Feedback & Reports

Arrived late morning bright and sunny 15 degrees, encouraging to see hawthorns on the wing (but not on the river) and a few rising fish to flies unknown so decided on a dryfly afternoon but couldn't tempt any to variety of offerings. Switched to ptn for almost immediate small wbt but persevered with dries, breeze came up to hamper presentation but could still find sheltered spots. Lots of variety in the odd flies coming off but went cool about 5:30 and a hoped for rise didn't materialise. Water clear and lowish. Lovely day in lovely surroundings despite few fish, buzzards, wagtails & otter.

1 Trout

What a cracking day on a beautiful spring day. Started a little later than normal as it was due to be cold early. Arrived on water at 1000hrs to find a few stoneflies and March browns on the wing so started with a parachute March brown of my own design with a small Prince nymph suspended from it. Two smallish fish in the first run, one to each fly. A few missed takes on the March brown then ldos started to hatch so I switched to a solitary olive f fly that produced many more fish and just as many missed. Finished till four as I had other commitments, but the fish were still rising. Biggest being about 16" thank you.

10 Trout

We were very disappointed - it had rained heavily the day before when we were on the Abercynrig beat and today dawned with more very heavy rain. We visited the beat but decided to give the conditions best. The river was running fast and a bit silted - thigh waders would certainly not have been adequate. So we did not even put up the rods and had a very wet journey back to Oxfordshire.
We will come again...!! Geoffrey Bailey

Bright and gusty conditions contributed to difficult presentation and probably very selective trout. Apart from a nice 14oz Brown early on in the session that fell to a nymph and a few takes whilst overcast, all fish were taken as soon as the sun dropped below some of the high banks on the lower section of the beat. Very few fish rising some March browns hatching during the day. Increasing numbers of small Mayfly hatches towards the end of the session. Noticed alot of Crane fly? Six trout in total, three each. Apart from earlier fish, dry fly took better fish 12oz X 2 the rest were 6oz.

6 Trout

Sunny intervals and plenty of flies about and on the water but no rises. Failed on the dry fly so switched to a nymph and caught 1 trout. Very frustrating day.

1 Trout

Typical Usk fishing - challenging. Fished from lower beat limit up as far as barracks. Others have posted re the slippery algae on rocks in the river on other beats - present here too, does not make for easy wading! Sporadic and short hatches throughout the day which petered out as soon as they started. James had 3 to 10" , I lost 3 including a clonker. All on dries. Cant remember the last time I blanked. Lovely countryside, bluebells out in the woods and what a picturesque beat up around the waterfalls.

3 Trout

Arrived late so missed most of the action by time got bearings. Nice looking stretch will get there much earlier next time! Two guys spinning in lower pools (owners??).. thought beat was one fly rod only plus one owner rod?

A very cold, but wonderful day on a very beautiful stretch of river. Two nice trout up to 1lb 8oz taken on size 18 tungsten bead. There was a stuttering Large Dark Olive hatch suppressed by the cold. Water temperature of 9 degrees so just warm enough for the trout to be willing to take nymphs. We also came across 50 or so dead toads which had had their legs torn off by otters! This is common otter behavior as they discard the poisonous bodies of the toads - an entirely natural, but entirely gruesome sight! River looking spectacularly beautiful with kingfisher zipping past.

2 Trout

One of those days! Frost this morning put pay to any meaningful hatch the valley didn't warm uup till around 2! Very few olives even fewer March browns lost 2 fish on nymphs they were too quick for me lads! The fish are there they're just not quite sure yet.

Rain, sleet and hail with sunshine in between. One bite on nymphs but no fish. Small hatch of olives and a few fish rising always out of reach. Lovely stretch of river must try again.