Feedback & Reports

1'7 on the gauge. Several Salmon showing on the beat but not interested in anything we had on offer. Thank you.

23 Trout, 1 Grayling

We arrived in pouring rain. The river was very high with the water coloured. We decided we would start at the head of the beat Edw Pool. After 10 minutes of trekking along the unkempt trail at the edge of the water; over fallen trees, mossy rocks and dense brambles, the trail came to an end. It was impossible to continue on, although it may have been possible via wading in the river if it had been lower. I do remember vaguely reaching the Edw Pool via the road on another occasion.
We returned to Lady Alexander's Catch, a long and splendid piece of fly water. Between the croys I hooked a 4lb grilse and ten minutes later, a little further down, I hooked a 31lb hen fish. We stopped for a break, talked to the water bailiffs and carried on fishing. My chum Michael elected to carry on down through the pool and I went back to the head of the pool. Within ten minutes I had my third fish, a cock of 16lbs. All three fish were just getting their mating colours and all three fell to a small Cascade. Michael had three small trout.
Thanks to Seth at the W&UF office for suggesting Abernant. My suggestion would be to revise the details - making clear if anglers are allowed to park inside the gate (which is much safer than in the lay-by, and to include a realistic route to reach Edw Pool which is a lovely piece of water and would make this my first choice of beat in future.
WUF Note: Access improvements to Abernant are scheduled in the next few days with the reinstatement of the path to the top of the Edw Pool a priority. The current parking is in the roadside layby only as access to the field is required.

3 Salmon

12lb hen Salmon at 9am and then a cock salmon close to 20lbs at 6pm. Both slightly coloured but in absolute mint condition and swam off strongly. My first and second Wye salmon on the fly after two years trying!
Thank you to Mr. S for netting the second for me.

2 Salmon, 4 Trout

Unsuccessful day this time but very enjoyable with many takes. Fished a floating line DT with mostly weighted nymphs. Still very new to river fishing but will be back. Saw two huge leaping fish around mid-day, possible salmon. Was sharing the beat with a fellow salmon angler, who like
myself was worried about the oncoming storm, but we carried on and was able to help him land the catch of the day, a 30 inch long Salmon, just about fitted in the landing net. Well done Mr G.

Only fished for an hour in the pouring rain.

3 Grayling

Half a dozen quality Grayling excepted, a day of small things.
Mindful of other correspondents bagging up on the dry, even though there was very little rising, I used a Klinkhammer, fishing the stream, for much of the day. Plenty of fish came up for it but mostly, very small. Weighted nymphs - fished upstream or on the drift NZ style - produced most of the better fish. No complaints; but I felt I should have caught more. Down to the thing on the other end of the rod I am afraid; I missed a lot of fish today, and came away thinking that I had used the wrong method at the wrong time. The above numbers are estimates; these days I lose count once I get past three ...

12 Trout, 12 Grayling

A lovely day for fishing, again with little wind, especially from midday onwards, and not too sunny for much of the time. Ended up fishing a twelve hour shift from 8 a.m. Little fly in the morning apart from a few small olives/ PWs and hardly any rising fish. Fished duo and had a couple of grayling on a small flashback PTN but most fish came to the HE emerger on the dropper and, by 1 p.m., I had caught about a dozen fish. Nothing on a brace of nymphs under an indicator. Then a few fish actually started rising and eventually sedges and midge began to appear as well, on and off throughout the afternoon, and I took more fish on the emerger and an Elk Hair grizzle caddis, and by 5 p.m. had taken about 25 grayling and six trout. Then one of those wonderful evenings started, and just went on and on, as fish started sipping everywhere and I caught fish after fish on size 18-14 HE emergers. On the day most grayling were 8-12", but a number of 13-14" were also caught, many after barely perceptible rises. However, the best "lady" of the day was a non-rising 16" beauty. Trout were mainly 8-10" fish, with a couple of 12-13". Some fish were still rising when I decided to head back home. An amazing day and an even more amazing evening! Should probably have also tried something small and black for the smutting fish, but there was no need!

8 Trout, 45 Grayling

Evening fishing adjacent to path down to the river (wading rocks under feet very slippery). Small trout rising to flies, within minutes a 10cm trout hooked and returned. Two small grayling, and one of 25cm hooked and returned. Water fairly fast clear used black gnats and emerger.

1 Trout, 3 Grayling

River fast and clear. Bright. 2 x BT to 10" and 18 x Grayling to 11½". Flies size 16 CDC Quill. Size 14 Quill Nymph 2.4 Size 16 JIN PTN 2-8 Tungsten Bead

2 Trout, 18 Grayling

Wet and dry fly fishing. B&B via the Vicarage at Erwood, excellent.

7 Grayling