Feedback & Reports

Warm but very windy making casting quiet difficult at times. No fish in the morning but a small hatch of LDO around 1pm brought some fish to the surface one lucky cast produced an immaculate trout of around 2 pounds. A small hatch of march browns around 3ish helped me net a fish larger than the first, I would believe it to be in the region of 3 pounds. The river was clear but still a little cold. Great beat I will be back, well done the Wye & Usk.

2 Trout

Our trip to the Ashford House stretch on the Usk last Thursday (April 18th) was a mixed bag. A strong cold wind with rain and hail showers did not prevent some brief hatches of olives in the middle of the day but we were unable to translate that into fish in the net. Nevertheless, when the sun came out it was a joy to be on the river bank shaking off the winter cobwebs and observing nature 'getting going' for 2013 (lots of lambs, two kingfishers). We saw a few trout rising, particularly at the top end near the bridge where access is difficult and disturbed two goosanders there (does this need to be reported elsewhere?). We both hope to return to the river when Spring has got into its stride. Thanks to the WUF for allowing us access to such a beautiful part of the world.

4 x trout 15-16 inches, dry fly and spiders. Somehow the morning didn't look promising. A downstream gale blowing and a lot of coloured water still coming down made me wonder if I had been over optimistic booking on so soon after a freshet. Ashford House is a new beat for me, so everything to learn, and now it was hard to see the bottom to get into it. A few Large Dark Olives through the morning, but nothing rising to them.
All was put right just after lunch, when the sun came out and, for about an hour at the top of beat, a fairly intense March Brown hatch took place. The Usk used to be famous for this fly, now it's a rare treat and spectacular indeed. Some really super fish were rising for a time in fast, shallow water on a pool tail, and of course there were the ones which came off, one way or another. These including one of those dreaded "open hook" incidents caused by a trout which powered off in the current (Partridge company, is there no chance you can go back to making and tempering hooks by hand like you used to?). Flies which worked were Dai Lewis' dry March Brown, Woodcock and Hare's Lug, Dark Moorgame.
This beat has an excellent reputation and I'm certain it will turn out to be one of the significant Usk beats in the WUF portfolio. One of a number of advantages is that you leave your car securely parked in the owner's drive - not to be sneezed at. Thanks to D C for his advice on the pools.

4 Trout

A warmer day, I believe double digits were reached. Overcast with intermittent drizzle. River looked good, reasonable visibility. Started to notice fish rising around 1230 a little way up the beat where the trees offered some shelter. A nice hatch of olives lasted from then until perhaps 1530, with it being at its heaviest around 1400. Little groups of trout were taking adults on the surface in each of the sections where fast, shallow water transitioned to deeper, slower water. Standing on the high bank, they seemed to be emerging from the depths rather than holding in the upper part of the water column.
Two beautiful brown trout caught, one on a CDC Olive dun, the other on a CDC BWO emerger, 14" and 8" respectively. First fish kept, second returned.
No interest on nymphs fished at all depths throughout the day.

2 Trout

Good hatch 12.30pm - 2pm of mixed Olives & March Browns. Minimal rise. Nil caught. Water still v cold.

Lovely place and even though there was snow on the hills and a bitter wind there was a good hatch. I was told nothing would move until 1:30pm which was true but then the hatch went on until 3:30pm. The extremely cold weather meant that althouth the restaurant was open the fish didn't respond and I only saw half a dozen fish rise so I was pleased to catch two fish, both of which went back. The fish were heavily spotted perfection. Thank you.

2 Trout

Sunny day but temperature was still low, some insects on the water but not many fish showing. One small fish caught on nymph near bridge and returned.

1 Trout

Another day of biting NE winds with strong gusts made for difficult conditions. River height and clarity were excellent. This was a first visit to this bear for both of us and we tried various methods inclduing spiders, nymphs and bugs. JG contacted an very big brown trout in the shallower margins on an upstream nmph. The fish was in the order of 2lbs and bore marks of a bird attack unfortunately.
At around 1pm a terrific hatch of fly began mainly LDO's and plenty of March Browns which were super to see. Just an odd fish showed interest in what was a brilliant hatch spoiled I guess by the weather. Dry flies failed to produce any response with the fish picking just an odd fly out of the wealth of fly available.
Lovely beat - will return when this awful weather disappears.

1 Trout

Very cold, bright with strong easterly. Good hatch at around 2pm of what I think were March Browns! One 3/4lb fish on wet March Brown. Many thanks.

1 Trout

Covering the water for several hours, moved no fish and neither did the trickle of olives that started coming off around 2pm. It's been a very slow week...