Feedback & Reports

Fished 16.30 until 19.50 in conditions just about as good as one is ever likely to chance on. Great broken evening sunlight, excellent water flow and colour, with a brisk up stream breeze; plentiful fly of many descriptions and greedy fish. I tried to concentrate on the more substantial seeming rises at the top end of each pool; but, since reduced back casts under low hanging branches made the necessary distances tricky to achieve, smaller fish cruising in the middle reaches got to the fly first. I stopped tightening after a bit, in the hope that less disturbance might ensue and that, after a pause, I might successfully cover the larger fish. This plan did not work! Terrific fun, though nothing over 9 inches.
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4 Trout

Unfortunately the river rose and coloured while I was there. Plenty of fly life including Large brook duns and Mayfly. 2 caught on soft hackle dry in the first run then went to nymphs for a while before the takes dwindled to nothing. I stopped at the bridge after catching nothing for an hour. The air above the lane was thick with BWO spinners as I left around 6pm.

5 Trout

River of course low and v. clear, strong gusty cold downstream wind but some nice sunny spells, produced a steady hatch through the day - but saw no rise whatsoever. Did not see any trout either, perhaps its still a bit cold in this valley! 1x 11" trout on a gold bead GRHE from a deep pool, but no other knocks or interest. Nice break in the afternoon watching a farmer plus wife train a young collie, with help from 2 wiser dogs, herd sheep and lambs, it seemed to learn fast!

1 Trout

I was camping in the valley and thought I would spend a couple of hours fishing. As I expected there was very little water in the river and the trout were hiding. Nothing caught.

I chose the Honddu because it offered some shelter from the promised south-westerly gale, and that worked out well. The NRW river level at Tafalog was suggesting a decent water level - but it was lying, the river was desperately low and I should have paid attention to the more recent catch returns from the Monnow system. I fished through the whole beat in 4 hours but the only fish I saw were the two small brownies I caught on nymph and the one rise which I missed - despite a decent smattering of sedges and upwings of various types.

2 Trout

1 wbt 6" on para adams, one 8" on GRHE. Masses of fly life but few fish rising.

2 Trout

Day 2 of 4 on our trip. Brother in Law fished Escley brook in next valley over in England whilst I gave two Welsh Honddu back-to-back beats a go. Lower Henllan and Maes y Beran were fished and I caught nothing until 2.30pm and then the temperature came up a degree and the fish came up. 17 fish caught on various dry. Three or four were a decent 14". Very sporadic hatch. I parked at Maes y Beran and was directed to much better nearby parking by the lady of the farm who stopped for a chat. Bizarrely I met her again at the end of the day and she was very happy to hear of my haul. NB: There is camping sites riverside on both beats and I would imagine it gets very busy in the summer months.

17 Trout

Last trout trip of the season, ended on a high. Lovely day, good flow but very clear, so trout were wary in the sunshine, and again very choosy. Plenty of various flies and trout rising, but it took a a while to find what they would take. Eventually, a size 18 iron blue para was successful, and I landed 10 on this, and several more shook the small hook. All in good condition, between 9" and 3 at 12". Kingfishers and Buzzards as well, I was reluctant to leave at the end of the day!

10 Trout

I could only mange a morning session and with very little rising and only a few sedge coming off made for tricky fishing. I caught only one small trout on a PTN nymph and lost a couple of others, maybe in the late afternoon/early evening things would have got going. As always I enjoyed the session and casting under the tree canopy, getting the fly to go where you want it to is a challenge.

1 Trout