Feedback & Reports

11 x grayling 10-17 inches, 2 x out of season trout 6-9 inches, trotting. Very high water during the morning - it actually rose overnight although there was no rain, which made me wonder about snow melt in the upper catchment - so difficult fishing initially. However the situation became better as the day went on, particularly in the hour before dark. Otherwise there was a very brief Large Dark Olive catch around 1.00 in the afternoon, and a few fish were rising. I had a chat with a gentleman from London who was fishing the same beat who took advantage of the rise and got a couple with the dry fly, I understand.

2 x Grayling (8 inch) on Dry Fly.
1 x Grayling (8 inch) on Nymph.
1 x Trout (6 inch) Trotted maggot.

I spent a very good day on my own, my fishing buddy missed out big time.
Long trotting with red maggot. Moved swims 3 times to try and get away from the trout which I caught one after another. No need for light tackle I used 5lb line right through and size 12 barbless hooks under a large shouldered stick float. I found grayling in numbers mid afternoon behind the Chapel and had some big specimens up to 18 inch.
Not exactly sure of the final tally I lost count but estimate 25 trout up to a pound and about 18 - 20 grayling.
AS O B found earlier in the week I found several fish with someone elses hook in their mouth. In this water there really is no need for light tackle.

6 grayling, best around 1lb 8oz. Returned 6 trout, too. Water temperature 6C (down from 8C on Monday), air temperature 4-5C at best. Barometer 962mb - a deep low pressure.

The river was high and coloured following heavy rain. I fly fished on the upper part of the stretch but failed to catch anything. That said, the surroundings there are beautiful at this time of year and I hope to return when conditions are more favourable.

Trotted maggot produced several small brown trout and 10 Grayling, the best of which were 4 substantial thick set fish, estimated from their dimensions in the landing net, which was measured afterwards, at approximately 18". A short session, curtailed by the heavy rainfall and stong wind.

19 x grayling 8-17 inches, 8 x out of season trout 6-10 inches, long trotting with maggots. This was a cold, dull day with the river at medium height. A very few l Large Dark Olives hatched after lunch but nothing now rising. The catch included a couple of small grayling, two at 17 inches, but the rest were all pretty solid ones in the 14-16 inch range - a reasonably reassuring review of Irfon grayling stocks. I removed other people's bait hooks from two fish: a reminder that this beat is quite hard fished nowadays.
There were moments of excitement at the end of the day. An out of season salmon, and a large one at that, suddenly decided a small red maggot would be pleasant to chew on. The float disappeared in a very determined way. Rather than sulk on the bottom for a bit, this fish commenced to go horsing up and down the pool at once, provoking the check mechanism of the 50 year old centre pin reel I was using to making the kind of noises not normally heard by grayling fishers - first deep growls and then a chain saw like buzz. Meanwhile my thoughts were running along the lines of "how are we going to manage to deal with this then?" Particularly so as dusk was coming on. Probably it was all for the best that the tiny hook came out during one of the leaps - I got all my tackle back and the salmon, while he was certainly irritated, was surely not compromised by the brief connection.

5 grayling to 15" caught on a dry fly CDC Quill.

4 rods. 34 grayling, best were several near or on 2lb. (A B got 20!) We all caught trout (c.20 between us) and saw two salmon in pool/glide downstream of the Chapel.

After a "wash off" in August, I was looking forward to a day on this reknowned Irfon beat. Three weeks of weather watching provided probably the best water and weather conditions I've had all year. Ok, we can expect fallen leaves on and under the water, I've dealt with this in the past, a pain but par for the course at this time of year. I had success the day before with dry's further up the Irfon but thought I'd try a quick search via the duo or "mixed grill" as I heard it refered to recently ,ha ha! Nothing was proved by this but noticing some subtle rises on the glide downstream from the chapel, I tied on the "go to" Klink but nothing. Several rig changes and leaf removals later I gave in, contemplating some instruction next season because with most of the boxes ticked today, it must be me!