Irfon Valley Glory
River Irfon, Aberbwtran Beat.
October 13th 2007
The Irfon was low and clear, lower than the last visit in May. The water level was a worry, the clarity a plus. The riverside oaks were shedding leaves, but in the morning there was little wind and so the leaf fall was not a problem.
There were grayling in the lower section and I soon had a good fish to a small dry fly. Other fish were rising nearby. The making of a good day ahead? However the wind increased and so did the number of leaves entering the river. This has two effects, neither good. The first is that the nymph and the leader is often held up by the leaves. The second is that there are many false indications as the nymph collects sunken leaves.
By the afternoon the river resembled a leaf soup and I decided to retire early. I'm still not sure how the fish react to leaves. Do they overwhelm the fish, put them off their feed, or just make finding food more difficult. I forgot to ask them.
Irfon Valley Glory