Feedback & Reports

First hot day of the year! River at a nice height (10" on the Brecon gauge) and running clear. Fished the very bottom of the beat from 11:00. Some rises to Olives; took one BT on Olive CDC but that was it in terms of rising fish - even though there was a good hatch of olives around 15:30.

There have been concerns expressed re accessibility on this beat. Though a mile in length large sections are unfishable because of deep water and trees. The very bottom of the beat is a nice spot for dry fly/upstream nymph but you then have to walk half the length of the beat to be able to drop in the water again. The top third of the beat is nicely accessible - but it was a 35 minute walk back to the parking at Ashford House. Parking adjacent to Tal y Bont bridge at the top of the beat is problematic thanks to a profusion of double yellow lines. Fording Caerfanell stream was tricky for someone who is not quite as agile as they once were - the winter flood had carved out a deep central section and some of the banks are vertical slopes. A more clearly marked route across the stream would be helpful to those unfamiliar with the terrain.

1 Trout

Felt like the real first day of the season. River still high but some sunshine and warmth. Small hatches of fly and some rising fish. Three good ones on the dry fly the largest a good 3lbs to Mssr Janicot.

16 Trout

1 Trout

Nothing caught. There were very few safe access points to the lower half of the beat due to the river depth, high banks and fallen trees. The upper section was more inviting and gave more opportunity to fish but wading was still precarious.

All fish healthy, and safely returned.

6 Trout

Very little showing ... even during the short hatch mid afternoon.
Three fish missed fishing spiders in the pool closest to downstream limit.

Hatches of LDO and MB between 12-2, short and frantic feeding spells. Half a dozen rises on a hatching olive dry and two fish landed, frustratingly the biggest ones came off! Pretty quiet in the afternoon, a few pulls on nymphs but nothing else.

2 Trout

6 Trout

LDO and MB hatched in short bursts from 1pm to 4pm. Two very good fish lost in the first flurry of activity, the bigger of the two would likely have been an Usk PB (c.20”) but broke the connecting knot when close to the net after a wrist aching 10 minute fight. Four fish to 13” eventually made it to hand, all caught on a March Brown Jingler.

4 Trout

Two small 10 inch trout for me today, lost two others, mainly due to poor line control. Weather was cloudy with sunny intervals and little wind, river running a little coloured and fast. A difficult day, as the only fish I found were in some very fast water, wading was tough due to to the very strong flow. I had to use very heavy nymphs to get down fast enough, even so the drifts were very short.

2 Trout