Feedback & Reports

Early mist lifted as I arrived but the day stayed grey and cold throughout with a moderate downstream breeze. The beat description needs updating as there are some new steps from the canal path down to the river's edge opposite the mill - which I presume are the excellent work of the WUF - so there's no need to scramble up the bank any more.
I tried dries, nymphs and even an old streamer that hasn't seen the light of day for years but with no joy all morning. At about 1pm there were suddenly a couple of splashy rises above the mill rapids and I noticed a few upwings on the water. I think I saw a couple of March Browns but most were smaller, paler insects. The hatch went on for about 90mins without getting particularly heavy and fish rose throughout. I went through as many dry patterns as I could but obviously didn't get it right as nearly every new fly resulted in the same pattern - a rise on the first and/or second cast then nothing for 5-10mins until I changed to the next.
Managed 5 good looking trout over the period of the hatch with another 5 or so rises I couldn't connect with properly. After changing to a parachute Adams, something sipped it delicately then went off like a rocket, taking me onto my backing then heading into some submerged branches and promptly breaking me off.
A great day out.

5 Trout

1 Trout

1 WBT < 1lb on a heavy dark size 10 nymph from deep run downstream from the bridge at 1400. Hands stopped working after 2hrs on the water because it was a chilly day!

1 Trout

6 Trout

Water quite high, and a brisk cold wind, so we had to pick our spots carefully. Fish were taken on small nymphs and spider patterns, and all safely returned.

4 Trout

No salmon seen or encountered. A nice beat but couldn't find the path to the bottom two pools, very overgrown.

Tough day with very little rising. Missed a few and lost a few before finally getting one to stick to an olive emerger above the canal bridge. I reminded two canoeists that there was no right of navigation on the Usk and rather than kick up a fuss they graciously did not put in but continued down the canal. If only they were all like that......

1 Trout

River quite high, 1' on the Brecon gauge, made wading difficult and the fish were making themselves scarce. Rose two fish but did not manage to set the hook. Nil return today.
Note the field alongside the hut has been ploughed and is no longer accessible with a vehicle. There is no headland along part of the river bank so wading through the mud is necessary to access the weir area. The parking space by the canal remains accessible.

1 x trout on nymph

1 Trout

Only marginally fishable (with a fly), both in terms of height and colour, at about 0.9m on the Chainbridge gauge. I tried a fast-sink line and brass tube to no avail. Incidentally, the two salmon pools marked for the Canal & Rivers Trust part of this combined beat (which seem to be essentially the mill pool and its extension) are physically almost unfishable from the right bank because of heavy tree-growth, extending to where you are attempting to wade in heavy water and even over the presumed salmon lies. Some heavy pruning (some of which I attempted by hand!) is needed and would not be too great an effort.