River Alyn Fishing Reports for 2008

  • March
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  • September

22nd March
Firstly there is a problem with the forum server, which they are trying to fix? It’s taking a long time. Due to a new rod which had to be broken in, Sonia and I fished the river for a couple of hours around midday. The river was up +6in; coloured and running fast. We parked up at the sewage works, Sonia headed upstream from the works, I headed to the straight cut to start. This section of river is very handy when there is a strong wind as it tends to be protected, the odd snow storm made for some interesting fishing. Fished upstream nymphs on a two fly cast. Nothing in the straight cut, moved into the cornfield, nothing until the very top corner I then hooked into a TROUT!! Not big, about 1/2lb but a fish. Carried on to Gresford weir, with no other bites. Met up with Sonia who had fished up to September cottage with only two missed takes? By this time we had both had enough, time for home. The new rod had taken its first fish. The river on Sunday should be much more fishy! May have to try again.
Simon

20th March
Looking at the weather forecast for the next few days is not recommended, sorry I forgot it’s a bank holiday, should have known! Anyway I managed 1 hours fishing today just before the weather broke around 11.30 in the Worms wood area. The river was up a few inches, coffee coloured with a fast flow. Fished in places and runs as yet un-fished this year by me. Fished upstream GRHE size 16 and size 18 on a two fly cast. 4 Grayling, all in different pools and runs, all around the 1lb were caught within the hour. I am really trying to catch our famous trout! Must be the temperature of the water putting them off.
Simon.

19 March
Had 30 minutes spare on a journey passed Llay Road bridge so hurriedly tackled up and entered river downstream of bridge. Light was already dimming at 6.15pm. Water temperature 6 C. Water still a few inches high and the colour of beer, bottom just visible where water 2 foot water depth - an improvement on last few days height and clarity.  No takes on - unsurprisingly .  River should be good for Thursday, but then rain will probably change things again, so perhaps a window of opportunity of only a few hours?
Conor

15th March
Dropped off a fully kitted out Sonia at the sewage works, with the intention of picking her up at the Griffin Bridge. I carried on to the Griffin Bridge to fish for the first time this year in section 3 of the river. The weather was overcast with a light rain. Started fishing downstream under the Bridge with a pair of GRHE, weighted. Immediately contacted a fish which threw the hook. After that I waded upstream trying all the good looking runs fishing upstream nymphs. No nibbles until about half way up the horse field, then I struck lucky, it was fish after fish! In that one run I caught at least 8 Grayling all around the 1lb and one small trout. Carried on past that run into some slower water to see some fish rising, a very quick change of leader and fly, 3 cast 3 fish! Again all Grayling, but for the first time this season on a dry! At last!!! All caught on my Large Dark Olive pattern. No more rises so back to the other set up, more fish were caught in Worms Wood. Then a call from Sonia, time to go in half an hour, just time to try below the Bridge. Managed to connect and land two nice brown trout in a fast run. A very successful couple of hours, the fish are starting to look up so have that dry ready. In the end I caught 16 Grayling and 3 Browns! I had to go and collect Sonia from where I had dropped her off; she also had a good time, see report. Photos in members album.
Simon.

With rugby on this afternoon we decided to get onto the river for a couple of hours fishing before settling in front of the television with a beer.  I started walking towards the sewage works where a buzzard was soaring gracefully above the woods which is one of the reasons this area is one of my favourites. As soon as I got on the river the rain came down, but that didn’t bother me as I was pleased to be back on the river looking forward to catching a trout or two. As soon as my fly was in the water I had a little knock but I missed through lack of concentration. Again another knock and as I tightened into the fish it darted upstream bending my rod, I knew I had a decent fish and by the way it was fighting and the fact it came back again for my fly I guessed it was a grayling. Sure enough I ended up releasing a stunning, hard fighting grayling of about 1lb, followed by another little fighter again on a GRHE. In my first run there were 3 grayling and two smaller trout, this could be the start of a good day. Working upstream I caught grayling in most of the runs I tried and thanks to Billy making fantastic stiles getting around that part of the river is a lot easier. At the end of a couple of hours fishing I caught 9 grayling and 2 trout just hope the rugby is as good.
Sonia.

