Feedback & Reports

Arrived at about 12, bit later than anticipated. River was up about 3ft and running through at a steady but not impossible rate. Only fished 4 swims in the first field due to the time. First about half way up, managed to lose a chub on the second cast. After an hour moved up about a hundred yards, lost a barbel (I presume, as it took off like a train) on the first cast. As it reached the far bank a salmon jumped as the fish went past, it then threw the hook in some weed. Landed 1 at 7 1/2lb on the next cast, absolutely pristine condition. After that not a thing.
Finished off in the first swim near the path. Do not fish this swim, it is a tackle graveyard.
All in all a good day. Also saw a pair of kingfishers and about an hour before sunset a Barn Owl flew out of the woods on the far bank and gave a hunting display for about ten minutes. A stunning piece of river, will definitely book again.

1 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Grayling, 1 WBT. Baits used pellet maggot and bread.

Only 1 chub at 2lbs caught from bottom swim. River was clear, we could not get any bites any where else on the beat.

9 chub to one rod and 4 chub to other rod. Biggest chub 6lb. Proper old beasty weather, very cold.

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!

First blank on the Wye. Water running quite low and clear for this time of year. Temperature had dropped suddenly the day before and we had the first frost of the Autumn overnight, so I guess that combined with bright sunshine all day wasn't ideal.
Fished feeder with meat bolies and tried 5 different swims, but not a touch all day. Beautiful location - lots of wildlife, including buzzards, a peregrine and a barn own hunting and this stretch certainly looks the part for barbel - will probably return next summer to have another go.

Fished Cammarch Hotel bottom beat between about 10am and 4pm. Cold, with ice on the puddles in the car park. Water clear and very fishable. About 0.4m on the Cilmery Gauge. No luck whatsoever when searching the water with nymphs, whether they be heavy or light. Not even a tug. Two of us managed 6 grayling to 17" and a 1lb trout by casting to occasional rising fish. A dry Adams did the job for me. Lots of leaves which were a nuisance, and it was almost necessary to wear a hard hat to protect oneself from falling acorns.

It's been a number of years since my last visit here and other than the addition of a number of bankside static caravans at the start of the beat nothing had changed. The wading is a little tricky in places and concentration (and a wading staff) was required when crossing.
The Autumn colours along the Ithon valley illuminated by the bright sunshine were magnificent...there really is no better season to be out in the countryside. Tally for the day was 6 grayling, three of which came to dry fly which was a pleasure.

Pretty cold with a stiff northerly breeze all day. Despite the frost the first fish came early in the day - a cracking grayling of around two pounds taken Czech nymphing. I will often look at a fish like that and think, "If I catch nothing else today..." but half an hour later I'm anxious to know where the next fish is coming from. As it was, nothing more happened until late afternoon when there was a flurry of activity that led to five more grayling and one out of season brown trout. A good day on a lovely stretch of water.

A blank day despite flogging the river from 11 00 to 17 30. Saw only 4 rises all day and no fly life. The river was running at a good pace but was clear.
There was a viscious, and very cold, northerly wind blowing down the river and a hard frost on the ground, I think the " ladies" were not in the mood to feed.
Plenty of" leaf fish" to provide me with false takes. Only fish seen was a large Salmon which jumped in the Edw pool.