Feedback & Reports

2 Trout, 38 Grayling

Picked a warm, calm day with a few PWs from quite early and the odd one on and off, together with some sedges, later during the day. A few YMs as well and even some mayfly at the mouth of the Edw. Some rising fish throughout the day so, as there was some fly and fish were clearly looking up, I stuck to emergers. That said, fishing the foam, more of the fish caught were non-risers rather than risers. The trout were 12" fish and all but three of the grayling were 8-10" ones and the others were only 12-13". The preponderance of this year-class of small grayling (and I even caught some graylets as well) seems the norm this year at Abernant , Ty Newydd and GPIAC, when I've visited, and I wonder where the numbers of the usual larger fish have gone as, if these guys are looking up, so usually are the larger ones? Great for the future though as it was clearly a very good spawning year when these guys arrived on the scene. Let's hope that the FEBs don't get them before they put on some more meat! Most fish taken on a size 18 pale HE Duck's Dun and the rest on good old Grayling Steel Blue. A huge thank you to WUF for getting the strimming done on the bank on the top half of the beat. Made for a much safer walk up and back - a job well done.

2 Trout, 38 Grayling

Idea river levels (great for August) but quite cold and gloomy with persistent drizzle and light rain. All fish bar two came to a size 18 BWO emerger or snipe and purple spider, the other two to a jig nymph fished deep. Many fast rising small grayling either turning before they took the fly or too quick for my reflexes, but the bigger ones connected solidly. Best grayling 12 inches, brown 10 inches, on a spider from the first pool in the Edw. A lovely beat to explore again early or late season.

3 Trout, 7 Grayling

First time on this beat for me, and I liked it a lot. Excellent access - thanks to whoever had strimmed the balsam and other undergrowth. Fished from 1715 to about 2000, on a beautiful sunny evening, with sandpiper and kingfisher on the river. As the river runs north-south here, the evening sun reflecting off the water into my eyes made seeing the fly challenging - I was fishing a duo, with a Sturdy's Fancy and a parachute Adams. A bramble scratch a week or two ago had caused a leak in one wader, so I became progressively soggier. I missed a good few, but after a struggle got one decent 38cm grayling on the spider in fast water at the mouth of the Edw. I took it home for supper.

1 Grayling

Nice to get a warmer day this August although the northerly wind blowing downstream did not help presentation. 9 fish in the morning from Lady Alexander's on a mixture of small dry flies and a further 3 on nymph from the deeper faster section at head of pool when things had gone quite with the dry fly. Lost one very decent fish while nymphing. Was the brown of a old large fish and managed to shake out barbless hook but not before rolling in front of me - would have been my largest grayling by a long way.
In the afternoon moved up to Abernant Stream - waded up full length and had nothing - worked my way back down and had 15 on gsb. Majority in the range of 8 to 10 ", a few a bit larger.
Hooked and lost a lot of fish on barbless hooks - would have had well over 40 fish otherwise.
Also enjoyed the airshow - they do fly very low!

27 Grayling

Day overcast but didn't get rained on with the river not too low but enough flow. Have fished this beat a few times and enjoy the fact its not too testing and wadding is easy and always produces. Rising fish gave me a chance to practice my dry fly skills and tempted a small Grayling to a size 16 Deer Hair emerger. All the rest came Czech nymphing in the faster water and all fish came to one fly - Black/Green PTN. Only one fish to about 12/14 inches was the catch of the day. Wind and temperature drop made call it a day early. Best days fishing on this best so far.

6 Grayling

Very attractive beat. Perfect conditions, good water height, coloured but clearing. Unfortunately, no sign of any salmon.

Water at a good height and fished well but despite using floating,intermediate & sinking line tactics ,did not touch a thing nor did I see any fish moving unfortunately.Late afternoon changed to trout rod so that I could at least feel something on the end of the line.One trout of just over a pound & broken by a bigger fish late on.Path to the top of the beat was a pleasure having been recently strimmed;Beware the wasp's nest in the hollow tree trunk 1/3rd. of the way up,it's just at head height.I always enjoy this beat as the runs last forever & are rel. easy wading. Oh well maybe next time.

2 Trout, 5 Grayling

Sadly the heavy rain from the night before had left the river swollen, fast and brown. It was a real shame as this beat looks fantastic and very fishy! We thought we should just crack on anyway and cover the water (what we could). We fished around 2-3 hours in the morning with nothing and returned after a BBQ lunch and carried on. 2 fish came to the hand, each 6-7 inches, one on a fritzy wet-fly the other on a gold head hares ear. Would love to go back and fish this water again if I get the chance and in normal conditions.

2 Trout

3 Trout, 31 Grayling