Feedback & Reports

Sunday 10th. Bridge pool llanellen ( Usk )14 lbs and 9 lbs on a single hook fc for John Barnston and a 3rd fish lost at the net!

2 Salmon

Arrived to find river high and coloured but perseverance was rewarded with 6 fish and many more missed to up and downstream nymphs so the lesson is, don't give up.

6 Trout

Spent the morning on bank maintenance cutting over hanging branches, strimming bracken to ease bank casting. 3 new seats opened up another 2 pegs. Fish rising in the morning. Afternoon river was unfishable - high and silty due to the river Elan.

Got up on Sunday and couldn't decide where to go, as an all round angler I could have chosen almost anywhere.
I decided it would be a good idea to fish Llanfechan, I'd always liked the look of the beat. Did I check the weather or the water levels? - No I didn't!
I arrived to find the river high and chocolate coloured, and the weather was showers and a very stiff wind at times. There were sunny intervals and times when the wind dropped. I decided to fish anyway, as I'm still a beginner I guessed it would be good experience.
I walked the entire beat trying czech nymphing, indicator nymphing and swinging wet files, not a touch.
Then on the way back down the beat I decided to try a fairly large yellow lure, and to my surprise started to get takes.
I missed two and lost one before landing two 8" brownies, then I tried stripping in the lure very, very fast. As I was bringing the lure out a very big trout took it off the surface, unfortunately I didn't react quickly enough and give line. It snapped my tippet easily and my lure was gone.
I only had one of those lures in my box and couldn't get another take after that, on a bright side I learned a lot. Will definitely return to this beat, easy to find, quiet and beautiful. Sadly can't say much about access because I hardly got in the water!

2 Trout

The river was in good condition on arrival but Saturday’s rain soon made its presence felt and the river rose rapidly forcing a move of swim. The conditions were very difficult with lots of rubbish and weed coming down with a lot of colour in the river. 7 chub between 3 and 4lb were all I could muster but given the conditions I was pleased with that. All were caught on feeder and meat or boilie.

7 Chub

First visit to this beat and it wont be the last. Really pretty part of the river with a variety of water to fish.
Really good conditions in the morning with the river coming down only for it to rise again in the afternoon.
7 Barbel and 8 Chub caught, and probably could have had a few more had we stayed in the most productive spot in the morning.

Because of a late get-away, we didn't get to the river until about 6.30pm. Our first visit to the stretch, access is lovely - we went down the track no problem and parked by the hut. Getting out was also easy enough, though it was virtually dark when we did so which makes spotting anything oncoming that bit easier (seen some warnings on previous reports).
A quick scout about found a swollen coloured river, which appeared to rise a little bit more in the few hours we were there.
Both anglers selected swims where a crease formed behind a (submerged) croy. PH didn't receive any interest, but JC managed a couple of barbel, one a decent fish that went 10lb on the nose. However, no specific feeding spell materialised, so we left at last light.
Heavy feeders with the usual pellet/ groundbait combo did the trick, with paste-wrapped 14mm pellets the successful hookbait.
Would love to visit again when the river is in a slightly more polite mood! Lots of water to go at, and I expect some great trotting to be had... just not in the kind of conditions that we found.
Onwards and upwards, How Caple Court would be visited the following day....

2 Barbel

Another great day following on from the previous week where I had 15 barbel 10 or so chub and three trout. This time the river was on the rise and in flood. I had another 7 barbel to 9 lbs 6 oz. Due to floods I chose to fish the margins with meat or boilies wrapped in paste...
I seen many goosanders unfortunately feeding. I will return superb beat!!

7 Barbel

Barbel up to 7lbs, chub to 4lbs. Swimfeeder tactics, 8mm pellet hair rigged.

6 Barbel, 2 Chub

Started fishing a Duo of Deer hair Sedge and PTN and had several fish on the nymph. Around lunchtime more fish were rising to the dry so changed to a Griffith gnat and had some good sport on the dry. Finished around 3 with a dozen to hand and plenty more missed or lost.

12 Trout