Feedback & Reports

Having my son fished with me he managed 3 trout on Tenkara

3 Trout

Lovely day out on the river.
It's been a while since I've fished anything but a wild stream, and it was nice to be able to cast with a bit of freedom.
There was a constant hatch of mayfly, caddis and damsel flies all day. However rises were far and few between them, which was odd as there were quite a few mayfly on the surface that didn't attract any interest from the fish.
Two of the grayling caught were large, very hard fighting fish, one of them going close to 2lb. Both caught on the nymph, in deeper water.
Two of the trout came later on in the day, on dry fly.

3 Trout, 3 Grayling

The river was at a good height, but there was an upstream gale blowing so very limited hatch and no sign of rising fish. Managed to tempt one brownie around 11 inches. The beat is very overgrown (probably due to lack of fishing activity so far this season) but there are also several fallen trees and branches spoiling what used to be a lovely beat.

1 Trout

There were two of us - I can't get the catch-return to recognise this. It was extremely hot and sunny and until the evening not a thing stirred, no rises, no joy with a nymph. A hatch of mayflies around 10am pettered out and the rest of the day this very pretty beat dozed in the sun. A very courteous dog walker asked if we would mind if his dog had a swim: the first time I've ever been asked. He said the beat had been fished every day for a week - with some success. The catch returns bore this out. I left at 6. My friend continued until 8.30 and picked up a couple of very small trout. Catch-returns are a double-edged blessing.

2 Trout

Very nice day out after so long off the river. Couple of nice trout and an out of season grayling. Bridge section as always providing. I now look like a cherry tomato.
Very hot day and didn’t see that many rises nor get that much interest, feel as if a lot of the fish were sleeping it off down low. Also quite a tally caught by the gent yesterday! All poor excuses though I know

Thanks again to WUF!

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

Day 2 of our COVID lockdown great escape….to Eyton, another River Lugg beat we only usually visit for evening entertainment, but anticipation was high given the fun we had at Dayhouse on Friday and that Mayfly would be hatching.
There were not as many as at Dayhouse…and not much else by way of ephemeroptera hatching, although there were brook dun spinners dancing come evening. There were also a smattering of the very large dark sedges that we only see at Eyton, and an extra large one with two rotors clattered past – low enough to feel the downwash!

None the less the fish were looking up and at least some would take an artificial mayfly – as long as it was animated. Trout were much more to the fore, with 2 at 14”, 2 at 16” and an 18” clonker and with an interesting variety of colouration. Great fishing although a cool breeze sprang up and quietened things down early evening. All fish were oncers taken on our parachute dries – Mayfly, Ginger Quill and Adams - but watch out for the mud, it is particularly glutinous and trapped us both at least up to our knees.

Good to say hello to the owner too, who came down to make sure that we were happy and not pestered by picnickers. He felt the need to apologise that the beat was overgrown – the response was it’s a wild river and the fish seem to like it. Watch out for the minnows on this beat – the river is teaming with them, and they are confident enough to gang up and mug a mayfly if it strays in to their patch, but they soon scarper if a 16” trout is released in their vicinity.

11 Trout, 3 Grayling

5 Trout, 2 Grayling

Lovely river, clearly well managed. I'm first time passport user and inexperienced river angler so had a couple of bumps but nothing caught and very little seen despite pretty steady hatches including sporadic mayfly-type insects. Access not easy in upper part of beat but it's nice to have that jungle feel for at least part of what is a long stretch of water. Lack of rain recently so river clear and probably below average water depth yet all but a coupe of pools were wadeable.

First time out since Lockdown and what a gorgeous spring day to be on the river, so good to be back fishing again. Two of us fished, a pain having to travel in two cars due to social distancing but there is ample parking. After a walk across the fields the river looked perfect, plenty of fly life, the odd Mayfly and lots of Caddis among the usual olives. Both of us were a bit rusty after the lay off but we both managed a fish each on drys with plenty of action from lightening fast small trout which were either missed or came off, never mind, a great day on the river on a lovely bit of water. Just be careful of the barbed wire.

2 Trout