Feedback & Reports

This was our first visit to Chainbridge. We arrived after a night long fall of rain to find the river rising and coloured. Barry, the owner of the beat, was river side casting a spinner as we arrived. He offered to show us the beat and that was very helpful. We could see it had the potential to be an excellent water and the catch returns filled us with hope. Alas the water continued to colour up, a flotilla of jetsam arrived early afternoon and we threw in the towel around 3pm. I had a couple of sizeable trout below the bridge which was too overgrown to fish with a fly. It was an enjoyable day but, with the absence of any showing fish, fell short of sublime!

Following an unsuccessful day at Ty-Newydd the previous day we thought we'd try the Usk as it looked as though it had dropped a litle overnight. The river was running at 9.4 on the gauge at Chainbridge when we arrived with maybe a foot of visability (although still very red in colour) and dropped to 9 by the end of the day. James landed a 13lb colouring cock fish from the Rock Pool on his fourth cast of the day which put up a good scrap. The fish took a small Park Shrimp tube fished on a floating line. No more action then until around 4pm when I landed a fresh 5lb grilse spinning from just below the bridge from the steps by the gauage where it didn't seem possible to fish the fly. We didn't see any other fish all day but no doubt they were there. A very enjoyable days fishing.

Arrived at 8am, 0.84m on the gauge. Fell to 0.74 by 4pm with a rapdly rising barometer. Should have been perfect but river was carrying too much colour even after 8hrs of steady fall. Saw two large fish running through neck of Rock. Where are the grilse this year? No pulls but another lovely day. Single speycast is not a total disaster now!

Nil. Nice day in the sun.

A near cloudless day with bright sunshine so not ideal for fishing. No fish caught. I stayed until dusk when a few salmon showed below the hut.

Got up at 4am anticipating another scorchio. Fishing by 5.45am. Gave Rock and Upper Rock a good going over with the double hander. No fish seen, then one 18-20 pounder showed a couple of times under the trees between Chine and Woodstream. Tried in the shade with a shrimp [impossible to reach with a fly] but no interest shown. Gave up at 2pm with temperature rocketing. Last seen falling asleep on a lounger at 5pm with beer in hand. Till another dawn!

Hooked a 16lb plus hen salmon just upstream of Rock. Played for nearly 10 mins. Lightly hooked on orange small brass tube, long distance release. 0.65 on Chainbridge gauge with a little colour, a few showers, perfect. Another salmon seen splashing through at narrowing by Rock. Fished also below bridge to Oak/Cables. Fly working well and wadeable at this level.

Blank

River 0.7m but weather scorchio. Pub garden was more inviting. Walked the river with mate at 3.30pm. Started fishing shady bits at 5.30pm and continued till 10pm. Not a salmon seen. Barometer dropping and a poor evening rise. In spite of this 4 trout give my fly some hassle on the 15footer. At roughly 2lbs, 11/2lbs, 8oz and 4oz they were slightly outgunned and returned. Enough of this [long?] hot dry Summer let's get on with the fishing!

Fished the top half of the beat without success in the morning, nothing seen. Moved down to the Wood stream and then caught and released a slightly colouring 13 1/2 pound cock fish from the Bridge Stream. Gold Willie Gunn Tube. Good company from the other rods. Could have done with one of them at the net and camera.Water high,but clearing fast.