Feedback & Reports

My first time to this beat and it was a pleasant change not to have to duck under the branches or negotiate barbed wire to get to it. Casting was very easy too. The trout were rising quite well to hawthorn flies and even took my imitation despite the fact that this had long since lost the trailing legs to bankside vegetation on another beat. The beat does need more water though and a good wash-through. I can't help thinking that anything much larger than 6 inches here will be picked off by avian predators, as there is not a lot of cover.

4 Trout

A difficult day on the dries as only one smallish section had any significant amount of trout rising. The fish we did get were a good size on olive patterns. The wind was quite strong downwind which did not help our upstream dry fly casting but we rose and lost a few others too so reasonable action. No evening rise. We watched an otter from the high bank swimming under the water and popping its head up now and again - magical ! Will return as I'm sure there will be better rises on other days.

3 Trout

Went down to beat 6 at about 5 pm. In the space of about 20 minutes on a small Alexander tube fly,i had a chub of around 5lb a perch of over 2lb and a fabulous brown trout of 2.5 lb.Also saw a salmon which ignored everything.Try again soon.All the beats in good condition now and fish well distributed throughout.

The river was low and clear, but the weather was favourable with a temperature of 16 degrees, overcast for much of the day, and only a light breeze. There were sporadic hatches throughout the day, with the fish responding to each new hatch. Notably the fish would not take any surface fly, natural or imitation, but fed mainly just below the surface with slow almost silent takes distinguished by an appearance of a tail or fin. Consequently most of the fish were taken on small sparsely dressed spider patterns fished a few inches below the surface. The best fish of the day was 1.75lb.

8 Trout

A good day plenty of fly hatches but not many fish rising.

6 Trout

Fished the fly through Marle Bed for a few hours in the evening. About 10" on the Fownhope gauge. Nothing doing and nothing seen.

River water was clear. I fished dry fly - and caught nothing, broken by one!

6 Trout

Fished two short sessions. 17th ( 10.00 -15.00) and 18th (16.30 - 19.30). I wish I could have stayed longer! The WUF description of the beat is accurate and all of the water is accessible and wading easy, when required.
Two WBT of about 10oz, caught and returned on 18th, both on size 14 GRHE nymph. Sadly I missed a good olive hatch, earlier that day, when a fellow angler, apparently had some spectacular sport. On the 17th I blanked, largely due to my lack of practice on such challenging water!
It is ten years since I had fished the middle Usk and had forgotten just how difficult it can be.
Conditions cloudy with good breaks of bright sunshine, but a cold wind. Water very clear and fish easily spooked. Great fishing that tests ones skills to the limit - not to be missed

2 Trout

River low and clear, with a light downstream wind. Only sporadic hatches during the day, and no fish seen to rise. All fish caught on nymphs, all very healthy, and all returned safely.

4 Trout