Environment Agency - River and sea levels

With most of the UK rivers levels running severely low at the moment its always useful to detect any change that localised rain may have in raising them up a little.

Also on the flip side of the coin when we start to get some of the deluges we are more accustomed to its worth a quick check on this site to make sure the river you've got lined up to fish is not going to be bank high and unfishable..it may well save you a wasted journey!

This is a site I use quite a bit for up to the minute river levels for England and Wales.

Environment Agency - River and sea levels

New Stream To Explore

Last weekend was quite an intensive fishing weekend due to the bank holiday, I concentrated on the smaller rivers due to the severe high winds which were whipping across the UK.

I got the chance to try out a Shropshire stream that I had not fished before and was very impressed with the quality of this little gem. Its one of those streams that you wouldn't even know was their when driving past it.

I had also planned a trip back to the River Edw which runs close to Builth Wells but when I arrived it was apparent that the rain that had fallen during the night had not found its way into this river and it was barely a trickle in parts. Fortunately in this area there are quite a few back up locations.

Simple, Effective Fly Patterns

A few recently tied simple patterns that have proved very popular with the trout and grayling:

This dry sedge pattern (tied in large sizes) was shown to me last year by a friend who swore by it, stating that when there is very little rising it has the ability to pull fish off the bottom...he wasn't wrong. Works equally well for trout and grayling and is responsible for many of my recent fish.

 Hook: #13 Tiemco 103bl

Thread: UTC 70 Tan

Tail/Shuck: EP Trigger Point International Fibers

Body: Squirrel

Underwing: Tiemco Aero Dry Wing

Wing: Elk/Deer Hair

Thorax: Squirrel 

Variation of above for when the sedge hatching are darker 

A couple of simple midge/smut patterns which can be effective when fish seem to be rising at nothing visible.

Hook: #20 Tiemco 2487

Thread: UTC 70 Black

Post: Tiemco Aero Dry Wing

Body: Flyrite #2 Black

Parachute: Grizzle Hackle

Thorax: Orvis Hare'e Ice Dubbing

 Hook: #20 Tiemco 2487
Thread: UTC 70 Black

Body: One Strand Of Peacock Herl (wrapped around thread to strengthen)

Wing: Two Natural CDC Feathers

Thorax: Orvis Hare'e Ice Dubbing

Holiday Highlights

The last four days have consisted of trips to the River Usk, River Wye and  two Wye tributaries, all days were quite testing fishing under the conditions but with some memorable highlights...photos below:


Spectacular waterfall on the Upper River Usk at Cefn Rhosan Fawr.

Me wondering how many fish must be lurking down there but failing to catch them!



More of the beautiful River Usk.



Eagle eyed Nick...waiting for a trout to give itself up!



My first Yellow May Dun (Heptagenia sulphurea) spotted on the 1st of May.

Large Brook Dun (Ecdyonurus torrentis).

Fish of the weekend...taking a #18 Pheasant Tail Nymph.

One of a shoal of Minnow (Phoxinus Phoxinus) in full breeding colour.



Gale force winds making a normally placid Wye look like the Atlantic shoreline!



Nearly Dry Wye

Last weekend I took in a couple of visits to a beat of the River Wye well upstream of my usual haunt of Builth Wells, the river here under these rain starved conditions proved hard work with some of the pools hardly moving and trout wary of anything out of the ordinary.

The Wye takes on a much more rugged feel to it here with the riverbed strewn with large rocks and boulders covered in slimy algae which makes grip impossible and wading 'interesting' to say the least.

The bonus of this part of the river is that the sight of a Red Kite of Buzzard soaring overhead is rarely far away and the landscape in this part of Mid Wales can be stunning.

I did managed to connect with a few of the trout over the 2 days and also quite a few of the still active Grayling readily taking dries off the surface including what would have been a personal best fish for me although I only took a couple of  photos and returned it quickly without any weight or accurate measurement. I have duly noted the location so I can return during the Grayling season and hopefully meet up with him again.

With Easter just around the corner we all usually long for some decent weather but I can't help hoping for a good downpour to arrive soon...especially with a planned trip to the Upper Usk in just over a week.

Trout On The Move

The trout were starting to show themselves a little more as I took a trip to a Shropshire stream for a few hours indulgence on Thursday afternoon.

Fishing the duo method I caught nine fish in total with only one taking the dry (which had actually sunk below the surface before the fish took it).

Everything is starting to look good now with plenty of flies coming off the surface, the birds, butterflies and bees were in abundance and I really got the feeling that some good dry fly action was just around the corner.

Fishing With Furled Leaders

I had been anticipating casting at some rising fish so I could test some Furled Leaders I had recently acquired from mrtrout who is a regular poster on the flyforums website. I was very impressed with the quality of these leaders when I received them and was just looking for the right opportunity to 'field test' them.

As instructed by Steven (mrtrout) these leaders just need treating with Mucilin floatant before fishing and they should float fine...well he wasn't wrong there, one treatment at the beginning and that was it. It lay perfect on the surface all day.

On Saturday I was armed with my 7' #4 rod with a 3' furled leader and 4' tippet attached...I was exploring a new piece of water on a Wye tributary that I have access to and early afternoon when I arrived there was a superb hatch of Large Dark Olives which were being readily taken...unfortunately as I soon found out the rising fish seemed to be all Grayling (where were you all winter when I needed you!). A few small trout were caught later but nothing that put a bend in the rod.

Sunday I was back on the Upper Wye with my 9' #5 rod with a 5' furled leader and 5' of tippet and the Grannom hatch seems to be well underway, it was an afternoon of sunshine and showers with very little of the former! When the sun did emerge briefly from the rain clouds the Grannom seemed to immediately respond and swarm to the surface triggering a few rises. Again it was to be mostly Grayling but I was rewarded when a fantastic early season brownie that sipped my CDC dry off the top and gave a great fight.

Grannom...seeking refuge from the rain

 The furled leaders performed superbly for both dry fly and duo methods and I'm sure will now play a major part of this season’s trout fishing.