14th March
Park at sewage works at 6am and work upstream to Gresford weir and beyond.  A bright start to the day turns dull soon after, although the river is in great shape – water a little cold at 6 C.  Start out with a gold head nymph and shrimps but no luck and switch after an hour and forgo the nymph.  Around 8am hook and lose a fish of unknown size (probably small!) and then almost land but lose a grayling which used the current against me to great affect.  Should have landed it downstream.  Generally it was one of those mornings where inexplicably everything seems irritating – sock in boot starts feeling lumpy, jacket collar getting scratchy….tea tasteless….brambles trying to trip me on purpose! To top it off midway through, in the vicinity of where the river touches the A483, I end up in one of the best wind tangles I have ever achieved and have to remove all flies and cut the leader down.  Somewhere it was written that the angler should not allow frustration to take over when presented with a tangle – rather one should appreciate the complexity of the tangle and the beauty of it. No thanks. Decide to give it another 20 minutes and work a few runs back towards sewage works.  The only highlight is a strange orangey bird that flares up in front of me – only on its near vertical flip up and over to reveal turquoise – on its retreat back downstream do I realise it's a kingfisher.  Even that just irritates me – it probably scared the fish in the run below flaring up like that I think to myself.  Reach just upstream of the sewage pool – the outflow is churning out at a good rate – and it looks like there are some feeding swirls in its midst.  Sit down to have a quick cuppa and bide my time instead of hurridly covering the pool with casts.  The open flask slips and rolls down the bank, releasing its contents and then…plop…into the water it goes, the devil.   Several curses later I calm down.  Go on, switch over to the dry, you never know – 5 minutes to spare….I release the spool to change over and nothing happens, the fly line is wedged tight and will need attention.  Right enough of this craic I am off to work.
Decide to give the day another chance and return to the river at lunchtime.  Sort out the reel.  Have a hurried 50 mins but thoroughly satisfactory jaunt from Llay Road Bridge to the Acacia pool looking for rises and covering water in hope with a Klinkhammer before I must return to work. It’s warm enough to leave the jacket behind and the river in this stretch is looking quite superb, my first visit to this stretch this season.  A few olives whirr by – its 1.30pm.  Spot a rise on first turn of river upstream from bridge, cover it and hook and land a small but very lively brownie – 24cm. Something seems amiss as it comes in though, and it's the nose – totally pink – some fungal disease perhaps. Fish is otherwise in good condition so killing seems unnecessary and I release it, swimming strongly away.  I do not recall being able to fish a dry fly so readily on so much of this stretch of river last season – less snags in general on the road side of the I think – many thanks due to the work parties no doubt.
Conor

9th March
Arrived at the river 08:30 & fished below Rossett weir (30m + ) Had 7 Grayling averaging 6oz, best 1 1/2lb plus one either large smolt or a small sea trout (about 4oz). I then moved upstream to help with the working party (09:30) I did find them by 10:15, having fished up to flame corner. After some work I resumed my fishing at 12:00 & fished upstream as far as Gresford weir. I managed another 5 Grayling (best 1 lb at the sewerage pool, the rest averaging 4oz) plus a small Brown of 4oz. From about 12:10 there was a steady stream of LDO coming off, but no rises. The only rise I could see was at the tail of the sewage farm, but these were not to Olives, but bits from the out fall??
Finished at 15:00,a nice day in most parts, until fishing into a very cold wind from the top of the straight cut. Weather forecast got it wrong again, I got a very nice tan in the sunshine!!All fish were caught on Phez tail or shrimp.
Eddie.

Parked at the sewage works and fished upstream from the weir to September Cottage. No fish were moving and no bites on my GRHE, Started to fish a good run in the field after where the road touches the river to be rewarded with my first trout of the season. “See Pictures in albums or click here”. No other bites going upstream. Change my set up to 3 spiders to fish across and down from the other bank on my return trip. LDO’s were starting to hatch around 1230, Lots of bites on the return with 5 small grayling caught on various types of spider. No other angler seen on this section. Back to work tomorrow, just as the weather breaks.
Simon.

