Feedback & Reports

Given the unusual wind-free weather forecast, I decided that I must try to cash in and so went to Abernant for the day, and fished the evening, hoping for spinner fall, on the Gwent AS waters , on the Usk above Gilwern. It proved to be a most interesting and productive day in spite of unabated sunshine and 26 degrees. There were very few risers in the morning , some midge and the odd pulse of sedges and PWs. I started fishing duo and had three fish on a small HE nymph (Louis Noble's Special One) and rose a couple on the HE parachute. Having also seen a rise, and thought that the fish must be looking up, I changed to a single HE emerger (size 16/14 HE parachute or size 18 HE Duck's Dun) and had seven more grayling, mainly 8-10" but two of 12 and 14", and a 12" trout. A good start! Using the same flies in the afternoon, I ended up with 31 grayling on the day. Most were 8-10 inch fish, but a couple more 12 -13" fish were added in the afternoon, when more of the fish caught were dimpling risers, but the majority on the day weren't rising at all. At this time of year and into the autumn, these flies work for me because grayling are often feeding on small surface-active nymphs. I have also found that 18-20 sizes of this HE parachute are very effective when fish get on to midge. The Usk proved very interesting. To my amazement, when I arrived at about 7.15, I found the river literally covered in dimpling rises. The river was covered in ants!!!!! Unfortunately I had only met the end of the rise (curses!) as they had all passed through by about 7.45 and the rise stopped. In spite of a break off and having to set up the front end again, I managed to catch four lovely 12-14 inch fish. The fly I used was surprisingly (?) totally refused once the rise ceased. I couldn't rise a fish with it. After that I had a couple on Paul Procter's rusty spinner. Not a bad day, though being greedy, I'd have really wanted to have fished the whole ant fall. A fellow GAS member saw flying ants in Cardiff yesterday and fish rising at Chainbridge on the way home. Amazing how synchronised across such a wide area, ant-flying is. Anyone lucky enough to have caught all of this ant fall (grrrrr!) must have filled their boots! I mustn't complain though - a great day out and about.

3 Trout, 31 Grayling

Another great day on the Wye. Our first visit to this beat but will not be the last. Eight fish came to hand within the first hour, all being caught along the Lady Alexanders Catch and all were caught on spiders in the surface film. The remaining fish were caught (on nymphs) throughout the day, mainly from around the riffle below Abernant Stream. Apart from the trout and grayling we took five salmon parr. If we had connected with all the touches and knocks we could easily have recorded in excess of twenty fish.

2 Trout, 6 Grayling, 5 Other

Thought Tuesday's rain would lift the river level, it did but not enough. So the salmon rod was left in the car. Both of us failed to connect with any fish. Very sunny, downstream wind. Very little fly life and no fish showing. So these two old duffers failed to catch and fish. Thursday we fished the Builth town water and again failed to catch.
A lot of fly life on the fly run but nothing rising to them.
I stayed in the white horse , very pleasant.

It was great to be on the river again. Bright sunshine,great for fishermen no good for catching fish.

3 Grayling

2 Trout

1 Trout

On this occasion this beat was fished by participants on the Wye & Usk Foundation Tenkara day

4 Trout, 2 Grayling

Went in search of the grayling today and not much happening at surface so opted to nymph . All fish came to hand between 11am-1pm with not a touch after as the sun shone brightly overhead and killed the sport . What few rises there were also ceased. Size wise all between 6-12 inches with nothing bigger showing. nice few hours

3 Trout, 14 Grayling

A few small Grayling and Brown trout mainly on a Sedge, One good sized 15 1/2" Grayling - 1 1/2 lbs PR :-)

4 Trout, 8 Grayling