Feedback & Reports

2 salmon fishing novices trying their luck again on the Usk. Encouraged by the falling water a catch on the beat the previous evening. Bari the owner was generous with his advice and also enthusiastic re prospects. We arrived to find more colour than expected and tried with various FCs, devons and mepps but no connections or surface activity during the day. 2 trout of about 12oz as bicatch in the flats above the bridge. Thank you to Dave, the season rod, for his company. A really enjoyable day on a picturesque beat with a convenient pub for lunch (soon to close for a fortnight as new management take over).

2 Trout

A strange sort of day; summer's end a nighing on one of Housman's rivers (OK, he was more of a Teme and Severn man), a marriage proposal spelt out in nightlights under the Bridge (did he - or she - say "yes", I wonder?)and the grayling not being where they should be.
I note that a couple of previous correspondents have had trouble locating grayling these last few weeks. I had a similar issue today. The nasty downstream wind and a low, clear river may have been factors; but I suspect that it was largely down to the unseasonably warm weather fooling the Grayling into thinking that it was still summer. Whatever the cause, the grayling were not where I expected them to be today, with banker runs not producing and, with one exception - when I picked up 5 fish in as many casts, from a non-descript piece of water just below the weir - none of the 5 or 6 fish per run that I associate with Lyepole at this time of year. The trout were all small, the majority of the grayling were in the 8-10" bracket, with a couple at 12" plus. All on the same Endrick Spider.
That's probably it for me this year on the Lugg. Roll on the Mayfly

4 Trout, 18 Grayling

Water was more coloured than I expected and though the Llanstehan gauge showed under two feet it felt like the river was pushing through quite swiftly. Two decent size trout of about 14" with other fish all round the 6-8" mark including four parr. All but one took a wet fly with a touch of red or burnt orange fished as middle dropper, takes being close to the surface. Almost nothing actually broke the surface all day.

4 Trout, 2 Grayling, 4 Other

7 Barbel, 1 Chub

River had risen since yesterday when we fished The Creel. We fished the top pegs. 6 Barbel 7.5 llb 7.5lb 8lb 9lb 9lb 9lb. 1 chub 4.5 lb and 1 eel 3lb ! All fish in superb condition.

6 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

1 Trout

Cracking day, river fining down a bit after rain 11 barbel to about 8.5lbs chub to 4lb 11ozs plus 1 salmon parr and a bunch of dace which were being chased by what turned out to be a 2lb 8oz perch. Usual swans and one cormorant plus a kingfisher.

11 Barbel, 10 Chub, 25 Other

River conditions were good, water fairly coloured. Quiver-tipped for barbel / chub. I was surprised to find a closed-up bivvy in the downstream wooded section, but no sign of an angler.
When I left at 3 pm, I managed to leave behind a landing net (without handle) and an old army small-pack containing a much-worn green fleece but also a nearly-new Barbour featherweight waterproof coat. I only missed them on my return to Norfolk. I don't hold out much hope, but if somebody reports / returns these items, I should be very grateful.

2 Chub

river came up over night, looked perfect but proved to be very slow. What little we caught were on meat

1 Barbel, 3 Chub

Fly fishing, nymph and wet fly. Catch and release. High water.

4 Trout