Feedback & Reports

The lowest and clearest I've ever seen the Hindwell. The first time I have fished this beat and very impressed with the work that has been done to improve the brook. With the brook so low and clear and a nagging downstream breeze it proved very challenging getting within casting range of these spooky trout. With no insect life to speak of I stuck to fishing a tungsten pheasant tail. 7 trout in total ranging between 3-8 inches with a monster 16 inch fish which gave me the run around on a 3lb tippet! Very enjoyable day and was pleasantly surprised at the numbers of juvenile trout on this beat. Also appears to be a lot of signal crayfish here keeping the otters fat and fine!

7 Trout

One good condition trout taken on a size 16 pheasant tail nymph and several missed takes.

1 Trout

Sunday am. 2 salmon 1 x 20lb cock fish vanstone for Lee Graham.
1 x11lb fish from top section of beat
Hen fish. John Graham.

Both taken on usk grub.
No fish seen fished from 7am to 6pm.

2 Salmon

Totally different day to my visit last week. There was no fish activity at all. I caught some 1/2lb trout in the faster water but there were no visible signs of fish - including salmon, to my great disappointment. I'd hoped after the flooding we had 10 days ago, that autumn would be in full swing. It isn't.

6 Trout

One 12” grayling caught on pink nymph at the top ether beat
Thought I had another one quite well hooked but it came off

1 Grayling

2nd day on the beautiful beat, but the fishing was very tough going, only one Chub to 4lb and no other bites.

1 Chub

No water

Thought I would run a fly through the usual hot-spots but nothing found nor seen, disappointing but not surprising with the conditions we've had this summer!
Anyway, as I have always promised myself a go with the centre-pin and trotting rod, I put my years of wading knowledge of this beat to better use and found a shoal of chub at the 1 to 2lb mark; lost count at around 17-18 but estimate a total of 22 within 2 hours. All on sweetcorn and down two narrow runs just off the willow on left bank. Nothing on bread or meat, just the corn! If it hadn't been so cold standing in 3ft of water I would have had more as they were still feeding when I left.
Time to dig out the thermals?

17 Chub

No luck today;A cold wind later in the day but really the conditions were good for fishing but nothing touched.
A big thank you to Joe the ghillie who tried his best for us. I'm sure that if the rod was in his hands he would have fared better. Thanks for the opportunity.