Feedback & Reports

A warm day with some rain and sunny spells, river running very clear. As the wading was described as "tricky" I persuaded my friend Mike to accompany me on this one, we're both beginners but I've been out more than he has.
For the record we found that access on the top of the beat was better from the right hand bank, whereas the lower from the left. The lower beat is easier to wade, and the top difficult with big slippery rocks.
On arrival the river was running very clear, I can't comment on it's level as this was my first time to the upper Wye. We started off nymphing using ptn and grhe but apart from one grayling, we were struggling. All the likely gullies coming up blank. Then I put on a czech nymph on the point and a red bloodworm fly on a dropper, that did the trick! I guess I didn't have enough weight on before to get the files down in time. After that I caught steadily from gullies, fast runs and tails of pools. There was huge hatch at around 7pm but I saw only one fish taking under a tree, I managed to cover him and he took it immediately a good sized fish too. All of the grayling were of a good size ranging from 1.5lb to nearly 2, the trout about 9".
Sadly Mike blanked despite me giving him the choice of where to fish, I even caught fish from areas he had already tried. I guess all the practice I'm putting in is paying off, might have to start calling myself a novice :)

1 Trout, 6 Grayling

1st of two days on a beautiful stretch of river. Barbel coming out at regular internals from all along the river, which was slightly coloured and pretty perfect. 8mm Pellet on a band and Halibut ground-bait worked best in a feeder. Biggest was just over 8lb and had chub consistently up to 4lb.
An amazing days fishing in an amazing place. Dog walkers were all very friendly and canoeists never caused any problems.

13 Barbel, 15 Chub

No fish caught on worm. Crayfish taking bait most of the time but still lovely day.

2 fish caught.

Fished from late afternoon to the evening, low water, if fishing from the croy watch our for a big snag immediately below as you face downstream (about 20 out and 8 or so yards from the L bank,) cheers!

1 Barbel, 1 Chub

A very enjoyable day in a great setting. Steady action on meat through the day.

2 Barbel, 7 Chub

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

Please change the M4 exit reference on the 'directions' info on the accompanying paperwork to 'Junction 48'
My write up on this visit will be on https://afishermansjourneythroughwales.wordpress.com/
Whilst many will use this opportunity to fish for sewin, my goal was a Swansea brownie...

3 Trout

Lots of fish, but difficult to get through the chub to find the barbel. Even with a feeder, the bait was taken on the drop on virtually every cast.
The reported chub figure of 60, may well have been an underestimate as I lost count.

7 Barbel, 60 Chub

River was very low. Managed 3 trout (I think stocked) on a JW Nymph. Very tricky, couldn't temp anything with a dry. Reports of a dead salmon found on the beat last week. Will be back!

3 Trout