Feedback & Reports

2 x parr at less than 6 inches is all I have to declare on the grayling front. Plus 1 x out of season trout at 15 inches - a non-native with a blue spot on his belly; I guess we can blame Tregate Anglers downstream for that one. So, not a very productive day, but a peaceful and charming one: the mild winter weather and the valley at Skenfrith were just about perfect.

River in nice condition but disappointing fishing. Several cormorants seen. I'm sure they are not helping.

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

River low and clear, just one grayling about 40cm, and one trout. No other offers, struggled on quite a mild day on what felt like a good fishing day. A few olives trickled off between 11-2. Really quite tough and a tad disappointing.
Watched a number of salmon chasing each other around and spawning which was nice to see.

1 Trout, 1 Grayling

River low and clear. Lost 1 Grayling and caught 3 brown trout trotting with maggot.

3 Trout

Pleasant beat but river was very low and as clear as gin.
No contact made with any grayling. Requires a bit of water I think. I bet it fishes well in summer for trout which is when I think I'll give it another try.
Large salmon of about 10lbs lying dead in the river with large bite out of it.

A good day, there is plenty of fishing on this beat and the long runs seemed to hold the fish. Heavy nymphs did the job.
Best Grayling was about 1 3/4 pound.

1 Trout, 4 Grayling

River very clear, struggled all day. No sign of barbel but my first grayling saved the day. Fantastic stretch of river.

Perfect conditions and a lovely bit of river. No fish caught. Couple of salmon seen and one large dead hen fish.

The river was low and extremely clear, which made things a little difficult. M had a chub early on in the session but that's all we got in the morning. A change of swim produced a barbel for M. We then went back to the orchard swim and M managed to wrestle out a 13lb crocodile on a float fished dead-bait. A few more chub were banked just before dark, I managed a lovely 4lber on my last cast. Good angling by M, I definitely could have caught a few barbel but I was just happy making bacon sandwiches and cups of tea. I thought I better let him win this time, he was still a little upset about the hammering I gave him on the last visit.

1 Barbel, 5 Chub, 1 Pike

Fished from first light for about three hours. Spent the first two hours exploring, trotting various of the less accessible rocky parts of the upper and lower ends of the beat, without so much as a bite. I was considering an early retreat but decided to have a go in an ordinary looking gravel run in the middle field - this proved to be stuffed with fish and in the last hour I caught about a dozen Grayling to about 1 1/2 pounds, lost about the same amount (always happens with Grayling) as well as two Trout. I would have stayed longer but for a slow leak in my chest waders - not recommended in December!
I wouldn't attempt to fish this beat without waders, and the second lesson learned was to keep moving until you find the fish - once I located them it was pretty straightforward.

2 Trout, 12 Grayling