Feedback & Reports

Bitterly cold start at -5 and the river low and clear but the big Irfon Grayling were up for it. Light trotting gear and double maggot on a size 16 hook to 2.5lb line under a wire-stemmed stick float on the centre-pin accounted for 6 stunning fish, 4 over 2lb with the best at 2.5lb. All hooked at close range and fought deep and hard in front of me with one fish getting airborne - fantastic sight in the winter sunshine and crystal clear water. Glorious stretch of water this and all to myself - must have died and gone to heaven!

1 Trout, 6 Grayling

A tough day, took the fly rods and trotting rod but the normal banker pools seemed devoid of life. Fishing up at Glaslyn an otter popped its head up for a look and swiftly disappeared, as did we further down the beat. It was after 3.30pm before we saved the blank. 4 fine grayling in a very short spell ended a cracking day and a finale to our grayling season.

4 Grayling

29 x grayling 6-18 inches, mostly with single maggot whipped on a Tenkara rod. This was a dark day, warmer than of late, with what proved to be an annoying downstream wind at times. Showers the previous day had provoked one of those classic “quickly up and down” Irfon mini-spates, rising up to 0.75 metres. However, now the level was back down to 0.55 and the water was almost painfully clear, every stone on the bottom showing. The grayling seemed to be extremely spooky and before long I put the conventional trotting gear on one side and went after them with more success using the Tenkara rod and a tiny float. Most were hen shoats of 10-14 inches, but some of the big boys showed up around lunchtime. A few large dark olives hatched during the afternoon, which finished with light drizzle. Just one rise was seen.
There is a story attached to the largest fish, an 18 inch male. Using the Tenkara outfit I hooked into what was obviously a pretty solid grayling, which then caught me unawares with a sudden downstream lunge and broke the tippet at the hook knot. I was using 6X, which admittedly is fine enough, but the very flexible Tenkara rod usually protects it. Nevertheless, I was rather annoyed with myself; it is a shameful thing to break off in a fish. I remade the tackle and 10 minutes later, in the same place, I hooked a grayling which again was obviously a good one. However, this fish seemed unaccountably tired, without quite the usual mixture of fire and doggedness. Before I netted it, I had half-guessed what I was going to find. Once it was secure in the net, I proceeded to remove my hook, and then went on to remove a second, identical, hook from the upper lip. It seemed rather unlikely that somebody else had lost this fish using a Varivas 2100 size 16, so I concluded this was my adversary from 10 minutes before, happy to take once again. He was a handsome fellow, too, this “Tim Nice But Dim” of the grayling world. This is not the first time I have caught the same grayling in the same session; I suspect it happens more often than we realise. In Spain, my son once did the same with a wild river carp, a fish recognisable by a very distinctive scar, which fell for a floating crust twice during one afternoon.

29 Grayling

Cilmery Gauge 0.85 dropping to 0.75m by evening and ice in the rod rings so tough going, but managed some small grayling on trotted maggots. River running clear. My first visit so spent much of the day looking around, truly a stunning piece of water.

1 Trout, 3 Grayling

This was my first time fishing a Foundation beat, I'm pleased to say we were not disappointed, despite the very wintery weather with high winds making trotting very difficult. The river was spot on for fishing with a tinge of colour. We finished with 7 Grayling and one trout all together a very enjoyable day cannot wait to get back.

1 Trout, 7 Grayling

Had at least a dozen grayling and as many again come off - a problem I seem to have whenever I fish for them. The average size of fish seems to be significantly smaller than a few years ago. None the less it was nice to be back on one of my favourite WUF beats after a number of years.

1 Trout, 12 Grayling

Very cold day. Two anglers found that new breathable waders are not so good on a freezing day like this one.
Long search for the grayling and the old neoprene clad angler found them at just after 3pm behind the church, catching seven before packing up at 4pm. Best fish about a pound or so.

7 Grayling

13 x grayling 10-16 inches, 1 x out of season trout, trotting. I took the only window of opportunity which seemed to be available. More heavy rain due tonight, but at 0.75 and falling to 0.65 by the end of the day, the Irfon looked to be fishable. All the other grayling streams on our list were still in flood. Charlie Picton, who used to look after this water, would reckon that a big winter flood tended to break up the grayling shoals. I certainly had to go looking for them on this occasion, but fish were to be found here and there. No really big ones today, but several at 16 inches. The temperature only got up to 5 degrees and the sun never showed itself, but about 2 in the afternoon there was a brief but intense large dark olive hatch. I actually heard the sound of rising fish before I noticed the duns on the surface. A clever angler would have had a dry fly rod made up ready.

13 Grayling

All fish were taken on float fished maggot and varied between 1lb and 6ozs. River was at a nice level and clear.
I saw three or four salmon during the day, leaping clear of the water and cavorting about; I don't know why.
Also saw the remains of a salmon, probably predated by an otter, judging by the damage. There were many otter footprints on the bank but I also saw a mink.

2 Trout, 12 Grayling

12 x grayling 10-17 inches, 4 x out of season trout 6-12 inches, long trotting. The best two fish at 16 and 17 inches taken whipping a single maggot with a Tenkara rod. A very warm day, this one, although we didn't see any sign of the sun. River is now down to 0.47 metres and clear. Rather tattered looking salmon now in a number of the pools - I saw the first dead kelt of this winter.

12 Grayling