Feedback & Reports

River in beautiful condition however from a fishing perspective things were not good. We visited the river from all four allocated parking spots and soon found out that access into the river was not easy. For example styles were broken and dangerous and many path were overgrown with brambles and impassable, one angler punctured his waders (not good news) we caught nothing and saw nothing. Where have all the fish gone?

We fished a clear 0.48m river on a perfect warm autumn day – thin cloud, no wind and water 11 degrees, kingfishers, and otters for company twice! We fished in all historically productive spots from the glide below Grandstand up to Little Glaslyn (though DC hasn’t fished CLG for five years). Not unexpectedly, hardly any fly, with little midge and a handful of what were probably LDOs, and certainly nothing to elicit a rise. Where appropriate, we tried surface patterns, duo, spiders and EU-nymphed bugs but struggled to find obliging fish, apart from four small OOS trout, 10 5” graylets and only two adult grayling - an 11” fish on a dark olive Duck’s Dun and a lovely 40cm 2.25lb lady for GR on a weighted orange spider. In the many years DC has fished CLG, he’s never had such an unproductive day in such promising conditions. CLG is still a beautiful location but where were the fish and, in particular, the adult grayling? Must come back in 2026 when there’s more fly life or drown some maggots in the coming months!

Note for other anglers, the riparian owner and WUF: the footpath alongside the island in the river, from the stile upstream of Grandstand to the cattle grid, is overgrown with brambles. After some bushwacking, avoiding trip hazards and potentially punctured waders, and line-grabbing branches and briars, a careful reverse was made back to the stile and to the gate from the car park. Access along this footpath should be much better managed and until this happens, we recommend that, like us, anglers should use the farm track from the car park to get upstream to the cattle grid instead. Access elsewhere is fine.

4 Trout, 12 Grayling

4 Trout

2 Trout, 10 Grayling

2 Trout

The water is the rivers was still a bit of the high side but with the season coming to an end this week would be the last chance to have a chuck for the brown trout so decided to go.

Parked in the middle of the beat and fished up to where the beat becomes single bank. Not much was moving despite there being some fly life but managed three grayling, one being a very nice 20 inches.

We moved and parked down by the church where dad managed a trout but as soon as the sun disappeared behind the hills the temperature plummeted so it was back to the car and home.

That’ll be it for us for the trout season, hopefully if the weather holds some trips out for grayling might be on the cards before the clocks go back.

1 Trout, 3 Grayling

Had a couple of rises to the dry flies,and couple to nymphs.Missed strikes,water fluctuating between 4 and 6 feet over the few days I was there.Plenty of colour to water.Dippers and kingfisher’s plentiful,healthy river.Stayed at hendre farmhouse helpful hosts,beautiful house and countryside.Cracking holiday allround,highly recommended.
(Novice Flyfisher)

All caught euro style nymphing. Great day apart from somebodies truck blocking the lane leading to the exit, meaning I had to sit and wait for about 45mins, not what you need when you've got a 90min drive home. Also, the parking area is a little over grown.

19 Trout, 10 Grayling

I only fished for a couple of hours as the water is so low it made things very challenging. One small grayling caught and a few nicer brown trout spooked!

1 Grayling

Second visit to this lovely location. Not much activity during my 3 hour visit, one small trout safely returned.

1 Trout