Fished from Corn Field to September Cottage, got 4 small Grayling and 2 Trout, one was 26cm, and the other was 36cm all on bugs. Watched Mark taking samples lots of Shrimp and Baetis nymps.
Ian R

8th March.
Fished from 10-00 until 14-00 and the wind made casting difficult. However, I managed to get a 1lb grayling on a goldhead GRHE at Flame Corner. I took the fish as I have never tasted grayling before. There was a hatch of a small 'olives' at 12-00 and I witnessed two fish rising to the spinners at Straight Cut Upper.
Regards,
Paul Hughes

Fished from Llay rd bridge to top of sewage farm no pulls, no fish, river dour.
Ian R

7th March
I Park at Griffin Bridge and start fishing downstream at 6.15am. Road very noisy with all the commuters making their journey north, but with enough gusto to be heard above the din, a single greylag goose passes overhead. Hurriedly fish the first few pools downstream and soon escape into a post-dawn world of teasing out unseen trout and finding firm footholds in the stream. The water is black in the poor light but I put my trust in two shrimps and a gold head nymph tempting unseen quarry. No takes however as I work my way down to the old bridge. As morning breaks the water takes on a slate grey and blue hue as it rises in oblique shapes in the fast flow. The run into the old bridge is extremely deep relative to last season and I struggle to find a way across – resorting to hugging the left bank and entering the dry arch to the other side. Still no takes as I pass September cottage. The river bed is extremely dangerous in this stretch, with every step threatening a loss of balance and a broken rod…or neck. The light reaches the water from across the open fields and invites the flies - I will a trout to take with every turn in the line. As I near the end of the field I lose hope and its soon time to work my way back. The flies work their way across an especially attractive run….and still nothing… then as I gather up the line to turn back I feel pressure and a fish is on. It is then a battle against loose line as my quarry speeds surprisingly fast upstream towards me. A few seconds later a very lively 24cm trout is admired and returned. Cannot resist another few turns at this run, but no takers. On reaching Griffin bridge I swap over to the Klinkhammer and move to the upstream end of the horse field, still a few minutes to spare, in the hope of one of those 1lb grayling. The dry fly attracts no interest on this clear morning. I return to the earlier successful gold head nymph. Some long-tailed tits stream by. A little bump on the line, and as expected for this pool, an 18cm but well proportioned grayling is the prize. The big ones still elude me this season but there is plenty of time left!
Conor

I managed another 1hr from 1630 behind the sweage works. The sun was very low making it very hard to fish upstream, just very hard to see the end of the line. Very quiet, only managed a small Grayling on a size 16 GRHE shrimp hook. See photo in Albums or click here.
Simon

6th March
Sonia and her Aunt from London had a walk on the river for 1hr this afternoon, having escaped from London myself I decided to have a quick fish. I only had a short time so where to fish was critical! Flame corner and a couple of hundred yards upstream was the choice. No fish were showing again today so I selected my GRHE fished up-stream. Without giving the exact spot away in 3 casts I caught 2 Grayling the first being 1lb with a big slash from a heron strike, the second weighed in at 1lb6oz. Again I am amazed at the number and size of these fish? How big can we expect them to be next year? Have the EA stocked the river with Grayling in secret? There would have been photos but my camera decided to break!
Comments on the Forum.
Simon.

