Feedback & Reports

7:00am start. Water clear and low so I wasn't very optimistic. A couple of fish following but no takes until around 9:45. One fine fat brownie of 2.25lbs. Fished this beat a few times now with no blanks so far. This is my second two pounder here and a personal best. Well pleased ????

1 Trout

1 Trout

Fished from 10-3....... 0.33 on the Abernant scale. I spent almost the whole time on the lower half of the beat which could be difficult to fish if the water was deeper and faster. 14 grayling between 8" - 13" and one small 7" trout , all on size 18 dries and most on a black gnat pattern. The middle slower section was very shallow and I couldn't make anything happen there at all. Fish were sporadically rising all morning but turned off around 2pm. I look forward to returning when the water is up a bit.

14 Grayling ..1 Trout

1 Trout, 14 Grayling

A 12lb hen fish caught on a very small Allies shrimp, within 15 minutes of starting fishing!

1 Salmon

Started out at 12 degrees with poor cloud cover. That was story of day, really, except that temperature hit 16... A slight but noticeable northerly breeze.

I hit the water at 09:15 exactly. 2 fish were moving in the pool below the start. Drat. Noting moved upstream... A small hatch of mixed beasties ranging in size from 22's to 12's, although I saw a crane fly carry out a catastrophic crash in the tail of a pool later in the afternoon which panicked the 3 parr lying there. Otherwise the water was very thin, although it carried a touch of milky colour that helped the deeper pools retain some mystery. Which was where the better fish were. Otherwise those in the tails were highly skittish.

I covered the lower part of the beat by 3:00. I had seen maybe 20 small parr, taken 2 wbt on para adams (8" and a belting, if lean, 12", from the same pool). The wading is not challenging and the only reason I took so long was the fact that it was too easy to panic any fish sitting in the shallows - sometimes when still 15 metres from the tail! And I was wading carefully. Well carefully for an 18 stone idiot. But this allowed me to get size right (16) and discard any nymphing as a waste of time. I had a couple of parr too, but they don't count.

The upper part looked the same when I got there at 4pm. But it had 1 major difference: Fish. Okay, I only caught 5 wbt ranging from 8" -10" but for another 12" which was the exact twin of the other larger fish I caught down towards the start of the lower beat. There were fish in every pool in the upper part, including several (okay, maybe just 5 or 6) parr. I also missed a couple. What a great beat! Okay, I had refined the fly size by that time and 7X end tippet, at least 9' long and regularly degreased, made all the difference - and arguably I had learnt these lessons on the lower part. Finished at 7pm ish, but before the light was faiuling. Beat signs very helpful, and obviously there were moving fish above me beyond that sign. Drat again!

To be frank, wading is moderate on this beat. Ideal for the slightly inferm or just the terminally lazy (I fit in that latter group). But just don't miss the upper part. You will not be sorry. In fact, if pressed, skip the lower part if water is low...

Just 1 note: there was a dead lamb on RH bank (looking downstream) on the upper part, in that gorge type place below the B&B. The dead had blue markings and didn't smell too bad, so probably not been there long. Can WUF tell the farmer, please?

Thanks again to WUF for my 5 day's fishing. I was overly ambitious in booking 2 beats early doors, especially down Wye way. So much better than commuting into town...

Thanks again.

7 Trout

Fished as part of a two venue day. Arrived early to warm weather. River is as low as I have ever seen it making fishing difficult. Worked my way to the top of the beat without seeing or taking a fish. On my return to the car I decided to try a couple of spots that have always been favourites if mine. Low and behold fishing rising in both. Put on a size 14 parachute adams and took two 8" WBT from the first area. Moved down further near the property on the left bank. No takes on the Adams. I was about to give up but changed fly to Waterhen Bloa dressed as a dry. Instant reaction and another 8" WBT. Back to car and off to second venue Upper Grywne Fawr.

3 Trout

My first time here. I had fished Upper Longtown in the morning a thought I would try this river before moving down to the Dinas beat on the Usk the following day. What a superb river. Wading the fast tumbling water was carried out with great care...and wading stick. I fished a very short line upstream using a two spider rig anchored by a weighted PTN. One fish caught in a fast riffle about twenty yards up from the bridge. All the rest were taken closer to the fallen tree and in the slacker water above the riffles. I only fished for two hours but will most certainly return next year and give myself time to fish more of this fantastic and challenging stretch of water.

5 Trout

3 Trout

3 Trout

Scorching hot day, beautiful stretch. River low and torpid. Fish came on the feed last few hours before dusk. Pellet feeder.

3 Barbel, 2 Chub