Feedback & Reports

River very low but a beautiful beat with lots of wildlife, the ducklings were much more interested in my klinkhammer than the trout were. Fished morning and evening, duo and dries but couldn't tempt any of the sporadically rising fish despite a number of fly changes. Finally changed to a PTN at dusk and caught two nice trout in quick succession from a gutter at the lower end of the beat. I also rescued a bat that had taken a fly hanging from a bankside tree, thankfully still alive, a reminder that we all need to do everything to take all tackle with us.

2 Trout

Multiple rises in the evening but no luck. Still low water.

Very rusty performance I’m afraid. Scenic and beautiful beat, I briefly connected with 3 including one big lump but totally failed to keep my end of the fishing bargain. Very clear, mostly shallow and I found it hard to get on the fish. Slipped and wallowed on my back in 6” of water - I could hear the trout laughing. Very much a bushwhack in places at present. Friendly farmer, kingfisher action galore. A beat for the more physically fit angler perhaps?

4 Trout

1 Trout

1 Trout

Warm sunny day with cloudy intervals and very little wind, river seemed to be running low and clear.

On arrival there were fish rising so we both started on dries, my fishing partner moving upstream from the first parking spot and me going downstream and starting by the Usk gauge.

I then spent a good three hours carefully presenting everything in my box to rising fish without a single take. I did manage to finally get a bite and hook it, only to have it come off when it swam towards me and I didn't keep the line tight enough.

A quick call to MB who told me that he's had three fish two small and one about a pound and a half. I asked him if he was on dries, and he said that he was but that he wasn't casting upstream to them he was getting all of his fish downstream??

I couldn't figure this out so made my way up still casting at showing fish without a take. When I finally caught up with him I figured out what he meant, he was actually casting a black ant slightly upstream and then letting line out then allowing the submerged fly to swing. He isn't that experienced at fly fishing and didn't know that what he was basically doing was swinging his flies down and across, and because he was using a dry fly to his mind he was still dry fly fishing.

After a couple of hours I should have realised that I was never going to temp these rising fish and switched tactics, instead I persevered. What makes matters worse is that this isn't the first time I've done this, this season.

4 Trout

30 Trout

Great Usk beat, varied photogenic water, a real feeling of the historic salmon runs of yesteryear. Difficult day, smorgasbord of small Duns, sedge and some lovely stonefly hatching, fish mainly midge focused, small flies and good presentation a must! 2 fish for me and 1 for MJ best a lovely 2lber, others lost and spooked! White Merrell fly box lost on a dunking walking across river on a slippery rock shelf - will bring felt and studs next time!

3 Trout

My first time on this beat. A beautiful stretch of river with lots of interest for the WBT fly fisher. Given that Brecon centre is relatively close, beat feels very peaceful and remote. River at summer levels (showing 5" on Brecon gauge). Bright sunshine with a gentle upstream breeze. Steady hatch of olives throughout the day. Some fish dimpling the surface on the flats. Mostly fry - but you never can be sure, so spent an unsuccessful hour or so covering them. Switched to a PT nymph fished in the creases of the faster water. Several missed takes. When the occasional mayfly came off, switched to a Richard Walker mayfly nymph, again fished in the margins of the fresh water. Two lovely WBT to the net. Two important points: wading is very tricky even in low water conditions. The flat slabs of bedrock are like a skating rink. Felt soles are highly desirable; secondly, parking at the three designated spots is problematic. Even with one car, was difficult to get off the farm track without blocking access to the farm gates.

2 Trout