Feedback & Reports

Lost a few flies in the abundant vegetation but an enjoyable half day exploring and problem solving (eg how to get down into and cast into the pools) on the Llynfi at Pontithel. I suspect the level was a touch too high and water too coloured for optimum grayling conditions. Still, learning a bit more with each trip out and would probably go back when conditions more suited. Parking is very close, as long as that layby is empty.

Nice day on the river. Nothing big caught, trout in the 6"-9"range and grayling up to 12". Spotted a grayfish in the clear and low water. Deep pools should hold some nice fish.....

3 Trout, 3 Grayling

RIver low and grubby. Only saw the fish I caught.

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

Staying in Hay-on-Wye for the weekend with my wife. After a visit to Symonds Yat and Tintern Abbey grabbed a cheeky couple of hours fishing before dinner. Pretty beat with a good head of trout but the bank vegetation impossible to navigate so plenty of chest-deep wading along side some of the deeper pools!!! Managed 4 wbt to about 9 inches on a Parachute Adams before returning for dinner - Tomatitos in Hay which is super-friendly and well worth a visit.

4 Trout

Till 7 p.m. no fish rising. One 10 inch grayling.

1 Grayling

had a couple of hours nymphing river low. grayling to 15 inches trout to 12 inches

7 Trout, 7 Grayling

1 Trout

River is low and clear. Trout are in the deeper parts of the pools towards the head. Lots of trout are chasing mayflies.
Caught a few on mayfly patterns but most came to the nymph fished deep. Very nice day on the river with plenty of nice trout caught.

10 Trout

5 Trout

It's a beautiful river, but I could tell something wasn't quite right from the outset. All the fish I caught and saw were in the same age class (8-10 inches) and there didn't seem to be nearly as many fish as the habitat and abundant flylife merited. Only towards the end of the session did I learn from a local man that there had been a major pollution incident in 2016 , that wiped out most of the fish in the river.

To judge by the number and variety of river flies, the Llyfni is recovering well. But I would leave it another couple of years before fishing here again. I feel the Foundation should warn anglers if a river is in recovery, so that we can make a better-informed decision about where to fish.

All the trout I caught came to a small duck's dun. Because they were few and far between, each one required quite a bit of walking, waiting and watching.

10 Trout