Feedback & Reports

8 x grayling 12-16 inches, Grayling Steel Blue, Red Tag, Sturdy's Fancy. Another very cold day for October, in fact minus 3 and a hard white frost when I arrived, so I went to the cafe for a second breakfast and came back when the sun had warmed things up slightly. River very low and clear. A few grayling were now rising and large dark olives in evidence after lunch so dry flies could be used. By 3 the temperature was rapidly falling again and no more surface action , so in a sense it was like a March day in reverse. What a pleasure to fish a well-maintained beat with stiles all in good order and benches overlooking every pool!

8 Grayling

I thought the oos salmon was a record grayling!

1 Salmon, 3 Grayling

Day two of a mini-break. I stayed in The Lion Hotel in Builth Wells - clean & comfortable, off street parking, good breakfast, good price. Recommend it if you are doing Upper Wye beats.
Today the temperature had dropped significantly from Thursday and it felt very cold in the gusty wind. There was plenty of action on the river with fish coming up to the dry and taking the nymph on the same duo set-up (see my 25th Oct feedback from The Rocks). Early afternoon the fish started rising to a sustained hatch of pale up-wings and for a time I switched successfully to a CDC dry.
My problem today was keeping the fish on! I lost at least half a dozen after the first grab, and like all who blame their tools, I began to curse my barbless hooks. Anyway 4 nice Wye fish came to hand, 3 sturdy 14" Grayling and a similar sized OOS WBT. All returned fit.
PS: The beat instructions ask for catch return to be left on forms to be found in glass case in carpark. I couldn't find the glass case but it could have been a "boy look"!

1 Trout, 3 Grayling

1 Trout

we fished from the lower end of the beat Harry's pocket and penalow pool we took fish on French leader and duo and drys some lovely looking out season Brown's

6 Trout, 16 Grayling

Water still slightly high but very fishable. Laid back session... mix of dry and nymph -French leader style and sedge and dredge.

8 Trout, 16 Grayling

Caught eight fish , mostly on the lower part of the beat two nymphs including two browns.Once we were on the middle part of the beat by mid afternoon the dam had released water so coloured the water and made it unfishable. Grayling to 12 inches
WUF note: Dam water is invariably clear if a little peaty, colour will have come from tributaries

An absolutely fantastic October day - great weather and excellent company. A second day spent guiding Javier, Philippe and Nicholas visiting the area from France. All learning to fish French leader and mostly with success - top rod for the day being Javier with a healthy 17 grayling. Fish ranging in size from half a pound to two pound. Duo working well on the flats. Best fish of the day caught by Philippe out of the gutter on a FMJ promptly followed by a swim.

26 Grayling

Guided Day by Shaun - three French anglers Philippe, Javier and Nicolas who were visiting from Normandy. Nicholas learnt how to fish a French leader for the first time and did extremely well landing 19 fish. Javier and Philippe did extremely well considering there was a limited hatch of dark olives coming off. Grayling starting to shoal in the slower deeper runs now. Looking forward to another day together on Wednesday.

28 Grayling

Only spent 3hrs on the river today

3 Grayling