Feedback & Reports

A thoroughly enjoyable couple of days. Will need to fish both beats again since I spent as much time walking and watching as I did fishing. The Irfon is particularly pituresque (even in the grey skies and driving rain - thank Snowbee for breathable chest waders!) and the grayling fishing excellent.

Thank you for your execllent organisation. This really is a great scheme - I have hardly scratched the surface of the fishing on offer (6 beats so far this year) and what makes it is not the fishing (which is excellent - I worked out that in five visits to one beat I am averaging a barbel every 45 minutes of fishing time - + at least one chub for every barbel - outstanding by my standards) but the beautiful Wye Valley and its wildlife. Thank you and please do keep up the good work.

Beautiful beat, wonderful setting. Found fishing tough - water was coming through pretty sharpish and wind was troublesome. Could have used some local expertise. Stayed at Caer Beris - excellent, could not be faulted. Excellent service from the foundation - efficient, friendly, helpful. I popped into Rods n Reels in Builth and received a freindly & helpful welcome although the guy in the shop had not heard of Gofyyne as a beat. However, very helpful.
Will be back.. muy appetite is whetted!

Fished the Llanfechan beat of the Irfon with I.M. 09:30 to 16:00

The weather was overcast with blustery north westerly wind. There was a little drizzle at times. The river was still low and clear. 10? on the gauge.

The fishing runs for about a mile between the top of Cefnllyswynne and Aberbwtran. The bottom is where the Hafrena stream enters. The first deep pool is the mud pool. I was fishing a leader with Klinkhamer, size 20 PTN and blackbeadhead caddis. I waded up and fished the streamy water taking 2 trout on the caddis nymph. I then noticed fish rising amongst the floating leaves in the eddies and swirls of the slack water of the pool, off to the left. I cast out and took 2 grayling on the Klinkhamer. There were medium sized (14 or 16) olives hatching off. I moved above the grassy island and caught another 2 grayling there. One took the caddis, probably on the lift, and was the biggest of the 4 grayling. The other took the Klinkhamer.

Little Glaslyn Pool had small grayling rising in its deep, smooth-surfaced tail. They rose at the dry fly but were too small to take it. I did manage to take one medium-sized grayling on the small PTN

Glaslyn pool is a huge deep pool. There were fish rising on the far side. I pricked one small grayling after taking a brown trout in the stream of the main current.

The last fish came from the Penrhw Gutter and again took the Klinkhamer (whilst my nymph was stuck on a rock ledge ! The wading here is a nightmare. The olives stopped coming off about 1 o?clock but small stoneflies and the odd caddis emerged in the later afternoon. It became increasing dark and rainy as the afternoon progressed.

My total 6 grayling and 3 trout

Ian took 3 grayling, 2 from the Mud Pool and one from Glaslyn.

The grayling were not big, the largest was just over the pound, but it was fun to see rising fish and catch them on dry flies in November. A wonderful beat with some challenging wading and tremendous pools; almost oversized for the Irfon.

I don't expect you to have remembered my wife and I calling at your office and meeting you a couple of years ago. You have very kindly kept me informed all this time, and you send me the Passport Manual, but thus far it has been difficult to get across to your patch from mine (here in Hampshire)! I'm hoping to be able to remedy this next year, however, particularly for salmon. Please continue to send me your Passport and the river sitreps. Thanks so much!

It?s not a booking office beat, I know, but you might like the feed-back that the Cammarch Hotel?s lower beat seems to be right on song at the moment. I fished the lower beat last Friday, in weather more like September than November, to find grayling, including some big ones, spread all over the shallows and rising to olives. Water Hen Bloa and Grayling Steel Blue were, logically enough, the ones which they wanted from a cast of old fashioned wet flies, and I had 12 grayling between 14 and 18 inches for the day, plus smaller ones and a few out of season trout. It was classic autumn fishing, in lovely scenery.

The two of us had a super day on Friday catching and releasing a total of 28 grayling. However, average size of fish was down somewhat compared with catches in previous years with almost all the fish between 12oz and 1lb 4oz. As usual the autumn colours in the Irfon valley were spectacular and the scenery alone was worth the journey.

A good week for me & John, held out for the big one's on the lead & feeder most of the week. The river was low & clear at start of the week, coloured-up on Wednesday, falling by Thursday with colour running out rest of the week.

Sun 13/10/07, White House:

Weather: Still day, cloudy, light wind now & then, ave temp 15c.

I caught 2 chub up to 4lbs
John was on the feeder, 2 chub up to 4lbs & a few Dace.
Salmon moving, on & off during the day, fish up to 10bs.

Mon 14/10/07, Caradoc:

Weather: Light rain first thing, misty clearing sunny spell & cloudy, ave temp 15c.

I blanked, but John caught. 2 chub up to 4lbs.
Watched Perch 2-3Lbs bkt-attacking small stuff all day.
Salmon moving some silver fish up to 10Lbs.


Tues 15/10/07, Llanstephan:

Weather: Rain all day, ave temp 13c.

I had 1 chub 4lbs & Dace, Brownies.
John had a bag of Dace odd Brownie.
Salmon, on & off during the day, fish up to 8lbs.


Wed 16/10/07, Sheep house:

Weather: Sunny & cloudy, Ave temp 15c.

I had a big bag of Dace- 60 plus fish (up to 3/4Lbs), lost just as many, a few brownies up to 2Lbs.
On the Float Maggs.
John also had a good bag of Dace on feeder, similar to above.


Thurs 18/10/07 Whitney Court:

Weather: Frost first thing, misty cloudy with sunny spells ave temp 15c.

On the float again, maggs. I caught 7 chub up to almost 5Lbs, lost just as many, Sea trout 2Lbs, Brown 2Lbs.
John, float fished as well, had six chub up to 5Lbs 6oz. Lost a few fish as well.
Double figure salmon moving up.


Fri 19/10/07 Preston Court:

Weather: Frost first thing, misty cloudy with sunny spells ave temp 15c.

On the lead, I had 3 chub up to 4Lbs.
John was on the feeder for a mixed bag, dace, perch up to 2Lbs, bleak, roach.
Double figure salmon moving, some silver fish.

Fished Middle Hill Court beat first and last day, and Holme Lacy beat in between. Fishing was excellent, particularly given it coincided with the first three ground frosts of the autumn. The areas of river that hold fish seem to hold large numbers. Stayed at Pencraig Country House Hotel, which was relaxed with excellent food. Can't wait to return to the River Wye, and will be supporting the excellent Wye and Usk Foundation in the future. Keep up the good work.

Thanks very much for a memorable day in wonderful surroundings. pb chub as well.

Many thanks for doing the arrangements for fishing at White House on the Wye yesterday. It turned out a really lovely autumn day with a light breeze and water slightly up and dropping following Tuesday?s rain. I had a fine cock fish of 8lb on an Ally?s shrimp pattern, fifth cast of the day. He was safely returned in good health despite having fought like a dervish. Although there were a number of fish showing, particularly later in the day, I only had one other pluck. This was my first English, indeed first British, salmon on my first visit to the Wye, so you must excuse my sounding rather pleased with myself!

Thanks again, and to Simon too for his advice on flies and fishing approach. I shall no doubt be in touch for some more next season!