Feedback & Reports

None salmon caught or seen. Disappointed as previous anglers caught fish here. Low water and hot day with clear sky in my defence. Beautiful beat though. Will be back when conditions are more suitable to get catch return right.

2 WBT to 10" (returned) klinkhammer #14. No hatch 12.30 to 16.30.

Lost one fish around 12lbs, it took two jumps to get off the hook. Other pools empty so kept myself busy with trout rod for rest of the day. 15 or so WBT up to 13", 6 grayling 9-13". Dry sedge #18 for grayling and klink #16 for trout. Finished at 7pm what was a very good day for fishing.

Fished the top beat. Used swim-feedered halibut pellets 4 hours, hoping to attract some barbel, but did not have a bite! Changed over to sweetcorn, on the float and leger, and had some grayling, dace and a couple of trout.

River was low and clear as expected. Fished upstream of the orchard and remained biteless until 3.00pm when we had seven barbel between us in the next two hours. All on pellet. Then it died again. Best barbel was an estimated near double. All the others were beteen 5 - 8 lbs.
Must echo the previous comments regarding the difficult access to the limited number of swims available in this top stretch. We weren't able to explore the whole length but from what we could see there were only three accessible swims. Two of those had to be waded to and would be difficult to access when the river was carrying extra water. The area next to the parking area seemed better suited to mountain goats rather than anglers!
WUF directions etc were spot on. Thank you.

A hot and sunny day. Water very low and barbel on evident in one spot just below the viaduct. There were a lot of fish flashing, perhaps rubbing against the rocks to rid themselves of the Argulus that they are still carrying. Caught steadily throughout the day and did not suffer the fish losses of the previous day at Backney. Played the fish from high up the bank to keep the line clear of snags.
Finished with 13 fish to 8lb 13 oz, my partner had 4 fish to 7lb. He caught a couple from a clean run down towards the island in the morning, and then moved up later in the day to fish the same spot as me beneath the viaduct. It was eveident as the day wore on that the average size of the fish increased as the bigger barbel moved in. Resting the swim and going for a walk after baiting up was also a good ploy, you nearly always had a take after recasting.

My first time here and what a wonderful, varied and challenging stretch of water it is and, given the lowish water, so much of it accessible - so I wetted a line whereever I could! Blessedly it was a lovely day with no wind but being August, there was little emerging fly apart from a few pale wateries throughout most of the day, and consequently not too many rising fish - as usual the returning late-afternoon and evening sedges elicited no response either. Starting above the car park, I worked my way up, fishing the foam lanes, creases and likely holding spots and had a few non-rising fish on a small hare's ear emerger. I tried spiders as well but to no avail. By the time I got up to the first big pool some PWs were around and also some rising fish. I had a few more fish here including a 17", one and threequarter pounder. Having worked my way to the top of the beat and as there was no evening rise, I headed home having caught twenty classic Usk browns all of which, apart from the fish noted above, were of 8-10 inches and all in mint condition. All were taken on a couple of HE emerger patterns and on one of my pale watery emergers.

It is a lovely and challenging beat and I shall certainly come back next spring to fish it when the spring bugs are around.

Two discourteous anglers intruded on my morning on and off for an hour or so, fishing opposite me on the far bank and then, without a "by your leave" and showing zero etiquette, pitched in above me in a spot where I had been watching a few rising fish and planning my tactics to get to them. No manners at all - two young otters!

Warm overcast day with little breeze. Very little surface activity so Czech nymphed in faster water. Used a combination of caddis nynphs and GBPTN. Caught 7 WBT 8" to 12" and lost as many again. Fab day, had the beat to myself.

2 small grayling and one small trout plus several salmon parr. All returned of course.

Black and Peacock Spider and Ginger Quill successful flies. Late rising fish gave best sport but very short lived rise despite very pleasant day.

One small trout plus several salmon parr (all returned)
Grey Wulfe successful fly.

Excellent help and service at headquarters as we booked last minute being early to the area.