Feedback & Reports

The river was still up and carrying a bit of colour. The day started bright and still but ended up wet and windy. Around noon the sun went in and the river came alive with fly and rising fish. We caught plenty of fish on nymphs and dries. The biggest trout was around 1 3/4lb. Fly life - midge, olives, black gnats, march browns, sulphur duns and sedge.

31 Trout, 3 Grayling

River low, no sign of fish.
Found passport easy to use ( booked by phone but will use site in future )
Only complaint is that you don't provide hard copy booklet of beats/areas etc similar to South West passport, makes it much easier to plan, especially when away from home with no computer access.

It was 4 rods, rather than 1 rod, and we were of mixed ability, with the better rods helping the Usk first timers. Nothing much happening before 1pm with the only fish showing being chironomid/terrestail feeders cruising the slacker bits, but from 1pm till we left at 6pm the trout rose steadily. After numerous fly changes we found they readily accepted a #14 loop wing olive presented well. Best fish was 16" (caught prospecting some fast water), 3 more were over 14", with the bulk in the 9-11" range. A couple of bigger fish were lost and several good fish came short (educated?).

Most of the action was over the more gravelly middle section especially in the middle and tail of the ever reliable poplar pool, with the rises rather sparse in the spectacular rocky upper section. We didn't venture below the car park which was, in retrospect an error.

A few Yellow may duns, LBD's and green drakes trickled off, supported by a decent hatch of Olive uprights from 2pm to 4pm, but it was the medium olives which hatched steadily from 1pm till we left that most of the fish appeared feeding on

Whilst the beat is in fine shape for trout fishing. There is a huge tree lodged on the vicarage rock weir which would prevent a salmon angler fishing the pool, and both the poplar and long gutter could do with some of the willows and overhanging branches trimmed to allow someone to fish down the left hand bank . The path through the wood could also do with a haircut.

28 Trout

River perfect height, morning on French leader and afternoon on dry on pool at top end of the beat, several fish in the 2 to 3 lb bracket. Perfect day.

20 Trout

10 Trout

4 Trout

All taken on small black wet flies.

4 Trout

Fished worm under windjammer float at approx 1 metre depth, took 4 rainbows and 2 perch.
Best at 2lb 10oz two at a little under 2lb and one 13" at 3/4lb. Sunny spells light rain showers with a stiff breeze.
My first trip to Usk and my only disappointment was the amount of litter totally unacceptable for such an idyllic place.

4 Trout, 2 Other

2 Trout

4 trouts on dries.

4 Trout