Feedback & Reports

1 Barbel, 4 Chub

Nothing caught

According to my records, I fished the lower half of this beat in early 2008; today I fished the upper half, so it has taken me just over 13 years to complete this beat! What the hell was I thinking - this is a lovely bit of the Usk and I see from my notes I had a great time on the last trip too. It has a wonderful mixture of deep pools, riffles, runs and glides - something for everyone (some of the deep gutter pools scream salmon too?). The bedrock in some places is indeed treacherous - like ice, would definitely repeat the advice for felt soles and studs. I was more Torvill & Dean than Lefty Kreh out there (at one point I think I managed a triple salco, was thankful to land it but doubt I would have scored more than a 3! XD). The fishing was a bit slow today, not much rising and when they did it was nearly always a single rise which did not repeat. The one fish that did rise repeatedly was near some tree canopy and there were needle fly around there - after a couple of changes I caught him on a Snipe and Claret spider which made a good imitation. Also some caddis, and very occasional mayfly hatching, but they didn't really get going well - caught the other four on nymphs. All average or small for the Usk (between 8 and 12") - I did manage one bite on a dry (Elk Hair Caddis) which looked much bigger from the rise form, but didn't connect unfortunately. Thanks and I look forward to fishing it again (and it won't be another 13 years)!

5 Trout

4 Rods - had to share swims. Not great for 4 rods. The wood was blocked off with overgrown swims. Long walk but picturesque. Nice chub though 2lb to 5lb

12 Chub

River in really nice condition and excellent day the barbel came from a few different places and all caught on meat. More kayaks and paddle boarders on the bottom end quieter further up. Other fish were eels.

13 Barbel, 2 Chub, 3 Other

loads of fish rising but managed 2 perch and 4 trout

4 Trout, 2 Other

1 Trout

Return to the lovely Escley Brook to try and break my duck on there. Stream low and clear. Few fish showing in the first pool at the start of the beat, but ultra spooky. Or is it my incompetence? I suspect the latter.

Fished right to the top of the beat, only a few pools fishable, some others nigh on impossible to get at.
Did find one fish showing in a pool, but had to resort to bow and arrow cast whilst lying on my stomach.
"I'm getting too old for this............" As Danny Glover once said. Top end of the beat is mainly bedrock, with the odd small pool. May fish better with a little bit more water. Bottom end is more stones with pools of quite deep sediment. Approach to the deeper pools is very difficult. Beat is in dire need of a haircut. As are the majority of the wild stream beats.

Off to the Dorset Stour next week. Hopefully chasing some quality roach. Back in Herefordshire next week, Abbey Dore/Chanstone Court calling.

12lb salmon on upper bigsweir

1 Salmon

1 Trout