Feedback & Reports

6 x grayling to just under 2lbs. 4 x chub to 4lbs. 12 x brown trout topped by a stonking fish of 3lbs+. River in perfect condition. Rain set in so left around 2pm. Apart from chub caught on bread flake the rest were on bronze maggot. Contrary to another return for the area the trout were in fin perfect condition. Great day out.

11 x grayling 8-17 inches, 7 x out of season trout 8-15 inches, long trotting.
A very warm, rather dark, cloudy day. The upper Wye was running clear but still quite high. I'm not really sure how high, because when the Llanstephan gauge emerged from the flood waters after all these weeks, it turned out to be gone, just the iron mounting pole left. Can we have it back WUF, because we are a bit lost without that when planning our fishing? My guess was that the level was around 2 feet, OK for fishing at Abernant. The EA gauge for Erwood showed 1.32 metres.
In fact the fishing was quite difficult. Searching during the morning only produced two small grayling and a number of unwanted trout, one of them cormorant-injured, all occupying prime spots where grayling should be expected. Another rod out fly fishing helped me search the river (thank you C) but it was only late afternoon near the bottom of the beat that we located some feeding grayling. The swim was developed a bit by dark and a few good ones showed up, including a very nice fish just under 18 inches. Nevertheless, grayling were "picky" and wanted the bait literally dragging the bottom, single maggot on a small hook.
For all that, it was good to be out on the river again after all these inactive weeks.

I wasn't expecting a gimme in high water conditions but I was still surprised to account a total blank for today. Good to see Mr B. in flesh and catching. I don't what worked for him, could be his gentleman appearance as well as his tactics.
A few post-spawned Salmon on the bank below the Edw - just thought you want to know. I will be back in the proper fly season. Thank you.

Good directions, nice beat very windy day which made it hard going trotting. Only a small trout towards the end of the day. Thanks.

Conditions were tough, the river only 3 days out of flood and the temperature had dropped dramatically. We worked hard for a few small grayling and trout all on trotted maggots, still very enjoyable. Just being on the river and the stunning scenery almost worth the ticket price alone! Already discussed next trip, probably for pike and or barbel late December. The Wye and Usk staff were very helpful in planning the trip and advising on river conditions.

43 x grayling 8-15 inches, 1 x chub about 5 pounds, 17 x out of season trout 7-14 inches, long trotting. A cold (6 degrees) dark day with a seemingly permanent mist hanging in the Wye valley ended in rain at dusk. The river was running high but clear, as it has all week, the level coming down very, very slowly. Grayling seemed to be properly on the feed and there are no complaints from me now about their fighting qualities in a strong current. Most of these were junior class fish around 11-13 inches, but a few of the larger ones just failed to make 16 inches. Two days before, I fished the Pwll y Faedda beat which is just downstream, and this also fished very well for grayling with the trotting rod. Generally I like to see the Llanstephan gauge at 18 inches or below for the fly rod in winter. That suggested level is mainly a matter of access (and safety, I suppose). At higher levels than that, the trotting rod is generally a better option on those beats which allow it, provided you can get into a position to cover fish. The easy wading at Abernant is usually a good bet in high water.
Generally speaking, now we have reached mid-November, I don't think the 2012 autumn of grayling fishing will go down as one of the best... and by autumn grayling fishing I mean top of the water sport with dries and spiders and the like. There were good days here and there which some people managed to capitalise on, but not so many opportunities as one flood came after another. We are still getting a few large dark olives hatching after lunch, but consequent rises have been very brief and I expect the fish will probably stay down for most of the time now.
What has really impressed me this week is the number of salmon in the river. I spend a lot of winter days on the main stem of the Wye and I cannot remember a year when so many have been showing - every 5 minutes or so one comes up with a noisy splash, in the usual places and also in some new ones. In the higher water this week I had the impression that upstream movement was still going on slowly. It wouldn't be a bad thing if the rain would stop for a bit now. And a good period of frost, I suppose, will start off the spawning process to round up what has been memorable year for salmon on the Wye.

Great day, river at 2' on the gauge at Lani. Air temperature at 15 degrees, overcast day with upstream wind, great conditions for trotting, managed some nice grayling to 1 3/4 lb, 3 Chub to 4lb and a few brownies. All in all very pleasant day on the upper river.
Thanks to WUF as always great service.

13 grayling up to a pound, 4 small brown trout and one parr, taken on weighted nymphs. Salmon showing throughout the day. Lovely stretch of river, wading good for the majority of the beat we fished. Directions to the beat from WUF spot on.

Perfect day. First time on this beat for both of us with the river clear and carrying a little extra level. DW fished fly in the morning and after a brief hatch of LDO's caught 2 Grayling 12" and 1 18" fish (2.5lbs) on dry sedge pattern. After lunch both rods trotted maggots with 70+ Grayling, 12 OSBT, 2 large Chub. All Grayling 10"/18" and all fish returned safely. We will be back.

Water levels up and coloured after more overnight rain, sunny start to the day and very light wind. 1 rod long trotted the other went with dry fly and nymph. 3 grayling enticed by the maggot, sadly nothing on the nymph or dry fly. Heavy rain at about 3pm curtailed the afternoon. Difficult to access for much of the beat in these conditions.