Feedback & Reports

We were washed off and will go back later

Water at 1.3m and bank fishing only for salmon. Not able to control fly as gusty wind prevailed so gave up at 4pm.

Fished this beat for a good chunk of the day. No joy for me on the day but it looked about as good as it gets for the Usk. Tom also stopped down and gave me some great pointers on the ole' left hand spey. A true gentleman, as we talked rods, fish, and had a laugh. Probably worth showing up just for that. Will fish it again after the next spate.

Fished today by kind permission of Barry as a result of river in spate on previous day. Arrived at 9.30 with 0.9m on the gauge and river coloured but just fishable. Had a lovely day with with the 15 footer and in the enteraining company of fellow angler Bill. Later in the day river dropped a little to 0.8 and stated clearing. A mid teens fish was head and tailing just below the pub on the right bank which concentated the efforts for an hour but he remained unimpressed. Later we were treated to a fine work of art and engineering masquerading as the latest rod that Tom Hannon has manufactured at Usk. It was an effortless display of distance speycasting combined with an object of aesthetic beauty [the rod!]. A fitting end to a most enjoyable day.

0 x Salmon. 1 x Brown Trout 1.5 lb returned.
Saw one large fresh salmon below bridge jumping about and one smaller salmon running through to the Rocks Pool.
River height was on the high side, weather cool and showery, water rather coloured.

John and I both did well on trout, John had 8 fish, the best a beauty of about 2lb 4 taken above bridge, and 4 at the top run, all taken fishing 14 spider patterns. All returned.
I landed 5, and lost a fish of around 2lb (broke line 2.6lb)I took one fish of just over 1lb and returned the rest. Again fished subsurface with tin head 16 and spider on dropper.
A sparse rise to grannom at about 2pm. Gusty wind but fine. No salmon seen. Water about .45m and clear.

3 x trout up to 1.5 lbs one on a klinkhammer and 2 on a hares ear nymph.

No salmon caught or even seen I'm afraid.

This is the second occasion that I have fished this beat, although I have not latched onto a fish yet, I am confident that it will be in the not too distant future. Although not long by some beats standards, it is a lovely beat to fish, it has excellent flow and a very comfotable wading depth for the most part, especially above the bridge. From the top of the beat a salmon could be picked up virtually any where down river to the bridge. In this height of water (app 200mm up at this moment in time) below the bridge it gets very deep after 60 mtrs, but there are a couple of areas where it is fishable with fly or baits It has obvious good holding lies (stones and chine pools) once the river drops to summer level. The amount of trout that I saw rising was amazing considering how cold it has been. Tight lines.

Arrived in sunshine at 9.30 to find one mad trout rising on Rocks. After ten minutes a nice fish of 1 3/4lb accepted a size 14 LDO nymph. River was steady at 0.6m all day but tea stained. In spite of a very heavy hatch of grannom no rise ensued. Spent a very pleasurable days exercise with the 15 footer but no sign of salmo salar. A few LDOS started to hatch at around 4.30 with a number of fish rising on the flats above woodstream. Caught a 3/4 pounder again on an LDO nymph. Just got in the car in time to avoid a deluge. A very atypical spring day on the Usk but very enjoyable.