Feedback & Reports

Overcast morning, brightening during the afternoon. Lots of insect life on and near river. Unfortunately I didn't see a single rising trout between 8am and 3pm. Looked online at recent catch returns and seems others have found similar. Used a variety of dry flies and even tried a few out of season designs and wet flies. A beautiful location, however, and will definitely return. Only minor difficulty was access; a tricky approach from 'upper' parking location, but once by river fishing was easy in terms of room to manouver.

Nice to head down after shift , just a chilled three hours , muggy , overcast , the odd bit of sun peeking through , and lots of insect life , upwings and hawthorns , with the heavy still air !!!! Perfect conditions for getting your fly in the right place on the Pinsley Brook . . . . . .

It's starting to get a bit of a nightmare here with vegetation now , and perhaps squeeze in one more session here during the Mayfly . . . . Went to the usual haunts this afternoon , right up the top on the WUF beat , and also a private section , sport was a bit of fun , first one was on a CDC and elk , surprised me , as prospecting dry , hammered it in the feed lane !!!! Happy days , only small lovely colours , seven inches maybe . .

Trying a new furled leader , and works a treat with small dries on the six foot two weight rod , spot on , nice and delicate and working well in the tricky water conditions . . . . . And always clear as gin here so nice to get it weathered in on its first trip !!!!!

A Kingfisher was busy whizzing up and down the tight stream , and so were the magpies , working the hedge line for eggs , oblivious to me in the Brook !!!!! And no doubt totally unaware that they are now untouchable and not classed as Vermin !!!!!!

Second little fish , was a splashy rise , again on the CDC and elk , perhaps six inches , and quickly slipped back in . Great fun , really alive with activity in the Brook this afternoon , and nice to get a quick session in before the rain !!! Back soon , lovely couple of hour escapism as always!!!!!!!

2 Trout

Lots of fly life but only sporadic rises. 1 caught (1lb) and a few more missed.

1 Trout

First time I've used the new lower access and not any problems. Unfortunately the fishing turned out to be much more challenging, as the cold upstream breeze kept most of the insect life and virtually all of the fish dormant. Tried everything from weighted nymphs to spiders and even dries. Only managed to get the one take, and that was to the dry, but I was so surprised I missed it - D'oh!

No salmon seen or contacted.

Fished p.m. and evening. Day of sunny spells and cloud shadow. Plethora of fly life above, on and in the water, including a few mayfly, but not the fish activity to match. Saw only five fish rising, spooked one, missed take from another and caught last three small trout in same glide on Adams at last knockings.

3 Trout

Tough fishing in low water and bright conditions. Walked whole beat for 5 fish of varying sizes. Good insect activity but only occasional rises.

5 Trout

I could not get to the beat until 4pm which was too late in the day . Access was frustrating. The footpath is easy to identify, but no white posts to be seen. The obvious path going down towards the stream, continues for some hundreds of yards, but is then obstructed by fallen trees, and stops. There is a fork near the top of the path which takes you along the top of the wood for maybe 400 yards and eventually down to a bridge over the stream, where I then started. Some fly about, but no fish rising. An adventurous beat with so much fallen timber to circumnavigate. A wonderful gorge.

1 Trout

A late afternoon/early evening session with sporadic rises up until about 7pm to unidentified olives and a few Yellow Mays. Ten trout landed all on dries but nothing very big - the largest around the pound mark.
Spent 30 mins stalking a large trout that was head and tailing at the bottom of the Gravel Catch, finally persuading it to take a tiny olive emerger. Brief contact was followed by an almighty commotion (fish and angler) which scattered the rest of the nearby rising fish. A very big trout (3lbs+) also followed in a 7-incher I was playing further upstream. I don't think its intentions were entirely honourable.

10 Trout

Fished a a cool 11-12 degree day with the river still very cold for early May at 9 degrees, plus an unrelenting blustery south-easterly which did not help emerging bugs or fish. Little fly until mid-afternoon when some YMs, OUs, LBDs, some smaller olives and black gnats were around and a few fish became more active at the surface now and again. Fish were caught prior to this activity on both FBPT nymph and HE emerger, fishing duo and then latterly on Duck's Dun variants. A challenging day with the reward of fish of 12-15", the latter in good condition at 1.5 -1.75lb. This beat will be open on Gwent AS's Open Skills Day on Saturday 8th June ( www. gwentanglingsociety.co.uk/gwent-angling-society-2019-open-skills-day/). All are welcome but ticket only!

8 Trout