5 March
Parked near the sewage works bridge at 7am to be greeted by frosty fields and a slight mist rising from the hidden river. Lovely scene.  Great to be out early, but should be here before dawn to really appreciate the morning’s opening.  Got down to the bank below the sewage pool and opened the flask to have a cup of tea while I perused the upstream and downstream pools.  A kingfisher darted passed whilst a grey wagtail took a sip of water a few metres away.  A pair of mallard drifted up into the sewage pool.  Decided to start fishing dry with a Klinkhammer upstream into the sewage pool.  No takers.  Tried same in downstream pool. Still no interest.  Wet flies it is then.  On changing over have to shake ice off each of the fly rod rungs. Didn’t realise it was that cold! Felt much colder on Monday with the north gale blowing.  Three Canada geese fly overhead calling.  Not long since the wildfowling season ended so I flinch in anticipation of a possible shot. With Eddie’s report from Monday in mind put on two shrimps and a pheasant tail wet pattern and move upstream of the sewage works to try my hand at a few of the deep flowing streamy areas.  A pair of mallard veer around the trees, loudly announcing their manoeuvre – they never do that in season! The flies start working in a particularly deep flowing stretch.  My feet are already protesting at the water temperature, taken as 4 C.  After a few minutes there is a little bump on the line, ever so faint but something taking interest nonetheless, which cheers my chilled spirit no end.  Another bump…but strike far too late.  Then nothing for ten minutes.  Decide to abandon the pheasant tail and replace it with a beaded nymph  - almost black in pattern with a little patch of green.  Its worked well for me last season – and it might make a difference is drawing the shrimps a little straighter and deeper.  The line goes out and feels far more comfortable working its way across the current.  A few movements back and forth and with about 20m line out there is another little bump which results in an almighty scream of line off the water for my part and a little shower of icicles from the rod. It’s a rather exaggerated reaction to a little grayling of 19cm <100g on the beaded nymph. A very welcome grayling on this cold morning.  A little heat returns to my feet with the adrenaline rush.  Wait a few minutes for the probable shoal of grayling to settle.  Another bump and another grayling, this time a little bigger at 20cm <100g. This grayling represents is a significant event for me – never having caught anything on a shrimp pattern before  - although in fairness having had a crisis of confidence is using shrimps after a few blank trips using them last season.  The successful shrimp is weighted with copper wire and brown in colour and is one tied by Eddie in the club, and kindly given to me last season following a club open day – Thanks Eddie!  There are no more takes and the first rays of warmth extend down the white limbs of the trees nearby – sadly signalling time to retire to a day in the office.  Give 5 minutes downstream fishing to the sewage pool and the pool below with no interest in the flies in the short space of time.  At 4 C its probable that no trout is even stirring from its lie! 
Conor

3rd March
Blue sky; Sunny; windy and cold! Great start to the new season! The river looks in perfect condition but has changed a lot since the introduction of the large boulders, wait and see. I did not expect to see any fish rising in these conditions today so a GRHE was the selected fly fished as close to the bottom as possible. Sonia and I started around 1130 from Llay Road Bridge working upstream. See Sonia’s report. The very strong cold downstream wind made my eyes water and made upstream nymphing very hard. No nibbles until the Corn field, then a very firm bite, I lifted into for our river a very large Grayling of around ¾ lb. A very nice lean fish. Sonia wandered along to have a look. Tea followed then back to fishing. No more bites until behind the sewage works where I hooked and landed another Grayling about 6in this time. Next cast in the same run another bite but got off, another Grayling? Finished fishing here and returned to the car around 3pm. By this time the wind had stopped and the river looked very fishy! But had to leave due to work in London tomorrow. There was a large hatch of Large Dark Olives at 1pm in and around the sewage field. All in all a good start to the season but very surprised about the quantity and size of the Grayling, Should we be able to fish for them after the trout season has finished? Comments on the New Forum. Photos of  today’s fish will be in Photo Albums.
Simon.

