River on its bones on the upper beats and warming up under the hot sun set for a couple of days yet. Prospects here look ptrrty grim until we get some more water.
Some fish seen at Bigswier on Sarturday and they may actually have had two fish earlier in the week, however water visibility is not good down there I understand, Slim pickings until conditions change I fear.
Looks like things are hotting up over the next few days which does nothing fishwise any favours whatsoever.
Saw a group of 11 almost fully grown Goosanders plus the female this morning who will no doubt cut a swathe through what little we have in the way of trout and salmon parr. Surely commonsense re culling these predators must prevail sooner or later.
Often see some strange things when fishing. Had a rare early morning session yesterday near Hay where two fish had reportedly been spotted. No sign of anything other than numbers of shad.
However just as I started to fish a woman came walking up the opposite bank, stopped about 50 yards away and spread a blanket on the gravel. She then sat down cross legged in meditation mode and simple stared across the river towards me for well over an hour during which time she never moved a muscle that I could see. Could not really tell if she was staring at me but it did seem that way. Was still there when I left. Hope she found her 'Karma' if that's the right terminology. Early morning session don't suit me anymore.
Catches appear to have dried up now along the whole river. Nothing recently from upstream beats that seemed to hold the bulk of the fish and i am told there appears to be very little on the lower river with very few fish, new or otherwise present.
Difficult to see at the moment just what is likely to affect a change unless some new fish arrive off the tides.
On te other hand this year seems to be the year of the shad which seem plentiful up and down the river in large numbers. I understand they do continue to feed when in fresh water and one can only speculate what affect they may be having on our juvenile fish of all species.
River cleared pretty well down as far as Hay on Wye. and improving elsewhere but still not great on the lower river where not much seems to be happening at all. Many are not fishing I understand.
Matthew Horton had a nice fish of 18lbs on fly from Caradoc yesterday on a General Practitioner with some assistance in landing from the farm manager . So far there have been no other reports today.
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POSSIBLY SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE POLLUTION FRONT. DON'T HOLD YOU BREATH THOUGH.
River pollution Wales: Farmers face 'six-figure sum' to comply - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57417359
Still some colour from the Ithon but slowly clearing as it makes its way downstream with fishable conditions in most places, spinning, with varying visibility depending which area of river you fish.
Seems to have been a good year for shad but seems to be very little on the lower beats at present.
No fish reported yesterday.
Ithon at Disserth Bridge yesterday. Chicken shit laden no doubt.!!!
From the WUF site below. Same river same date, same mile or so of water ????
1. Could not fish due to colour of river, I was there at 6-30am
2....River carrying a bit of colour. Should clear by tomorrow.
1 salmon lost around 4pm. Lost count of the amount of shad landed.
3 River un fishable owing to the water being the colour of wet sand with approx six inches of visibility.
4 After Mondays results was looking forward to another bash at the fish who were in a taking mood. Up early and was at the river 5-30am . What a disappointment didn't see this coming where has it come from ? I don't think it is a natural flood colour any information might help. Did not fish
Ithon water clearing somewhat on the upper beats slowly working downstream.
WUF report two fish yesterday and I can only assume the colour had not reached that section (Rectory) when the fish were caught!!
Mill Pool, Rectory. Brian Skinner 16lbs and Ian williams 20lbs Both on fly.
Nothing whatsoever reported from the rest of the river as yet
I understand there are still signs of algae on the lower river but not yet in a serious way.
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LATEST LATEST.
Sorry guys my information was somewhat awry this morning.Hope no one has been inconvenienced
Not aware that a big storm had occurred somewhere up the Ithon valley resulting in some of the heaviest colour I have seen. It was a real mess at Builth Wells early afternoon.and massively unfishable now and for a couple of days at least. Not raised levels a great deal but Ughh.
Some excitement for Ricky Reno at Garnons yesterday where he last an estimated 30lb fish on a spinner as it eventually shed the hook.
One would have expected the lower river to be producing fish but apparently not at the moment.
Looking at the world news it seems the algae clogging parts of the |Turkish coast is partly down to untreated human waste on a massive scale. Makes our problem seem small scale but cause and effect will happen wherever it occurs.
