Feedback & Reports

Very sunny hot day with an upstream breeze that was quite strong at times.

Another blank for me on the Usk, tried various nymphs in the fast waters without a touch.

Lots of fish in the dry flats basking in the sun and occasionally taking fly from the surface in the flat shallow areas. I did try casting a dry at these fish and managed to get the only take of the day which I missed.

Difficult fishing in hot sunny conditions. River running low and clear. Spooky fish, some which looked very large. Very sporadic rises, didn't manage to tempt any of them. Few flies, difficult to tell what the trout were rising to.

Sunset comes and Benowulf lies down beside the Usk. Grendel comes gliding into the run. His heart is joyful when he sees so many pale wateries, they will make a fine feast for him. He grabs the nearest and tears its wings and legs to pieces as it disappears down his gullet. Two more disappear down his great maw, greedily gulping. At the other end of the run Benowulf quaffs his carton of Ribena, wipes the froth from the back of his lip and rises. He grasps his trusty Steffen #5/6 8ft Fibreglass, and ties on a size 18 Grey Duster. He hurls his leader upriver, the cast not catching the setting sun as he has cunningly taken the precaution of using a fine copolymer tippet and degreasing the point. The fly alights gently 4ft upstream of Grendel, and trots gently down. Clop! His heart hammering, Benowulf pauses briefly to say ‘Odin save Benowulf’ and then strikes. The water erupts. Grendel finds himself in such a strong grip that he is afraid. He wants to run back to the moors, to hide in the mist, to find his own home. But he cannot get away any quicker, for Benowulf has him pinned down.

Now they are wrestling fiercely. Benowulf is on his feet, bending the rod backwards, pushing the monster back bit by bit. The water crashes. The din of that fight is dreadful to hear, the shrieks and screams of the reel as Grendel repeatedly makes runs of 20-40m. Benowulf shrieks and screams a bit too. Outside on the pastures the sheep hear it and tremble with fear. Grendel leaps and crashes as he tries desperately to shake Benowulf off. But Benowulf remembers the words spoken last night, and he holds on tight. They wrestle up and down the run, until as the light fades Benowulf dimly sees a huge shadow near his feet and barely manages to sweep it into his largest net. Benowulf and Grendel collapse at the riverbank, exhausted. The great beast is 21” and weighs 3lbs 11oz.

Being an enlightened 21st century hero Benowulf does not chop up Grendel to nail him over his doorway, but instead returns him to the river, believing there should be a place for monsters. Returning home, Benowulf’s kinfolk are strangely unimpressed at this mighty battle despite the magical photographic evidence. In fact they wonder why the great lord has returned to his hall so late? Benowulf sheepishly says his chariot had a flat tyre.

(Five trout, 21, 16, 15 , 13 and 9" - others caught on nymphs and black gnats)

5 Trout

Nothing doing until 9pm, then quite a good hatch of smaller and larger olives, and a good rise of fish - which led to many offers, but no hook-ups! (Should I have been using a smaller fly?) Finally caught a 2-pounder in the flat water at nearly 10pm on a Grey Wulff.

1 Trout

Three trout, 15", 10" and 9". Two caught on nymph, one on a size 18 CDC olive dun emerger. Fishing all concentrated into periods when there was a hatch on, very slow at other times. A few big mayfly coming off late afternoon but very few - not enough to ever interest them, they focussed on much larger hatches of smaller flies, including clouds of really tiny stuff - the dreaded Caenis/smuts/tiny black gnats? Had a few takes on tiny size 20 F-Fly too, but harder to connect with on such a tiny hook - didn't hook any of those bites. Fish all in great condition - had another fish of about 15" which came off the hook after three very acrobatic leaps!

3 Trout

Unfortunately work commitments intervened and we were unable to fish this booking. Thank you however, for advice on the telephone finding available bookings at late notice. As always great service, thank you.

Sunny and few flies hatching. Mange a couple with nymphs in the fast water

2 Trout

5 Trout

5 Trout

5 Trout