3rd March
After preparing my fishing tackle yesterday in anticipation of the start of the fishing season I couldn’t wait to get onto the river again and enjoy another years fishing. Like other fishers I have been looking at weather reports and while it was cold, bright and gusty winds that made my eyes water at least we were able to get onto the water which was all I could ask for!! I met a few people I knew and it was great seeing people back on the river enjoying fishing and having a chat. With the cold water temperatures and blustery winds I didn’t expect dry fly action so it was down to tungsten GRHE which I placed in likely areas with not even a nibble. At 1pm olives were hatching and while I was in one of the pools at the cornfield a trout really wanted my fly. It was wonderful feeling a river brown trout on the end of my line again and while it was only 8oz in weight it was beautifully marked and meant a lot  to be enjoying our wonderful sport. Lunch was had in the field before the sewage field as I love it there for the beauty of the place and the bird life I see. I went behind the sewage works where a certain run beckoned, and to my delight I saw my line tighten and after a dash to the bottom of the river bed I saw a flash of red which meant I had a grayling on my hook. It was a stunner and I called for Simon so we could weight the fish which was 1lb a good fish for our river. I ended the day with a couple of  fish but the favourite for me was the wonderful grayling. It was a great start to the season, just being out on the river with rod in hand seeing the wildlife, being in the open air and the added bonus of catching a couple of fish. Tight Lines everyone and enjoy the season!! See my fish on the photo Albums.
Grayling. (Sonia)

3rd March
Began fishing at 8.30am, with a team of nymphs in the pool below the sewage works pool and working downstream.  River looking great and very interested to see new streamy bits and new pools relative to last season.  Brisk north or north-easterly wind made for cold hands! Measured water temp at 6 C. Wandered down through sewage field and the straight cut, meeting four club members on the way!  Water looking lovely and had good views of a kingfisher three times and once with the dipper.  With not so much as a pull on a nymph or a shrimp having fished up to the two bridges field and with the wind growing in strength decided to go back to car at sewage works bridge and re-park at Griffin Road Bridge hoping for better shelter in Worms Wood – my favourite fishing beat on the Alyn.  Entered the horse field around 12.30 and worked my way upstream fishing nymphs.  Once I got into Worms Wood, sure enough, it was warm enough to take my fingerless gloves off and there was even a sporadic hatch of olives in places! Decided to stick with wet flies until I saw some rises at natural hatches but once I got as far as the end of the wood without seeing a rise nor having a take made up my mind to switch reels to dry fly set up, with a single Klinkhammer Parachute Olive pattern, size 12.  Worked my way back to the car fishing the fly slightly upstream and parallel.  As I got to lower Worms Wood at around 1.30pm decided to sit down and take a break in some sunshine streaming through the trees. Was rewarded with a display from some grey wagtails and the incessant 'foot pump' call of 'coal tits all around.  Several newly hatched olives drifted past. Was inspired to give it another 30 minutes on the dry.  Fluff one particular cast and a large belly of line is out and the fly is already dragging in current. Splash! A take. Hurried tightening of line…no chance this is hooked…yes, it is,  a grayling then?…no, it's a trout,  22cm <150g, and very welcome at that on the first day! Check water temperature – still 6 C.  I then manage to lose the fly on a far snag in the next pool.  Tackle-down time and head for the horse field.  However, the run of water looks inviting…tackle back up with another Klinkhammer, and cover some sub-surface movement - slash - a grayling of 19cm  <100g.  It’s now 3.30pm and feeling cold so I return home, All in all an enjoyable day for being out on the river again. Last season, my first outing wasn’t until 20 April, so 6 weeks head start this year! The water throughout the river is looking great.  The water clarity in Worms Wood is really excellent and some new wider stretches have opened up since last season.  If it were ever possible to clear the huge pile ups of debris in the middle of Worms Wood (I offer a pair of hands!) some of the best fishing on the whole beat could be had, with large expanses of water and deep pools. Even so, the floods have created some new open areas naturally.
Conor.

3rd March
Arrived at the Sewage farm 15:00 & fished upstream as far as the weir, managed to catch 7 Grayling, best 3/4lb & 1 Brown of 1/2lb. I then moved to the island below Rossett weir for 20 minutes  & managed 3 more grayling up to 3/4lb. I also hooked into something a lot bigger, but did not manage to get it up high enough to see what it was before it came off !!! Finished fishing at 17:30. All fish caught on Shrimp or Phez tail. See Photo on Albums. Or click here
Eddie.