Feedback & Reports

3 salmon weighing 15lbs, 12lbs and 8lbs at Red Barn, all on a Cascade tied to a size 10 double hook. I was using a floating line with 8lbs fluorocarbon line on a 9ft trout rod. I also lost another double figure fish to an under-water obstacle after a 10 minute fight. Fishing between 3pm and 7pm. Conditions were cloudy, steady rain with gusts of wind, water was gently rising and becoming partly coloured while I was there.

Drove up in varying degrees on rain and cloud accompanied with fierce gusting winds for good measure. Water level perfect with just a tinge of colour.
Managed 3 hours fishig before the weather got the better of me. 3 wbt all returned on a combination of green bugs and spiders along with an angry rainbow trout of about 2.5lbs which was unexpected to say the least. Unfortunately the rainbow snapped me at the net otherwise it would have been taken for supper.
First time on this beat and would thoroughly recommend. Easy access and easy wading but more importantly offers a wide range of water. For me this is the Usk at its best.

First time for me on this beat therefore spent more time walking than fishing to begin with. First swim was running a bit too fast for comfort and I quickly moved to a swim just downstream of the tree line which offered the luxury of steps and a nice flat area to sit and huddle under a brolly when the rain set in. The bonus was that I had a 7lb Barbel on the bank within 15 minutes. The rain and wind duly arrived but despite this I finished with 7 barbel with two over 7lbs and a small chub, all on pellets.
The weather conditions did not encourage much moving between swims but from what I saw there were at least half a dozen good swims cut out with steps and posts and I look forward to returning to try some of them out in better conditions.
I was also grateful for the relatively snag free river bed in this swim which was a welcome change.

A fierce day with strong wind and lashing rain. A good start was made with blue Zulu, black Pennel and olive bumbles tempting trout up to 3/4 of a pound on the left bank as you view the lake from the boathouse. Two hours of roving produced a dozen trout each for boths rods, all safely returned. The wind and rain ruined afternoon sport and the fish had had enough by 2pm. So had we! Must return when a fair day is in prospect, a fantastic place to stalk trout.

We caught 3 rainbow trout off the bottom using earth worm.

Probably the strangest fishing day ever for me. Barbel were caught steadily all day not twenty yards downstream of me in featureless open water on identical tactics to me but I remained on a blank, should of moved in hindsight as my bait was working more for next door than it was for me but the weather was not nice so I stayed put, lazy angling on my part.

Oh well I'll try again in a week or so in drier conditions hopefully.

NOTE:A dog spike and rope are essential on this stretch it will set you back a tenner but you will have problems getting out of your peg if you go without one in the wet.

Lovely beat with varied waters fished on a showery and blustery day. 2 WBT (10" and 6") landed and returned. Got into the heaviest fish I've ever hooked on WUF at the tail of Sewage Pool. Seriously tested my 4WT before jumping off in fast run below the tail of pool. Can only report the one that got away and not what it was. Fished down on Goldhead Nymphs and then up a bit with an Adams to occasional rises to a sporadic hatch, but no joy.

Will come back for the one that got away.

No salmon landed, but one of us had a pull in the tail of the long pool at the bottom of the beat. Wonderful water, but could probably have done with an inch or two more on the river level to allow more of it to fish well.

Had another great day on this beat. The river was still a little high and had some colour. The forecast was for strong winds and heavy rain. The umbrella took off a few times and the Fox shelter pulled the pegs up too. And did it ever rain! A great day though Paul and Alex had never caught a barbel before. They ended with 9 barbel with each of them having a 7lb plus fish. 4 chub were caught nothing larger than 4lbs 10oz.
I think the two of them will return to this beat.
Canoe traffic very quite but the weather was terrible so not too surprised.

Fished this river after heavey rain the day before. It was clearing but I did not see any fish rise or caught any.I saw acouple of dead fish and some illegal fishing from campers at the rising sun campsite. The landlord of the Old Pandy inn told me later that there had been a silage spill recently and this may have affected the fish.