Feedback & Reports

A soul refreshing afternoon fishing a full upper Usk framed by autumn splendour. I don't think there is a more beautiful beat on the Usk.
Pulled a fish in the tail of Long Gutter before ML had a feisty 8lb coloured fish from same place, probably the same fish. Saw a couple running and as the light was fading I hooked an acrobatic fresh grilse in Popular Pool that inexplicably fell off after two cartwheeling jumps.
In common with the last two times I have fished this beat I left 2 rod rings lighter after clattering Spey casts through the over hanging branches. A bit of clearance would help enormously. Several of the prime spots; Long Gutter, tail of Windings, Vicarage and Popular pools, were almost unfishble.

Such a beautiful setting, but no fish today. It rained just as dusk was approaching and after that there was no fly life at all.

River high and running fast although colour not too bad. Difficulty holding bottom. Managed to catch 2 nice Chub, one of 5lb, Lost 2 other fish one of which felt quite big. Access road has a number of big potholes which need some remedial work.

What a lovely stretch! River up and rose 3 ft plus while we fished. Bright orange with entire orchards floating past. For the first time this week the river really felt alive. Lots of small stuff continually pecking bait. 7 barbel caught and one lost in branches in the water in the bottom swim, plus a couple of eels on meat and some small chub.
Stan, the man who runs the fishing, was very helpful and gave us some useful advice and assistance, even if his dog ate my luncheon meat(!)
We got back to the car park up the hill just before dark, not making a great deal of noise but it set the dogs in the adjacent house barking. After a few minutes the owner of the house came out and started lambasting us for being so inconsiderate as to park in the designated car-park and not go elsewhere to load our cars (didn't say anything as constructive as to tell us where else we might go, or how anyone who had never been there before might guess that there would be a problem parking in the official car park). He got more and more steamed up and abusive before storming off asking us how we'd like it if people parked outside our houses. He wasn't listening when I suggested that most people lived on roads with people parking on them. I suspect he will soon expire from a burst blood vessel.

River high and red - small copses and herds of dead cattle floating by (only slight exaggeration). 6 barbel on pellet and 2 eels on meat from swims halfway up fishery opposite island. 1 barbel taken and one lost from bottom snaggy swim. River rose 3 feet during day. Thank you S for your advice and help!

We arrived mid-morning to be greeted by a rapidly rising river. With plenty of debris already coming through it was clearly going to be a struggle to catch anything and fishing the margins would be the only option. We sat it out in the last two swims at the bottom of Legg Meadow and tried a variety of baits, but neither rod had so much as a knock all day. At least we had other beats booked to look forward to over the next two days, when conditions would hopefully improve.

Rod 1 - 12 Barbel 3 - 10lb 2oz, 1 Chub.
Rod 2 - 4 Barbel 8 - 9lb 6oz.

Just after it got light enough to tie a fly on I caught a silver fresh 8lb salmon from the bottom pool of Wyebank at about 7.45 am on a 2.5" willie gunn brass tube and shortly after had another take which fish came off after about 5 seconds. Thursday afternoon the river was at 1ft 6" and had finally cleared but coarse fishermen on so I got down as the light was slowly building to find the river up 6" to 2ft and on the border line to wade. It rose 2" further whilst I was fishing. Left the river at 8.30 and back at lunchtime to find it filthy again. The curse of this river - as Hutton said the crab of the river is the colour, without which it would be the fishing playground of millionaires only. Once again I was lucky to find a short near perfect slot before the dirty water returned.

Fishing proved to be difficult with river rising by at least 3ft during the day following previous days rain. I had a 6lb 12oz Barbel early in the day but we had nothing else.

5 fish caught, the largest was 9lb. The access road down to the fishery from the road is in a very poor state, anybody with a 2 wheel drive vehicle beware.

WUF note - This track has now been repaired.