Feedback & Reports

Didn't start fishing til 9.30 am could only fish beat 5 which was ideal as we only had a few hours fishing as drove up from Cornwall & then driving back. Seen 3 salmon show. Spoke to 1 angler who just finished fishing the beat who had a nice 15lber on the fly. A very enjoyable few hours fishing was had. A very nice beat to fish with easy access.

Nothing caught although I did see a decent fish jumping in Whirly pool, which could not be tempted by my Toby.

I thought this might be of interest to WUF re March Brown populations and distribution: living locally, I have now fished the beat for 12 years. I have previously reported that I first saw March Browns here in 2006, albeit then seemingly just a handful. Over recent years however, populations have steadily increased and this season has seen some really good hatches and this weekend typified this. Yesterday in the sunshine, as a goodly Grannom hatch came to an end at about midday (surely it must be coming to the end of this year's hatch by now!), so the first of several good MB hatches appeared with fish switching quickly from taking the one natural for the other, and likewise from Grannom adult / emerger patterns to a March Brown emerger. Today in spite of the sunshine, and conditions not much windier than yesterday, the Grannom did not appear at all but at 11.30, again along came the March Browns: another substantial hatch in several pulses for about an hour from 11.30. and then fish mopping up the occasional remains in the foam lanes afterwards. Fish taken on a MB emerger and a MB Ducks Dun pattern. Surely too the MB hatch for this year must also be nearing its end? Anyway, over just a few hours each day, a total of 20 trout, many of 11-13" and two OOS grayling to 1.5lb, were all most welcome, and made a bit of flagrant "cherry picking" really worthwhile!

20 Trout, 2 Grayling

A beautiful spring day on the river, March browns and Spinners come off all day unfortunately no salmon showing, just 1no. wbt caught while spinning. Thank you to Mike and Derrick for their helpful advice.

1 Trout

Grabbed a couple of hours and fished the home waters from 11.15 until 2.30 today. Bright sunshine and a keen easterly. Grannom coming off at arrival and understood that they had been doing so since 10.30 (and was also told that yesterday it was 9.30.!) When I fished the beat last Sunday it was a monster (I was eating them!) but brief hatch at 12.30.! The fish were obliging then, and again today with two fish on a Grannom pupa parachute, four on a Grannom adult F fly pattern and two on a March Brown emerger. There was also a brief but significant MB hatch at about midday, which the fish amazingly seemed not to switch on to. Saw much the same happen down the Usk yesterday when the day before they went ballistic and enthusiastically took March Brown Duck's duns for an hour or so. All very curious!

6 Trout, 2 Grayling

3 Trout

8-10lb fresh springer on a flying c. Lost at the edge of the net.

River dropping and not to much colour.Fishing for salmon in monks run with a Stoats tail double. Caught a hard fighting Sea trout 18".

1 Sea Trout

Fished with a fly for salmon for approximately 4 hours with no success at all. Tried a variety of fly patterns - nothing helped. River was very low - some pools almost impossible to fish with a fly as a result due to insufficient flow to make the fly swim.
Beat bailiff was very helpful in terms of fly advice and telling me where to fish, but no fish even seen, let alone caught. Coarse anglers did report one salmon jumping mid-afternoon.

Fishing for salmon using lures (flies). Couple of trout and a 6lb barbel accidentally caught and released in good condition. No salmon despite many different flies and methods. No salmon seen.

2 Trout, 1 Sea Trout, 1 Barbel