Feedback & Reports

First time we have fished this stetch after passing over the bridge hundreds of times on the way to other fishing. Great day weatherwise, more like early May than late October. Fish rising all day, mainly small grayling but not all of them, some were larger fish as my wife found out.
She began by working her way up a pool towards a pod of rising fish, mainly small grayling she thought. Fishing a Klink & Dink she managed 3 or 4 small grayling (4-5 ins) on a gbptn and lots of fish going for the Klink. She then got into something a lot bigger! She managed an out of season brownie, must have been nearly 2 lb.

I spent most of the morning searching out the pools and had limited success with small grayling and the odd small brownie. After lunch I had a trout of about a pond and some slightly larger grayling (8- 10 ins) shortlining Czech nymphs. Had a great time with the dry fly trying to catch those small grayling! They were really up for it, I took about 8 on a size 16 black Klink, missed so many more. Finally I found a pod of bigger fish and had 4 decent grayling, best 16ins on a gold bead nymph, the wife managed a few better fish on Czech nymphs. Overall between us we had 20 -25 grayling, from 4 - 16 ins, 6 out of season trout, best approx 2 lbs. Great bit of water, I will be back.

1 small pike. River low and clear. Access to top end of beat very difficult, banks steep and overgrown making much of the water unfishable.

I've been out with the trotting gear this week - although I reckon the fly rod would have done at least as well for grayling, so warm has it been. Large dark olives of autumn hatching steadily, but also some of the smaller summer olive species still going, plus late sedges, midges everywhere, including the biting kind. However, grayling rarely averse to a red maggot trundled down the gravel runs,

8 x grayling of which 6 were between 14 and 16 inches; 3 x out of season trout 9 - 13 inches; 1 x chub 2 pounds; numerous smaller chub and particularly small dace 6-8 inches. A new beat for me: I explored the lower bit from the weir to Hay Bridge and I was surprised with the average size of the grayling when I managed to make contact. I spent the last couple of hours with the rod extended to 16 foot whittling out little dace from above Hay bridge, which was great fun with a bite on every trot, just like the old days on the Thames. I'm sure a matchman would have put up a good weight.

It was a very pleasant day with gorgeous weather, the river was in good condition and we had a good catch of barbel. I caught and returned 8 fish, mostly around 4 to 5lb, best at 7lb 6oz, my brother returned 4 fish, best 6lb 10oz and my other companion, Keith Windsor, had 9 barbel to 8lb 8oz all returned.

Many thanks for providing the opportunity for some excellent sport in a wonderful location.

Arrived at 7.30am to find the river looking perfect and some realy stunning scenery and i have to say a very big thanks to the Wye and Usk Foundation for a super day. I finished with 4 barbel and 1 chub while my partner lost the 2 barbel he hooked. The barbel weighed 10lb 7oz 11lb 0oz
6lb+ and 5lb+. The chub was about 4lb, all caught on pellets. A really enjoyable day.

Best day since the last time I fished the WU foundation waters. 4 Grayling, one about 11 or 12oz one about 5oz and 2 about feather wieght, and one parr. All caught on 14 flash back PTN, (Thank you Seth for the advice).
The Arrow was a bit low but if you could find them they were taking but only gave me one chance and then went down. Best wishes to all at WUF

1 chub, 2lb 10ozs, rolling ledger with pork lunceon meat. Only bite of the day, hard going! I need a lot more practice!

I've now done the whole Lugg and Arrow system except for Hergest Court, where I'll catch up next season. The lower part of the river didn't disappoint, and you certainly bump into larger fish than we trout fishermen are generally used to. Dinmore - 5 x grayling 13 -16 inches; chub 2.5 and 4.5 pounds; numerous grayling, trout and (encouragingly) salmon parr. Luggsbridge 1 x grayling 12 inches; chub of 1, 1.5 and 3 pounds; numerous small dace and chub; much smaller numbers of parr this time. Grayling seem to be still holding their own at Dinmore to some extent, although the river has some huge chub, but by Luggsbridge, the coarse fish, again mainly chub, are predominating. Access at Dinmore initially seemed good - you can drive right down to the bank on the top field of the beat. Here there are at least 3 places where you can get down the 15 feet or so to the deep-sunk river, and even get back up if it's not too wet. But that's all I could manage to reach. The owner of the second field has very thoroughly wired off the access to the river and the adjoining fields with barbed wire entanglements, and the lower part of the beat, beyond the railway bridge, has no wire, but brambles thickets as high as an elephant's eye and no way down the steep banks into deep water. I would swear nobody has fished any of this lately. However, looking down, I spotted some really hefty chub, which would have dwarfed the one I caught higher up. Who knows what else is there? If somebody with bush knife and trenching tool were allowed to cut some steps here and there, some good results might follow. Meanwhile, the top field is still well worth fishing for a fiver. Luggsbridge, in contrast, has had some useful clearance work recently undertaken by the landowners, for which thanks.

Also, on reflection I think I was a bit irresponsible using my light grayling trotting gear suitable to the open river on lower Lugg beats with lots of snags, places where you encounter big chub and even barbel at close quarters. That irresistible force dragging my terminal tackle under tree roots happened a bit too often for my liking. I even had one big chub trying to take cover around my legs while wading - it would have served me right if he had managed to transfer the hook into the knee of my waders wouldn't it? Anyway, in that case I got the front half of the fish into the wooden net so that I could deal with him. But to be sensible, I would have thought an Avon style rod and about 5 pound line should be the minimum, even for float or light ledgering, or go with heavy barbel tackle ready for a real tussle. Plus a big net with long handle to reach down from the high banks. That's the view of a game fisher trying to learn more about coarse fishing, but I'm open to advice.

Lost count of the number of Grayling on this magic little stretch, including 2 fish that pushed the 2lb mark and several well over a lb. Weather was lovely, wading safe and easy, and using heavy red tag style nymphs and depth chargers we had a day to remember. We saw not a soul all day, and the only noise was from the falling leaves, a circling buzzard, or the splash of an out of season trout at the net. Thanks to the WUF for the tip on what beat to fish, and the ease of booking.

10 grayling to 38cm on a size 16 nymph. Good days fishing on a fine autumn day.