Feedback & Reports

Decided to fish after the heavy rain had departed. Arrived at midday and water .65m with some colour. Put up the spinning rod with Red and gold single hook FC and on arrival at the rock a fish showed. It took one cast, and twenty minutes later after a battle, I was rewarded with a 34" 15lb freshly run fish.
At around 3pm I saw a fish at the same spot, moved above it and with a cast upstream had the fish on. However, it detached after several jumps, another fresh run fish of around 6lb. Guess this fish was on the move as the water had risen to .8m, and contact was made about 10 yds upstream from where it showed.
After a couple more hours above and below the bridge the water had risen to .9m and had become quite dirty, so we left the water. No trout seen at all, but some mayfly about mid afternoon. My colleague had no luck.
---and Wales topped their group at Euro 2016!!! What a day!!!

1 Salmon

River a foot up and a nice height, falling very slowly despite some very heavy rain at times, but too coloured I think, even for the spinner - I'm learning that the Usk does not fish as well in strong colour as many 'softer' rivers I know, like the Towy. No takes to spinner or fly and no sign of fish, including trout, except one rolling salmon in the Rocks. Lovely beat though, will be back. Was rather confused by the reference in the directions to the Steel Horse Cafe, which turned out to be half a mile from the river and certainly no sign of a fishing hut there. And is the 'private car park next to the water' the pull-in in front of the old hut by the Chain Bridge (which I used) or is there another which I failed to find? Clarification would be appreciated.

No sign of any salmon moving anywhere. One of the brown trout caught was a wild fish of about 2lbs, a nice bit of compensation for the effort put in by the salmon. There was plenty of water and a lively hatch of a variety of different insects in the evening.

2 Trout

First time I have booked via the website. Took advantage of the reduced price evening offer. Information provided very accurate although I made a donation to charity and parked at the camp site. Very helpful advice from one of the beat's tenants but the salmon in the pool decided that it would rather swim over the line (3 times) rather than take a fly.

Few rises. Hooked one about 8-9 inches WBT on a mayfly pattern size 14. Nothing after that for few hours. Then switched to nymphing. Hooked a lovely 20" but lost it. Instantly on another cast, caught a superb 25 - 26" WBT on a black GRHE. Hooked few more really good size WBT but i just couldn't net them. All fish safely returned.

2 Trout

A fine, at times very sunny day at Chainbridge with the river running clear at 0.59. No fish caught unfortunately. A 15 pounder jumped at the Chines at about 4pm but apart from thatthere was no sign of a fish. I tried the trout rod too but there was a curious lack of a hatch. A trickle of YMDs, Olives and the occasional mayfly came off but nothing substantial and not enough to trigger any serious rises. A good day to be on the river though and a very useful casting lesson from Chris Price too.

Lovely stretch of water, worked all the water and only one small 8 inch trout on a nymph. Didn't have a full day to experience the evening rise but a lovely day in a beautiful part of the country. Thanks.

1 Trout

River 0.6m slight tint. Two or three fish showing on Rock and one by the big Boulder below the bridge. Felt in with a chance on a cool dull morning but all offers refused. Not much trouty activity. Retired with our finned friends laughing at us on a sunny afternoon.

0.7 on the gauge and full of hope. Reality was however a cruel mistress. Very bright sky and not a fish seen all day. Went through Rock and Upper Rock several times and nothing doing elsewhere either. This is however a lovely beat and looks very promising in the right conditions. There was a huge hatch of fly but I had left the trout rod at home.
I will return in the autumn and try again. There are fish to be fish caught here in the right conditions, I am sure of that!

John fished morning through to 4pm and I fished from 5pm till dusk.
John fished heavy colour at .83m which had dropped to .8m with still a lot of colour by evening. Weather sunny. John had no takes at all fishing above and below the bridge for salmon. He did not see a fish move.
I decided on the rock and was rewarded by seeing a small grilse of about 4lb move several times level with the rock and just downstream from the sill. Fished over it twice and continued down to the log with no takes using intermediate tip and a brass tube cascade pattern.
Gave it a rest and fished upstream dry with size 12 white wulff with an immediate take and a nice 1lb fish. Disappointing that the late evening only produced one more trout at half pound.
Returned to fish above the rock and decided on a size 8 double hook shrimp pattern with blue hackle, blueblack streamer, lureflash strands, with a red V tail and ribbed silver body. The first cast induced a violent take, the fish rising and jumping clear of the water, a fish of about 14lb. I knew I would be in a battle here as the fish was fresh run.
The fish headed for the streamy current below the rock and I followed down to the staging. The fish did not tire so I tried to bully it to provoke a reaction, which succeeded. The fish came jumping out of the streamy current and headed with 4 more jumps downstream. Managed after 5 minutes or so to get it upstream but his next run proved to be the last and the fly came adrift. Time 20.10.
The fish was nowhere near tired so I am glad he detached without having to land it. Great fun.
The late evening rise did not materialise, but the 4 pounder was still there showing at the rock when I left. I guess the 14 pounder was somewhere upstream by then.

2 Trout