Feedback & Reports

Fished fly and lure all beats apart from 2. Three member rods out today not much going on. An enjoyable day on the river notheless.

After a full Welsh breakfast at the Manor Hotel at Crickhowell we headed for the beat. Excellent hotel overlooking the Usk valley and splendid food and hospitality.

Somehow we hoped that it might be easier fishing than the day before at Dinas. After about 3 hours of nymph fishing and swimming spiders across and down we only had a salmon parr to show for our efforts. At least we avoided the dreaded blank. Only saw 2 or 3 olives and some midges. Not one rising fish.

The time was nearly 1 pm when we sat on the bank observing a deep pool where we had encountered March Browns in the past. Miraculously about 1:15 pm the first MBs started popping out of the water and not before long we saw the first splashy rises. The fish held in the fast water and in theory it would be easier to catch them not having time to inspect our flies. Wrong! We had to chop and change a few flies as each fish was feeding "a la carte". There were predomnantly on emergers just below the surface and only touched the occasional dun. The hatch lasted for about 40 minutes and then it stopped as suddenly as it started.

We managed 5 beautifully marked fish in the 1/2 lb to 1 lb class. A memorable day and another example of right place right time.

5 Trout

2 Trout

Tried the bottom water with a variety of flies. Everything looked very fishy but no joy.

2 Trout

Nice day in my fave WYE beat - fished 0930-1700 - water in good order and running c1ft 9 on Llanstephan gauge so I thought I was within a shout of a salmon plus 2/3 others on the beat who clearly thought the same. Used mainly fly but a bit of spinner in the Mill stream pool but no shows or takes.

Bit sunny really and the highish water made wading challenging in places - indeed I came a cropper in the Neck of the rectory pool and fell over during overambitious x-channel wading resulting in being washed downstream ten yards or so and only just managing to save my skin. Lesson leaned.

Retired to the spanking new fishing hut (a wonderful addition) for coffee and a dryout. No salmon seen but no doubt they were lurking but despite all efforts only catch was a 1/2 lb trout that had taken my dropper.

1 Trout

a very cold east wind and sunny bright day.

9 Trout