Feedback & Reports

6 grayling, best around 1lb 8oz. Returned 6 trout, too. Water temperature 6C (down from 8C on Monday), air temperature 4-5C at best. Barometer 962mb - a deep low pressure.

The river was high and coloured following heavy rain. I fly fished on the upper part of the stretch but failed to catch anything. That said, the surroundings there are beautiful at this time of year and I hope to return when conditions are more favourable.

Trotted maggot produced several small brown trout and 10 Grayling, the best of which were 4 substantial thick set fish, estimated from their dimensions in the landing net, which was measured afterwards, at approximately 18". A short session, curtailed by the heavy rainfall and stong wind.

19 x grayling 8-17 inches, 8 x out of season trout 6-10 inches, long trotting with maggots. This was a cold, dull day with the river at medium height. A very few l Large Dark Olives hatched after lunch but nothing now rising. The catch included a couple of small grayling, two at 17 inches, but the rest were all pretty solid ones in the 14-16 inch range - a reasonably reassuring review of Irfon grayling stocks. I removed other people's bait hooks from two fish: a reminder that this beat is quite hard fished nowadays.
There were moments of excitement at the end of the day. An out of season salmon, and a large one at that, suddenly decided a small red maggot would be pleasant to chew on. The float disappeared in a very determined way. Rather than sulk on the bottom for a bit, this fish commenced to go horsing up and down the pool at once, provoking the check mechanism of the 50 year old centre pin reel I was using to making the kind of noises not normally heard by grayling fishers - first deep growls and then a chain saw like buzz. Meanwhile my thoughts were running along the lines of "how are we going to manage to deal with this then?" Particularly so as dusk was coming on. Probably it was all for the best that the tiny hook came out during one of the leaps - I got all my tackle back and the salmon, while he was certainly irritated, was surely not compromised by the brief connection.

5 grayling to 15" caught on a dry fly CDC Quill.

4 rods. 34 grayling, best were several near or on 2lb. (A B got 20!) We all caught trout (c.20 between us) and saw two salmon in pool/glide downstream of the Chapel.

After a "wash off" in August, I was looking forward to a day on this reknowned Irfon beat. Three weeks of weather watching provided probably the best water and weather conditions I've had all year. Ok, we can expect fallen leaves on and under the water, I've dealt with this in the past, a pain but par for the course at this time of year. I had success the day before with dry's further up the Irfon but thought I'd try a quick search via the duo or "mixed grill" as I heard it refered to recently ,ha ha! Nothing was proved by this but noticing some subtle rises on the glide downstream from the chapel, I tied on the "go to" Klink but nothing. Several rig changes and leaf removals later I gave in, contemplating some instruction next season because with most of the boxes ticked today, it must be me!

A glorious autumn day but with the first hard frost the night before I suspected the going was going to be difficult and this proved to be the case. The situation was not helped by shed loads of leaves drifting down the river in great floes. Bright fluorescent Klinkhammers were needed to spot the fly amongst them and heavy gold-heads to reach the fish which were hugging the bottom. I managed to return one 12" WBT and one 10" grayling so all was not lost. I look forward to returning on warmer days when I know this beat really does produce the goods.

Had a good day on Cefnllysgwynne, the water level was .43m and clean. A cloudy start with browns @10" taking grhe - three in total. After lunch the sun came out, on went the dry size 14 hare's ear parachute, may fly and pale watery dun and the grayling showed some interest with 19 cought between 7" and 18" and another 4 browns up to 12". All in all a great day.

What great surroundings to spend a day off work! Sadly couldn't get the grayling to come & join me. 2 trout to 13 ins returned safely . Lots of leaves on & in the water, my excuse! Will return soon.