Feedback & Reports

Excellent days fishing. Slow start but picked up around 1pm with Grayling falling to copper headed size 16 nymphs. I had 4 small grayling and my fishing buddy caught his first ever grayling which was the best fish of the day about 1lb+, fishing czech nymph style. It made the day even better than it already was. Packed up just before dark and will be back to fish this excellent beat again.

River looked to be in good condition, despite the artic scenery! Two brownies @ 10ins on bugs, no sign of the grayling. Good to blow some cobwebs out though. I think I will return to the Wye in spring and stay on the Lugg while the weather is artic. Many thanks.

Spurred on by favourable catch reports,this was my third visit to the Eyton beat in as many weeks. Filled with the anticipation and hope that we all feel at the beginning of a days fishing I arrived at 10:00 hrs with an air temp of minus 2! and a hard frost on the ground. The river was conisderably down since my last visit and running very clear.

The first hours fishing was difficult as my rod eyes froze making retrieval and casting difficult,however when the sun finally came through the temp rose solving this problem, however it took a long time for my middle finger to thaw out! To cut a long story short I had a completely blank day, fishing from 10 00 to 16 00 hrs,not even a knock. I tried everything, fishing deep and through the riffles and in fast and slow water. I tried many types of flies, shrimp, czech nymph, PT's, ugly things with flourescent attractor beads, red flies and very tiny flies.

I am a beginner to Grayling fishing, but I just don't understand why I blanked. Could it be that it was just too cold?

7 x grayling 12 - 17 inches. Beautiful as the valley at Lyepole is, it's a bit of a frost trap and doesn't see the sun for long at this time of the year. Thus everything remained frozen and rather dour until late afternoon. And as I happened to know that two very good competition anglers had fished the beat thoroughly the day before, I expected to have to work hard for shy fish. In the event I was lucky enough to locate grayling in just a couple of spots after lunch and picked up a few good ones, including a fish of 17 inches.

In response to a question asked in an earlier feedback from a grayling angler who has been scratching in difficult winter conditions, I could suggest the following ideas:
Even on the coldest winter day, grayling usually feed for a short period at least (the afternoon is generally better than the morning; the last hour before dark often best of all.) However, they are likely to be fixed on the bottom and won't move far out of line, so that the nymph has to be presented almost literally in front of their nose to be taken at all. This implies searching the bottom of all known and likely hotspots very slowly and carefully indeed, almost inch by inch. It will be slow progress and on a short winter day you won't get through anything like a mile of the Lugg or Arrow. Don't worry too much about patterns but concentrate on presentation and getting the weight correct so that the nymphs just trip along over the bottom (if you are doing it right, expect to lose a lot of flies on snags). Strike downstream at any stop or hesitation of the leader. Look out for an afternoon Large Dark Olive hatch which might liven the fish up a bit.

Good days fishing, river slightly up and tinged with melt water. The air temp had soared overnight to a barmy 5 degrees though the fields next to the river were still frozen solid. Had a grayling first cast with the nymphs just dangling downstream Excellent start.

We had plenty of action but seemed to slow up a bit in the afternoon. Dozen fish each best 42cm. Great to be out after the freeze! A few olives did struggle off and we did see a bat at dusk.

Highly recomend the Riverside Inn for a stay over and excellent food.

Perhaps my judgement was coloured by too long away from the river (in my opinion), the offer of positive temperatures, and a beat that was new to me. The river was cold (4°C), as would be expected, and had that slightly milky haze due to mucky melt water. There was the regular splashing, as chunks of the thawing bank fell in.

I made my way upstream, working hard to find some feeding grayling with usually-reliable, deep-fished nymphs. Managed 3 hook-ups to a lovely, washed-out looking 1¼lb BT, and 2 grayling (care being taken to avoid damaging their delicate yolk-sacs). Either the larger grayling were elsewhere, or not remotely interested in what I had to offer - that's fishing.

During the day, without actually looking for them, I noticed cormorant(s) circling on at least 6 occasions. I'd definitely like to try the beat again, especially in the trout season !

Above freezing at last, for a day at least, and some bird-song to be heard above the pistol-shot cracking of marginal ice sheets. There was even an olive hatch during the afternoon, although no signs of reaction from fish. Arrow running very clear although I expect it may colour up now if the thaw continues. I fished with a pair of weighted bugs and found shy-biting grayling in just a couple of places. 7 x grayling altogether, 4 in the 10-12 inch range, best 3 fish: 15, 17 and 18 inches.

The weather was surprisingly warm and the whole beat was fishable. Had two grayling one very small and one very nice one at 17 inches, both on heavy nymphs.

I think I may have been a Little optimistic but never mind! After talking to Richard the farmer at the Leen his suggestion was to turn around and go home. Problem - ice, which apparently appeared over night. Never mind, after inspecting the river several swims were fish-able so on with the gear. The lower section from the old railway line was solid! 1 1/2hrs later stopped for a coffee break, no fish! Fished till 3.30 with variants of gold head nymphs but no joy, however it was a beautiful day sun shining birds singing and as Arni says I WILL BE BACK.
P.S. the fish were there, I saw at least 11 under the ice!

A big change from my last visit as the water had now dropped considerably and the clarity was much improved. Positively balmy 6 degrees with cloud and a light breeze.
A difficult day - I think two weeks of sub zero temperatures has had an effect and fish were well and truly switched off - the usual places failed to produce any response. Did see a salmon cutting a redd however which was really good. Persisted with bugs and got a beauty of 2 lbs + just below the footbridge and one other at 10" lower down but, that was it. Still a lovely day and good to be out after the awful conditions. Perhaps the fish have moved into those deep featureless reaches which are so difficult to read?