Feedback & Reports

1 small trout on a ptn. Though there was a very modest hatch the trout weren't really rising.

1 Trout

Nice day ... no fish seen or caught ... fished nymphs on French and under an indicator

Nice day but no fish caught ... no risers all day

Our second visit to this part of the Usk - this time the river was very different; we had good water levels which really opens up the whole of the beat and there are hundreds of pockets of water that will hold fish.

The day started well when I had a small brownie come up and smash my dry fly but didn't connect with it. My fishing buddy was in the pool below me so i went and saw how he was getting on. Just as I arrived he struck into a lovely fish on a nymph that was around the pound mark, we had a couple of snaps then he was slipped back to grow on. The next cast J had another fish that was 3/4 of a pound. I then had a couple of casts and had a fish of a pound and a quarter.

A little breather after that to soak up the sun and pleasure of catching such beautifully conditioned fish. A wonder further up river produced another aggressive take on my dry fly but I saw it rocket up from the bottom of the river and struck too early!

A quiet couple of hours followed with a very small brownie that found an emerging olive pattern irresistible. Just as the light was beginning to fade I was trying likely spots that hadn't yielded anything during the day. But 10 minutes into casting I saw a flash, a crater appeared in the river and I was met with very solid resistance and big head shakes. The fish then jumped and I realised how big and special this fish was. I shouted down stream for some help, panicked. J ran up river, I told him it was a monster, then the fish jumped again to show us how big he was. What ensued was an epic struggle, running 100 yards down river, tripping over rocks and hoping the fish didn't come off.

After a nerve racking tussle J gently tailed the fish, we looked at each other in amazement and he passed my trophy to me. 3.5 lbs or more, 23 inches of perfection in trout form and my new PB! A couple of quick photos in the fading light before I slipped the fish back, which shot off like a rocket. Amazing feeling that I still can't get over it!

5 Trout

Blanked ! Some LDOs, one or two March browns but nothing rising. Tried nymphs, spiders and sculpins but nothing interested. Bright and sunny and a strong north easterly. Lovely beat with a lot of interesting water. Access and wading is easy in the top half and not too difficult in the bottom half - but water levels were quite low (around .6m on the Trallong gauge). Had a much better day further downstream yeterday in similar conditions.

Saw one fish rise all day, caught on nymphs. A few LDO lifting, no rise though

2 Trout

1 Trout

Quiet day with 7 goosanders for company on a very clear river but nice just to be out with B.

3 Trout

Great beat, tried some upstream nymphing on the faster sections, and duo, also downstream wets and finally dries on the quarry pool - had a couple of rises but on and off in a flash! Water quality and aquatic/insect life appeared good although river height still low in spite off the rain and fairly clear - will definitely visit this beat again next season.

Found it difficult - very few fish or rises seen. Tried nymphs in the pools and dries.