Feedback & Reports

Got to the beat at 12.30 to find a steady rise of dark olives coming off the water in Lady Alexander's Catch with fish rising freely. Though dry fly would have probably been successful I started with a team of three wets unweighted to stay high. Plenty of tugs and taps and four fish to hand fairly quickly (plus a couple lost near the net). Although I had on a GRHE and an olive spider all four trout were caught on C V Hancock's 'Pet' wet fly as described by Courteny Williams. As this was something I had tied the same morning I felt more than pleased. I then heard my first cuckoo of spring to add to the pleasure.
The rise subsided at about 1.30 and fishing slowed a little so I moved upstream to the Abernant Pool but found it unusually quiet with only one fish caught (again to the Pet). Back in the faster water downstream the odd fish was still rising and I caught steadily until packing up about 6.30. 12 trout in total with 8 to the Pet and the others (plus 4 salmon parr) to the GRHE and olive spider equally. Tip of the hat to C V Hancock.

12 Trout, 4 Other

Arrived to find the river in fine fettle and although there was a steady trickle of LDOs coming off for most of the day there was no hatch and only little surface activity. Started exploring with the duo and SC took four fish to 15 inches in one pool. The first took the nymph but the next the klink. The nymph was dispensed with and the others were also taken on the surface. Explosive takes in fairly turbulent water. So by mid morning this was heading for a red letter day. Every pool with similar characteristics was thoroughly explored but frustratingly the earlier success was not matched. SC added only one more fish. Meanwhile JT who had missed out on the early action had a couple of fish to hand and rose a few to the dry. So another long and tiring day ended with a respectable number of fish yet we felt disappointed as we had started so well. Had the fish come at the death we would have claimed to have cracked it. Fenni Fach is a glorious stretch of water with easy access, excellent stiles and good parking. Thanks go to DJP, the owner, who stopped by for a chat.

7 Trout

Rose a fish twice to a dry fly, no offers on nymphs, conditions seemed perfect but hardly any insect life or fish to be seen.

There was quite a bit of rubbish on the bottom including an old car battery. That said it was a great afternoon.

Lovely days fishing in a beautiful spot - 1 pull in the neck of Rectory late in the day - No salmon seen - I saw 1 cormorant down towards the run.

3 Trout

3 Trout

Cloudy and cold day. After the feast of fish on the Usk's Dinas Beat the day before, this was definitely a famine. A friend was fishing the Lower Crai on the same day and both of us had the same result.....no fish and, apart from one solitary March Brown, no fly life seen.

See report for Upper Crai. Same result.

Quality not quantity. Two beautiful trout - about 14" long. Both taken on point, the first on a small beaded nymph #16 and the second a March Brown nymph #14. Colder than the previous day, with no signs whatsoever of insect life or fish rising on an overcast day with the East wind still fairly strong.
Both fish in good condition and put up a lengthy fight.

2 Trout