Feedback & Reports

We were washed off the day before due to the melting snow and a coffee coloured Irfon. After a phone call to Mr Charles Picton (Legend) we decided to come back for some sport. We found a river that had dropped 2 feet over night and the water clarity was much better.

We managed to get the car stuck on the Saturday when viewing the upper part of the beat. Luckily the 'legend' pulled us out with a tow rope. Thanks again Charles.

2 lads decided to start at the top of the beat and worked down, the fishing was hard and they only had 1 a piece. However the lower part of the beat was relly producing, with the remaining 2 of the party enjoying up to a dozen fish each to 1lb 12oz.

All the anglers finished the day fishing the church stretch and had a few nice grayling to keep spirits high on the drive home. All fish caught on trotted maggot.

Thanks again.

River has returned to normal levels - all of the snow and ice has gone, and the river is running clear after the last of the snow melt. Temperatures hovered just above zero, although there was little fish activity. Caught one 12" grayling (long trotting with a centrepin), and that was the only bite all day. The grayling are presumably shoaled up at this time of year. I tried all of the mid-section of the beat but couldn't locate any shoals there.

N.B. The ground is very soft in the plantation parking area so I wouldn't recommend parking there at the moment.

A very enjoyable day, if not a bit cold. Dont think it rose above 0 all day. Water started off very coloured, but began to clear after lunch. Landed my first ever grayling just before midday after it took a beaded GRHE. After an excellent fight it was weighed (1.5lb), picture taken and safely returned. A nice looking beat that must be amazing during a warm summer's evening rise.

A blank day for both rods. River was significantly higher than normal level and fast flowing due to the recent snow melt. Despite trying most of the beat with a wide range of nymphs no fish were caught. Still, a great location and we will try again.

Fishing v slow, but understandable after the amount of cold water that must be in the river. Only one small pike taken on deadbait in the afternoon.

What a lovely stretch of this usually productive little river. Two of use fished really hard in heavy fog and very cold temps, and a chocolate brown river! Didn't really expect to get much, and wasn't dissapointed. Beat xmas tv by a mile though! We'll be back soon, when the conditions are a bit kinder. Again, beautiful stretch.

Blank. This was the day when the weather changed from sub-zero arctic conditions to thaw, resulting in Herefordshire being covered in a clammy fog. It was still necessary to break up the ice to get into position in most of the pools (how does one do that quietly?), but the river, which really seemed in quite nice condition during the morning, began to rise and colour up with snow-melt later. Whatever the reason, I couldn't make contact with grayling in the usual places. One nice experience was an encounter with a very large otter which surfaced in front of me, paws and head out of the water and rudder lashing about behind, regarding me for a few seconds while I fumbled about to find the camera - too late as always - before he submerged again. I can only hope his fishing was going better than mine! I tried the Lugg again at Lyepole a couple of days later, but found it in coloured flood.

3 x grayling 6-12 inches, 8 x out of season trout 8-15 inches, trotting with Avon and centre pin. A rather disappointing day, with the usual graylng lies seemingly occupied by ravenous post-spawning trout, lean and hollow, with ragged lower fins and carrying leeches from where they have been lying on the bottom. Otherwise, the weather was truly horrible, with a freezing and near gale force wind trying to hurry the float downstream, intermittent rain and sleet. Compensations were a red kite circling the river during the morning and buzzards after lunch; a hen salmon was still cutting a redd in Stone Catch.

Very nice looking beat with a good mixture of water. Today was the mildest temperature for some time, so expected to catch a few. I managed 2 10inch grayling on the usual heavy bugs, my friend blanked! Saw the usual cormorants trying to come in to fish, the rivers are having a bad time of it with all the lakes frozen. These birds seem to be multiplying out of control and need to be thinned out before its too late!

First time on this beat but I had some vouchers to use up before the end of the year. Very difficult fishing in the upstream section, looks like the promised tree haircut of early 2010 never happened. Even my 6 foot rod was too long in some places must be hell in the summer. Could not make contact with grayling at all. Water very clear and could see the occasional trout.
Tried the downstream section in the afternoon and found a mini shoal of grayling and caught one of them about a pound in weight on a brown sawyer nymph. No fight, came in like a wet sack. Could not tempt the others and gave up in the gathering dusk. Nice day before the cold weather starts again.