Feedback & Reports

A wash out! Of all the days for a spate.

6lb Cock salmon, caught on a tube fly on a semi-sinking tip. Returned.

Quite a slow start to the day, as the river was still really low and clear. 1 Barbel caught in the morning and a few Chub. Improved in the afternoon after a change of swims, when 1 rod caught 6 Barbel on small (8mm) pellets and a few more Chub to the other rods.

Started fishing fly down the Rock pool at 7.30 a.m. River at summer level. At 8.30 on Chine 4 or 5 fish moved. Was wading up to waist high, fishing with intent and fancying my chances. Suddenly I was aware that river was cocoa coloured, up to my armpits and roaring along. Managed to just get out in time, narrowly escaping a good dunking! Fishing then impossible due to floating trees, leaves dead sheep etc. I was unaware that 3/4 inch of rain fell in the Brecon area last night. River rose 18 inches in 4 hrs. Still there's always next year! Thanks to the WUF staff. Until next spring......

2 x chublets around 6 inches, 3 x out of season trout 6-9 inches. An after lunch walk upstream with a dry fly amid the wind and showers. This one stays open for the winter as it contains grayling, but I'm afraid one hasn't come my way yet. By the way, some kind person, either the owner or perhaps someone from the WUF, has built a very nice series of steps down from the voucher box to the river by the lower bridge, for which many thanks!

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!