Feedback & Reports

After cloudy morning another scorching day.After the disappointments of no fish showing (and very little fly hatching)earlier in the week on the Hindwell, Lugg & Teme, at last there was some activity to encourage hopes:rewarded by one trout of c10ozs and numerous small trout, all on klinkhammer or dry pheasant tail(all returned).
What a beautiful spot!

Day started misty but then the sun came out and it was very bright and hot. Water was a nice level but surprisingly coloured compared to the higher parts of the Escley. Steady hatch of mayfly and some sedge and later in the afternoon the mayfly were ovipositing but the trout didn't seem interested. Rose 6 small WBT to a variety of drys but none stuck. I did make it to the top and walked back to the bottom via the road which only takes 30 mins but even in breathable waders I felt as if I had been boiled. Faced with the prospect of a blank I tried the confluence pool again, nothing was showing, but I caught a 12in grayling on a size 12 wulff. My first ever grayling on a dry so a good end to an enjoyable day.

Fished the top lake which was quite full of weed. Caught abundant rudd, occasionally a nice one to maybe half a pound. Carp could be seen cruising around, but it wasn't until the last cast of the day we caught one (about 4 lb).

11lb salmon on orange fox tail fly at rock pool. Fish returned

Very bright hot day nothing rising but loads of fly life.
Numerous trout and grayling caught on little wet spiders in the riffles. Fish showing in various pools but not interested in anything we could show them.

Highlight of the day a 4lb cock brownie early in the day took a black salmon fly by JP. "Biggest trout off a river in 37 years."

Other highlight a pint in the Bridgend Inn

All fish returned.
Lovely day on a super beat.

A pleasant day. The river is still pushing though a bit, with a touch of colour. Plenty fly hatching - mayfly, yellow may dun, etc. Finished with 8 brown trout, one 9", the rest all 11" - 13". All came to dry fly - large olive klink worked fine. If you could find a rising fish, it didn't seem fussy on pattern.

Good instructions - easy to find. Hot weather had brought on spawning and fish were not in an obliging mood. Some fish seen whilst walking about. Will revisit water again in about 2/3 weeks time.

2 small grayling on mayfly

I love this kind of fishing. I fished the first couple pools and was disappointed at the walk between them - there's not many pools on this beat. This was, however, until I accepted that this is the nature of the Honddu here, and so I started I started flicking the olive klink into every stopper and bit of slack water even if it was an area just the size of a dinner plate. Result was around 15 trout to a 14" bruiser, all taken on the dry. Saw a couple of rises, but the fly in the right place brought fish up from all over the place! Missed loads. I see the angler the day before saw a couple of rises and only had 1 fish - that was nearly me too.

Fished with frends from London, did not see or catch anything, very disappointed to find no indicator post or access steps down to the upper Doghole pools etc.
We wandered around in very hot weather and eventually cut a very dangerous way down ourselves, unfortunatly my frend got a soaking for his troubles, getting out was worse.
If you are running a commercial fishery charging £45 a day, make sure the pools are acessable if you want rods to return.
WUF NOTE: The beat is due for clearance work early June.