Feedback & Reports

Fished from 11am to 4pm. River low, peaty colour. A few deep holes with fast running gutter channels connecting. Saw a shoal of chub very close in to the bank. Amazed by the grayling, missed 5 plus due to seeing them come to take the fly! Started with a lead bug then changed to a pix/caddis dry fly which did the trick. Slow pools had rising fish where fast water entered pool. The large fish waited to take, best grayling 16inch fish (measured) which jumped three times! Great day in nice coutryside.

2 Trout, 5 Grayling

Fished this beat for the first time. The directions to the site and the description of 2/3 mile stretch of left bank River Irfon fishing were absolutely spot on, so many thanks to WUF and the local farmer for agreeing to open up this special bit of river. At the bottom, there is a large pool which looks extremely inviting, and a small feeder pool was literally teeming with fish. Upon my less than subtle approach, some of them actually scrabbled over litte rocks in the pool, such was their desire to escape as a towering shadow enveloped them, and such was their number! Unfortunately, although several fish were rising most of the day, I only managed to persuade one fish to take a pull at a hare's ear, and it didn't stick. But the fish are there and when I have more experience of fly fishing I'm sure I would catch here. The most secluded beat, with easy access, I've ever fished. Thanks again to WUF and the farmer!

Aberbwtran is a beautiful and secluded beat. I fished it last year, thought it worth another try. There is a great variety of pools, runs, glides - enough to require a varied fly box, and realistically a 9ft 3 to 4wt rod. This beat has good access, but much of the wading is over jagged bedrock, which is no problem in low clear water but I would be hesitant in coloured water with a bit of flow.
Managed 2 energetic browns of around 1lb each. Last year I had a grayling, and again this year. Stealth and patience always pay off on rivers and another day fishing this beat would allow greater exploration.
Trundling tung head nymphs in the deeper gutters did the job.
It would be nice if more usable access for the less sprightly could be arranged on the path down to the river; this applies to virtually every WUF beat I've fished. Solid stiles would be quick and inexpensive?

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

Fished this beat today under the wild stream season ticket, river was in good condition and running clear, lots of fly life and fish showing in the top pool and at the end of the beat. Fish very spooky and didn't managed to hook anything.

No fish caught but lost a single fish and had several other takes. The river was in good condition, clear and without too many leaves.

A lovely warm afternoon with a few olives and sedges about. An olive CDC caught the fish to 13''.

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

4 x grayling 14-17 inches, Grayling Steel Blue, John Storey and Hare's Ear, size 18. Jon Beer once said to me: "The thing about Aberbwtran is that it's really only one pool." That's one way of looking at it and certainly it isn't a full day's fishing - more like a couple of hours which could be combined with another wild stream booking. But it's certainly a very good pool. There are also some shallow gravel flats and a fast gutter at the bottom for those who like to search the gutters. On this day, the grayling were in a diffident mood, so it all took a while. I fished a dry fly to the very few rises which occurred in between showers (which weren't supposed to happen according to the forecast I looked at). In between casting I sat on the bank resting the pool. If I was Mr Crabtree I would have smoked my pipe. All very relaxing.

1 Trout, 4 Grayling

Weather warm and the river quite clear. Managed 5 grayling, 12 to 14 inches, and a 10 inch trout (also caught a couple of parr and a tiny grayling, which don't really count). Fished with a purple coloured, tungsten beaded, nymph on the point and a green czech nymph on the dropper. Both flies caught fish. Unsure where the start of this beat is, even with map, as unable to see any signage. Maybe I missed it, so fished from approx two thirds of the way down the beat back to the upstream end. All fish returned.

1 Trout, 5 Grayling

Arrived mid morning, a few olives hatching but nothing rising. After walking the length of the beat fishing olive patterns I decided to try a weighted fly as the water was quite fast. I chose a Claret seals fur nymph, ribbed with copper wire and a gold head. I had two small trout in two casts then decided to return to the start of the beat.
I had a few pulls then attached to a trout approx. 1 1/2 lb which took the fly in deep water. It immediately came to the surface, jumped twice, shook his head and got off. (My version of "catch and release" !!!)
I enjoyed the river and will make an effort to return to get my own back on that fish.

2 Trout

Tried to grab a few hours on this beat before making for home. I was greeted with two thirds of the beat being a ten foot wide gutter with the water going through as though someone had pulled the plug out the other end ! Hands up , I couldn't fish it, tried CZ but futile. The top end of the beat was wider more open but more susceptible to the gathering wind swooping down the open hillside. Another time eh! Blank.