Feedback & Reports

Fished from 9.30 until 3 p.m. and saw my first Large Brook Dun at about 10 a.m., and my last not long before I left, with others appearing in between. Several weeks early for sure, but in keeping with early sightings of LBDs and Yellow Mays by another club member on Easter Monday. I saw some black gnats flying under the trees late-morning as well. Pretty early sightings for sure but at least the fly are waking up. Maybe if these cold north-westerlies stop, the fish might as well!

Anyway, at arrival, I found some fish sipping on what was quite a still morning, probably on midge, which were around for sure, on one of the glides and had a trout and jagged another on a size 20 CDC Griffiths Gnat. All that stopped at about 10.15 but I bet they’d been at it well before I arrived. Must get down earlier next time (partly because it’s almost mini-caddis time!). Did a bit of unrewarding nymphing before the next pulse of action at 11.45 till about 12.30 when, below one of the faster necks, some LDOs, the odd LBD and what looked like the GISS of OUs (surely not I thought? Over three weeks early??!! Can’t possibly be?) got a few fish up top. I wasn’t able to grab one of the “OUs” to see if they were what I thought they were, but I put on an OU Ducks Dun anyway and proceeded to catch eight 8 -12” trout, half risers and half not. Jagged and long distance released a few others.
When I left, a few oncers were still sipping in the glides, again probably on midge, but I had to go. Can’t help but feeling that the fly emergence season so far is all to cock!! P. S. I wrote this report on Saturday, by which time there have been confirmed sightings of OUs again on this bit of the Usk. What a crazy spring this is!

A seemingly perfect day, but litte fly around and only a couple of fish rising.

There were a few fish rising occasionally in slower water, especially between 12 and 2, but I couldn't get them to take despite trying loads of dries and nymphs. I did have an amazing sighting of an otter hunting right in front of me which made my day.

More fish per head but smaller. Still on a March Brown nymph. Shame the river was so low, Would have liked to have waved the Salmon rod about. Will try again in the autumn.

5 Trout

Water clear, no hatches. Even this early in the season very overgrown. Perhaps there was no winter high-water to clear vegetation and blockages. Stream bed a carpet of caddis in the stony sections. Only a dozen or so places to get a cast in though and a very wader-unfriendly wire fence all along the right bank looking upstream.
Plenty of good fish moving in the downstream half, but none rising to dries. I didn't see any moving in the section above the no-fishing area. No fish caught.

All caught on worm.

6 Trout

2 Trout