Feedback & Reports

This upper-mid beat is my preferred place on this section of the river with the Wye at its majestic best and have fished it several times in the last decade for both salmon and trout. Because it snakes round on itself it also offers lots of fishing with minimal walking and particularly good for a group of friends with space to spread out a little but also easy to gather and socialise. There were two other trout anglers on the beat that day but we divvyed up areas s and didn't notice them.
Maintenance of the beat is top notch with strimmed bankside areas and a fabulous hut overlooking the main Mill pool - fully equipped with a picturesque hammock, BBQ plus sofas inside.

Conditions on the day for us were very sunny but quite a full river, a bit of colour and we had high hopes for a salmon. One WBT of about 1 lb caught by way of salmon bycatch in the side tail of the lower Mill stream otherwise nothing touched or seen but felt fishy everywhere, though am sure more experienced salmon anglers would have had one.
We were joined on the day by local guide Richard Bancroft (Justfishing.co.uk) who patiently and expertly helped us be safe and tune up our roll casts and double-spey for our planned assault on Wyesham the following day. We concentrated our efforts on the Mill stream and the Rock and Island pools at the top of the beat though the latter was perhaps a little tricky to safely wade in the high water. Shad hooked on a speculative spinner in Rock pool just before we called it a day.
Wading stick essential on this beat , I have almost drowned on a previous occasion attempting to cross the neck off the Rectory and this time my friend and I both had buoyancy aids which made us feel safer.
As it was a sunny day we took refreshments in the form of a brace of well kept Butty Bach's at teatime from the Bridge End pub, nice landlord and entertaining locals.
Managed to lose a black midsize-extendable landing net somewhere .....so if anybody finds please leave in hut.

Water too coloured
Gave it 2 goes thru the rock pool tho

Trout on salmon gear. Only fished evening. The trout rising above the bridge at 8.30pm were mesmerizing and big. Constant rises in the same places through out the pool

5 Trout

An early start at 7.00am. No salmon seen. One nice trout of 11/2 lb from the Rectory neck on an Usk Grub. Switched to trout after midday .Fish came steadily until packing up at 3.30pm. 6”-12”. Usk Naylor, and PTN caught most of them. 2 on a small dry Grey Wolf.
Hut balcony was a welcome shelter from some of the torrential showers.

11 Trout

Trout on salmon gear.

4 Trout

No salmon seen or encountered. Loads of trout activity but I only had the big rod with me.

The elements were against us, again, in this delightful June! However the first 40 minutes produced 10 Trout for Richard on dark knight and pink beaded endorphin (Ludlow Fly Tyers) equally. River in good condition despite the incessant rain in preceding days, and wading was comparatively easy. Also had a 2lb shad, three salmon parr and a grayling. All fish succumbed to nymphs except one small trout on a JG Emerger, but the wind put pay to prospecting with the dry and not that many rises.

12 Trout, 1 Grayling, 4 Other

Nothing seen.
Access is great

Nothing seen.
Bank's very clear for walking

Only a foot on the Llanstephan gauge this morning but the river was quite coloured.
Two of the trout on salmon gear early on but no salmon seen. The others came to assorted offerings in the flats early evening. A decent hatch of BWO’s got them looking up after a particularly heavy shower.

8 Trout