Feedback & Reports

4 July Hindwell Knill R23: 6 x trout to 12 inches, Klinkhammer and Goldbead Hare's Ear. Lots of small trout. Mink present, and also signal crayfish. Nothing much hatching.

About 15 trout caught between us. Mixture of dries and small gold heads the latter taking the most. Managed to get the car about a mile down the track then walked the rest.

9 barbel to 8 lb, plus a couple of chub. (3 rods)

River full of shad. Unfortunately no salmon seen.

River pretty low despite a bit on overnight rain. However, overhead conditions pretty good, 21C, cloudy and not as hot as it has been.

Penpont got the better of me the first time I fished it earlier this year. That day I persisited with dry fly patterns, casting at "invisible fish" and landed just a couple of trout. With no sign of rising fish and precious little hatching I reverted to small spider patterns (Partridge & Orange, Snipe and Purple, Black Spider, all size 14's) and a size 14 diawl bach as my point fly. BINGO! That little diawl bach cleaned up.

Caught between 15 and 20 trout, mostly 4"-6" with a few 8"-10". All caught in fast moving, shallow riffles on delicate tackle. All returned. Had a go at some deeper pools towards the end of the day with a couple of gold headed nymphs and lost the fish I came for!

Best day with a rod in my hand all season. A lesson learned about fishing the conditions and not persisting with your favourite method! I can't recommend highly enough fishing light and delicate and plucking out pristine little wildies not more than 5 or 6 yards from your rod tip. Magic!

Needless to say The Foundation admin was yet again faultless.

Beautiful day but the fishing dreadful. Only 1 chub all day. Not even a sniff in the evening. Perhaps the chub were spawning?

Holme Lacy again! As expected the Barbel and chub were about in significant numbers even after our late start at 9:00, a result of a burst tyre on route. The weather would have been unpleasantly hot had we not had some very welcome shade for part of the day. Early and late were the most exciting and again a long dull period at mid day. Alas we are not learning from our mistakes and sat it out in the sunshine. Best fish 7 lb Barbel with
5 more on luncheon meat or pellet. All in all a bit too hot today.

3 barbel to 7 lb. (2 rods)

Drove down from kent arrived at 11.oo fishing by 11.30. Bright sunshine 28C so not looking too good.

In the pool below the first weir in the top half of the beat fish were rising in the shadow of the tree. I fall for it every time, and every time I loose half a dozen flies in the high bank behind.

Klinked my way up the rest of the beat got a 10" fish out of the fast strech below the church. As per regulation switched to the bottom beat at 2pm, went to the very bottom, the river was in full sun, very shallow and looked very unpromising.

Wandered up to the stretch opposite the cider mill and found some fast water in shade, got 5 fish, 8-10" in an hour on a ptn. Dropped back down to the bottom to await the evening rise which started about 8 ish. I wasn't too sure if the bottom of the slow stetch was wadeable, couldn't see the bottom, so I started half way up. For the next two hours I was surrounded by rising fish, hooked five & missed twice that number. Adams got the first one, Tupps got the next two and back to Adams for the final two. I finally stopped when I could no lomger see my fly with fish still rising in great numbers as I left.

Thanks all at the Wye and Usk office.

Two small browns taken on dries - dun and sedge patterns. Both returned. My colleague will submit a separate return.
Very hot in the afternoon - should have stayed in that excellent pub! (The Bell at Skenfrith)