Feedback & Reports

After a bad start at Upper Tower first thing in the morning I moved to this beat and the Usk gave me one of those magical red letter days, 30+ fish.

30 Trout

Not quite a blank, but nearly. It was one of those days when the fish wouldn't stay on, although I had quite a few takes on a downstream nymph, including one which broke the cast. Water lovely; but big change in the weather which was wet by midday, and I was wet by 1pm. A few flies around, and even fewer rises.

1 Trout

4 Trout

Five trout up to 11” caught on spiders. A few rising fish showed themselves in the evening.

5 Trout

9 Trout

Minimal hard standing at designated parking so parked up hill by forestry track. Description says ‘private’ beat. Upstream of bridge public access both banks. Walkers, kids, sunbathers, families and stone skimmers all passed by. Didn’t go to downstream of bridge as 3 anglers there all afternoon. They hardly moved. A brief sparse rise lunchtime but never used the dry fly rod. A welcome warm day so surprised not more activity. Lost v good fish on spiders, then 2 more on nymphs from delightfully named sewage pool. Finally got one at top of beat on a nymph.

1 Trout

Coloured water but fishable. Fished big nymphs across and down and euro nymphing.

4 Trout

The weather was quite changeable, but a stiff down stream breeze made the fishing a little difficult.

There was a hatch of march browns, but unfortunately this didn't bring the fish up. Only one fish was seen rising all day, which I managed to tempt with claret clinkhammer.

All other fish came to nymphs either fished duo, or under a New Zealand indicator.

5 Trout

6 Trout

Very cold wind pretty much all morning kept the fish quiet. About 3pm the sun came out and things woke up a bit with all sorts of flies starting to appear on the water. I lost 2 fish in the faster water during the few hours that the fish seemed at their most interested.

The sun disappeared again about 5 and so did the fish, but at last knockings, while waiting for dad to reappear from upstream, managed to tempt a 9” trout from the slack water in front of the car parking space to save a blank.

Will be back to this beat again, nice water and easy access, though hopefully it might warm up a bit soon.

1 Trout