Feedback & Reports

My first time at Dan Y Parc - a long beat with some great flats dry fly water. Late May, still, warm - should be perfect conditions? It was a bit sunny but after 7pm this mattered less. So yes, it felt like the fishing gods had decreed today would be a good day. But it was not to be . Fish were rising and in range. But I just couldn't work out what they were taking. Parachute Adams, olive emergers, sedges, olive dries, mayflies. All ignored. The very still air did mean the surface of the (low) river was glass-like and very unforgiving of flylines and leaders. Never felt so humbled. But it felt good to be on the bank of a great beat and pitting my wits against rising trout. Turns out they had the wits...

Caught 2 rainbow trout both 3 lb in weight

2 Trout

Also after cooking supper, I got down to Llanellen at 8.40pm. What followed was the most ridiculous hr of fishing on the Usk I have ever experienced. The fish were mopping up olive upright and mayfly spinners as I arrived so I tied a #14 Jingler on and ginked it into a crucifix. Drag was an issue but whenever I could get a drag free drift the fly disappearing with barely a murmur on the surface. I had brought 3 to hand when I saw one take a bit longer to complete a rise. I creeped up to be within range, covered it and it and the fly disappeared. The first run was long and it fought hard. Just when I was getting on terms it surged away again. Shortly after, a large dog otter porpoised in the middle of the pool, with the C.3lb trout in its maw. I grabbed the phone from my pocket, but in trying to draw it to the top again the leader snapped. The otter then came to teh bank 60 yards below me. I tried to creep up but my terriers spoiled it and the otter headed back into the river and went downstream. This is the first time I have ever had an otter take a trout. The image of the otter breaching is all I can think about now.

The fish kept on feeding, I got selective yet still made it to double figures in an hrs fishing!

Best fish was 2lb 12oz, with 4 other over 2lb, 3 were between 1lb and 2lb and 2 were under the pound. I kept a 2lb 2oz fish and its stomach was full of spent mayfly.

Astonishing fishing and a truly memorable evening.

The evening fishing is now fish spinner mopping. Advice to any Usk angler that reads this: dont use the duns and emergers that work in the morning, you need a spinner pattern and I think a sparsely tied jingler is the best of them all.

10 Trout

A nice day but it's a real shame the river is in such poor health. No weed growth and sediment all over the river bed. Not the live int he river that there use to be.

2 Trout

1 Trout

Tricky fishing in still bright conditions. Fish feeding on a variety of flies with every fish wanting something different. Later on they switched on to grannom. Was a little under gunned with only a 3 weight to get over to rising fish. All in all a lovely beat though.

6 Trout

2 Trout, 2 Grayling

4 Trout

We didn't fish today as the water was very low and decided to return home.

Lovely beat, warm sunny day, only one fish

1 Trout