbed out of a warm bed at 05:00 this morning. A gin clear river, pushing through with a noticeably cold feel to it. Mixing it up, with tungsten nymphs and fishing the stream with a dry (there was nothing rising), resulted in just two Trout during the morning. As with the water, one of them going 2lb plus was some compensation. Slightly better in the afternoon, another Trout, a brace of Grayling (both 1lb plus) and, when I finally encountered some rising fish, 4 Parr in rapid order on an Adams.
Of course, it could have been the thing on the other end of the rod ....
(WUF note... The level of flows from Elan are way above both compensation and regulation flows: valves are being repaired at Caban)

3 Trout, 2 Grayling, 4 Other