Feedback & Reports

The river was very low, and flow was slow in the pools. Weather conditions were warm and sunny, although the temperature was lower than the previous day. Mayfly were hatching, and a few fish were feeding.
On the lower half of the beat, there was also a considerable amount of silt on the rocks and stones on the riverbed. On the upper half of the beat, the rocks were generally more clear of silt, indicating a run-off indicating a soil run-off problem in the central part of the beat.

2 Trout

We shared the rod fishing pools in turn. A bright warm day at last and somewhat surprisingly given the rise in the main rivers this week low water. A few mayflies and olives hatching but the fish were mostly not occupied on them and we struggled to get two fish. As usual there are some cracking fish in this beat - and on this occasion that's how they remain! We avoided restless natives and had the long trudge back rather than risking the pub landlord's taxi service!

2 Trout

Water level low and clear. Fish easily spooked. Tails and heads of deeper pools most rewarding. Steady mayfly hatch but fish sipping emergers and blue winged olives towards evening. Only managed half the beat in 8hrs fishing.

20 Trout

One of my favourite beats and recommended if you don't mind lots of barbed wire, a hike and losing flies....or the now infamous chap in the house on the right bank (yes, DO cross over the footbridge to avoid a confrontation). A long beat and a challenge with the odd Mayfly in the middle of the day. Five in all in a few hours and many more risen. Caught one excellent fish of over seventeen inches - a monster given the size of the river.

5 Trout

My first trip to this lovely river so far this season. The river took a while to get going after a cold night and I didn't see my first fish move until probably lunchtime. When the day warmed up there was a steady hatch of mayflies and other winged things, nothing dramatic but at least it got the fish rising.
I took most of the fish on a small DHE tied with a PT body, smallest about 10" and the largest about 13 or 14". The lower part of the river is very difficult to fish with fences across it every 100 or 200 yards, some of which are very tricky to get past. So I usually walk up the stream and start fishing beyond the first house, maybe a quarter of the way up the beat. That will get you past most of the fences and also avoids any confrontation with the owner of the house - she doesn't like people fishing! There's so much good water in the river to fish you won't miss out and it will make your day much more enjoyable, no torn waders, broken rods etc. and you'll still struggle to make it to the top of the beat.

15 Trout

Hard fishing on the upper part of the Middle Escley beat. I fished the bottom half last week and just had to return. Great hatches but I didn't see a fish rising until I reached the pool by the pub at the end of the beat. I caught the two (small) wbt on a parachute Adams and missed a couple more.

2 Trout

As indicated in the beat notes this is certainly a whole day expedition, especially if you add the return walk round the lanes back to the car. Enjoyable and completely engrossing small stream fishing. Steady trickle of mayflies all day - one 10" trout obliged on a grey wulff but not generally interested yet. 7 others 6-12" on smaller drys and nymphs.

8 Trout

There were not many trout rising despite the appearance of some Mayfly. However, the few trout rising proved very cooperative indeed! I caught most on Adams size 14, going up to size 12 and eventually CDC Mayfly which landed me 32 cm trout. Most productive moment was from 2.30 to 4. An extremely pleasant afternoon's fishing! Thank you so much!

21 Trout

lovely to fish the escley running with some water and pace. most fish came to size 20 f -fly and size 18 cdc olive. sizes were on average 10-12 inches with 2 at 14 and one belter caught in a deep pool of 16 inches .there was a brief hatch of mayfly which lasted 20 minutes , not in huge numbers, a few fish in one pool locked onto them so tied size 14 mayfly and brought them to hand. all fished released back to their lairs.

21 Trout

I had a fabulous day on the Middle Escley. The weather was warm and sunny. When I arrived at the river it looked a little coloured at the very beginning of the beat and where it flowed under the bridge however as I moved on the water became clearer.I struggled to get through the first couple of fences but the effort is well worth it - in my opinion the river becomes even better as you move upstream. There was a amazing amount of fly life, midges, sedges, black gnats various olives and an extraordinary hatch of large up-wing flies - I thought at first they were Mayflies but surely it was too early for them and would it be too late for March Browns? anyway the hatch was fantastic even though my eyesight was not! Unfortunately, I did encounter the lady owner of the property near the river and wished I had paid more attention to a previous piece of feedback and avoided any confrontation by taking the footbridge just below her land. Whilst I fished through, I kept religiously to the right bank and had a reasoned discussion with her although it was clear that anglers cause her great distress. Rather like Betsy Trottwood and her donkeys, she hears her dog barking at the approaching angler and rushes out to confront them for fishing though "her garden" as she described it. It seems for her a bit of a moral crusade, declaring "we are vegetarians and care for the fish".
I felt this was an argument I was not going to win so (very cordially) I walked through "her garden" to above the waterfall and fished on.
I caught 6 beautiful wild brown trout - one of a size that I needed my net to land. All on a parachute Adams. Occasionally casting to a rare rising fish I had most success casting into likely places. I rose and missed quite a few more. I bailed out pretty well exhausted at a ford near Neuadd-lwd thinking I must be near the end! What a beat - had I really only fished just over half of it!
I'll be back - thank you Wye and Usk what a privilege to fish here.

6 Trout