Feedback & Reports

Two out of season brown trout caught on a pink gold-beaded shrimp (both released). The beat is remote and the scenery is excellent. It is worth noting that, although generally easier to wade than other beats seem to be on the Wye system, this beat still has some very difficult wading at the beginning. The beat seems to contain few pools and obvious holding places for fish; there is a lot of water but it generally flows at a consistent speed. For someone of my quite modest abilities it was a little difficult to identify where the fish were likely to be, but I still found one or two promising holding places.

One small out of season brown trout caught on a size 16 "red neck" (i.e. a PTN with a red collar). He was subsequently released. I also hooked one further trout and, I think, a grayling, but unfortunately could not land either. Beautiful scenery and very helpful directions to find it. I recommend this beat.

Great day - 1 chub 7 barbel, biggest 7 1/2, which had 2 lots of other tackle attached to it, including a 2oz feeder. Surprised it was still feeding but did appear in good condition, one BARBED hook in its mouth had started to grow over. Will return to this beat.

My second trip to the Wye and a bit of a struggle. We started off fishing what looked to be a perfect swim midway along the Wood Beat with no success. Don came along for a chat and suggested we might have more success fishing one of the Meadow beats. So, after another mug of tea, we moved up river a bit and spent the afternoon fishing a couple of the Meadow pegs with no more success. This was clearly operator error as the guy a couple of pegs above us was catching judging by the comments of some walkers on the opposite bank. For the last couple of hours we moved back to the Wood beat where P. caught the only fish of the day on meat - a sizeable barbel, not weighed, but must have been pushing 10lbs.

I can confirm that the Indian summer has undoubtedly ended; cloudy, downstream windy, and seriously cool, and I also wore the wrong trousers under my breathables! Result - Brrrrrrr........and numb, wet fingers for the first time this year! On the bright side, and fishing duo all day, I caught 16 grayling, mainly 12-13", and six small trout. Although there were a few oncers rising from time to time and little fly (which was not surprising given the difficult conditions), most of the fish caught were non-risers and were taken on my HE emerger or on a Grayling Steel Blue. Five of the fish were taken on a tiny, skinny tung-headed pink nymph(used following LN's success with this pattern during last week's expedition). All fish returned. What a wonderful fishery!

10 x grayling 8-15 inches, 10 x out of season trout 7-13 inches, fishing various dries all day. A drop of 10 degrees from the previous day, cold downstream wind, lowering clouds and weather front coming on. Very few fish rising and during the morning everything I had a go at turned out to be a trout. A few grayling turned up after lunch, but very much the junior class, fish of 9 and 10 inches. Only the last 3 grayling around 3 o'clock were decent ones, 14 and 15 inches. So why didn't you fish a nymph instead of persevering on the surface, I can hear you ask? I am not quite sure except that we are going to be bugging of necessity when the real cold weather arrives and fishing that way through the winter without any choices...I do like a few days with the dry fly in October if I can possibly get them!

Tried every fly in the box and every method I could think of but total blank, not a single take in nearly five hours fishing. Weather was fine and there was sufficient water so somewhat perplexed at my lack of success.

When I returned to the Cammarch Hotel was informed that an angler on the adjacent middle beat had caught 18+ Grayling. I felt pretty crest-fallen.

Water low and clear but a lovely day for fishing. I'm afraid that the barbel outsmarted me (not difficult) but ended the very enjoyable day with 8 chub,the biggest weighing in at 5lb. Tried all the usual baits and all worked for the chub.
Another day booked for the 6th, on a different beat, which I am looking forward to. Thanks.

Sorry to say no fish caught or seen all day. Met a couple of other top chaps on the beat as well. Typical salmon angler "Not enough water" probably holds true for the day and the summer around here for that matter. Still beats a day at work, pitching flies in this beautiful upper Wye.

Slow going for 2 modest chub.