Feedback & Reports

TENKARA DAY. Splendid and informative day learning the Tenkara style of fishing, difficult, challenging and special thanks to Seth and the organisers.

1 Grayling

A blank today. Started fishing at 10:30 and called it a day at 16:00. There was a consistent olive hatch and also the odd mayfly. I hooked one fish on an adams but it came off the hook. Very few rises seen all day and none of the patterns I tried brought the fish to the surface, despite plenty of insects on the water. The water was quite coloured.

River running on the low side, although still some pools deep enough to force exiting the water to pass. 2 very nice oos Grayling downstream of the bridge, almost as soon as I started to fish at around 3.30pm, took a GH Pheasant Tail nymph. Must have spooked the pool as no more action there. Bright sunshine was probably why there was little surface activity, despite plenty of Mayfly about and also a good hatch of small reddish-brown flies late afternoon. Two smallish Brownies took a Grey Wulff between 6 and 7-ish and another held on for half a minute or so before letting go, after which the Rises became more frequent with plenty of slashes at my dry flies although no more hook-ups, despite changing size and pattern frequently. A great evening's Sport in a stunning setting - will definitely put it on my "go back" list!

2 Trout, 2 Grayling

Lovely afternoon to be out on the river, even though it was my second choice beat - just got pipped to my preferred option.
Couldn't buy a take today - no obvious reason I could put my finger on. Steady trickle of Mayfly coming off through the afternoon but, bar the Chaffinches, nothing was really interested in them; only saw 3 fish rise.
Still it's never a bad day when you're in such beautiful surroundings. Highlight of the day was having a Red Kite for company on the walk back to the car from the top of the beat - it wheeled and soared overhead for the whole walk back. Wonderful!
6 Mergansers on lower half of the beat.

Fished afternoon and evening. Nothing much happening on arrival so started with an upstream nymph with the result of 2 grayling so went in search of rising fish. These did start to sporadically appear as the afternoon went on. Once carefully approached most were willing to take a dry though some insisted on a change before doing so. Mixture of Parachute Adams,Olive CDC Grey Wulff and Mayfly. Ended up with 5 trout 6-12" with the smallest falling to the largest May in the box! Cool evening and the action ceased at about 9.

5 Trout, 2 Grayling

My first visit to this very attractive stretch of the river Lugg. Plenty of fly life around including mayflies though only sporadic rises from the fish.
Three OOS grayling on beadhead GRHE followed by four trout of which three were on a weighted spider with the last rising to an olive coloured F fly.

4 Trout, 3 Grayling

Excellent fishing, plenty of fish @ the pound mark with the odd one or two pushing 1.5lb. Great mayfly hatch but only sporadic rising, possibly the cold wind put the fish down? Most fish caught on weighted nymphs.

8 Trout, 16 Grayling

This is pretty beat with a good variety of water to fish. There was a sustained but very sparse hatch of yellow mayfly but the fish were more interested in the olive and brook dun hatches. Fish taken on size 18 and 16 grey with brown hackle klinkerhammer and size 14 LBD dry flies. The water was quite coloured today and the fish seemed only periodically to be rising but were obliging when they did. I fished from 11 until 14:30 at which point I had not seem any rises for almost an hour. The trees were loaded with duns though so i think the evening would have been good fishing alas I had to get home.
6 Canoeists did come and launch their canoes at the bridge in the middle of the beat. I asked if they were sure that they were allowed to access the river but they assured me they were, they also said that they would only be heading downstream of the bridge so with plenty of water upstream and fishing time being my relaxing time i left them to it.
WUF Note: There is a right of navigation on the Lugg from Presteigne Bridge downstream. However, canoeists may not cross private land to access the river without consent of the landowner, and it is unlikely this group had such permission.

7 Trout

Chilly downstream wind held things back in the morning. 3 fish on leaded shrimp. 2 others on small green winged mayfly type. Fish rising above bridge after 2pm but not eating anything I had on. Very pleasant day for the first time on the Lugg.
Excellent access and pleasant wading.

5 Trout

Perfect conditions. Not much moving about. No large fish seen. Fish taken were all on dry fly and small.

5 Trout