Feedback & Reports

2 Grayling

Fished with JE from Kingston. Tricky day. Tried top of beat. Parking coordinates a bit off I think but lots of features up there. Can’t imagine access in higher water but fish moving (just uncooperative).

Fished 8 - 5 and headed to CLG hoping to minimise the easterly and to block out some of the forecast unabated sunshine. Not sure if it worked or not, compared with the wider and more open reaches of the Wye but at least I did catch some fish. Some pale wateries mid-morning but not many later, and virtually no other fly life. Some leaves now filing the creases, so a few fish sipping here and there and others looking up, if not rising. Very few rising fish but, those which did and didn't, took a small HE emerger. On the bugs, most fish were taken in the faster water and necks. Grayling half and half, from 9-11 and 13-17 inches, the latter a lovely two pounder. Trout 10 - 13 inches. CLG looking as lovely as ever.

4 Trout, 8 Grayling

6 grayling to 17 inches all on size 18 dry fly. A great day on a lovely beat

6 Grayling

Near perfect conditions although the numbers don't tell the whole story. We caught two sizeable fish, one trout and one grayling, the rest were on the smallish side. We have fished Cefnllysgwynne 5 or 6 times now and this was the best trip so far. We will be returning.

2 Trout, 10 Grayling

1 Trout

1 Trout

After a night at the Severn Arms – still as welcoming and cosy as ever – we were determined to get out on the rivers. The Wye gauge at Rhayader was still showing 0.75m and looking off the bridge at Llanwrythl the river was clear but pushing through at a heavy lick. The Irfon was showing 0.59m on the Cilmery gauge so we decided that was a better bet and plumped for Cefnllysgwynne – looking at the river off the bridge at Builth confirmed it was clear and fishable. But wading was still challenging where there is bed rock.

There was very little surface action – a few olives and needle flies - and only 1 fish was seen to rise and then come to an artificial, and that was the best fish of the day, a 14” grayling. 6 wbt and 4 grayling was the final tally on prospecting likely spots, best trout 11”. All on dries – parachute ginger quill or grey equivalent. Again we lost as many as we brought to hand. There must have been a stocking with flying fish as one good trout leapt at least 6 times on being hooked before finally achieving long range catch and release. And he wasn’t the only one!

My phone only recorded 8000 steps against the 10000 target but I reckon that on a beat like this in chest waders they should count double!

6 Trout, 4 Grayling

This was my second visit to the beat. Wonderful, again. All fish caught on a self tied (barbless) tenkara style/spider emerger pattern fished both upstream and cast across and downstream. It was cloudy and cold. While there was a fair amount of fly life there was very little surface activity. 1 very large trout hooked but lost just before the net!

3 Trout, 3 Grayling

River was slightly up and flowing well though algae remaining on the rocky sections made wading treacherous. The grayling were looking up and rising confidently to a s18 or s20 Griffiths Gnat and the best was 17".

2 Trout, 3 Grayling