Feedback & Reports

River quite high and coloured after heavy rain yesterday. Water very cold, yet good hatch of fly. Only three trout caught, but many more rising.

3 Trout

A challenging day. Cold and wet. Still 12 degrees and rain better than 8 degrees and hail this time last year! Fortunately the river was fishable - not too coloured or too high, and seemed to fine down and drop over the day. Unsurprisingly, there was very little visible fish activity. 2 tiddlers, 2 x 12" and 1 cracking 15" fish. The latter 3 came within a 5min period in a break in the rain, all to size 16 bead head PTN fished under a klinkhammer.

5 Trout

I really like this beat for the long stretches of different waters, allowing you to put in a length of time with your options, a time to learn and improve in my case.
A warm sunny day was greeted with a consistant flurry of fly life but the reluctance of the the rivers inhabitants to rise proved puzzling.
Two small wbt were brought to hand from the faster water, once again to a partridge & orange spider in a team of three between a hares ear and snipe & purple.
Not much of a return for the time (eight hours) spent but a thoroughly enjoyable day was had.

2 Trout

With nearly a foot on the Brecon gauge, the intended ford to the upper pools (prefered understandably by the owner to parking at the A40 rest area on the south/west bank and 'advertising' the fishing) looked uncertain but, for reference, there are at least two fairly comfortable crossings for experienced waders at Fir Tree pool, maybe 200+ yards into the woodland from the stile at the top of the field nearest middle parking place. If not too stained, the depth of water is fairly clear from the path.
However, as in the past, these beautiful pools towards the top with their bedrock platforms nosing towards the main flow tantalised but largely kept their secrets. The one decent fish marked down ignored my dry and after both upstream dry and nymph both largely failed I switched almost in desperation to across and down, leading a team through a far-side secondary stream. I connected with a very strong fish but, concerned to get line off the water and onto the reel, I allowed the trout to get among the bedrock and boulders in front of me, and you've guessed the rest. Poor tactics but a tricky situation. Should have tried to keep it moving?
Switching to the main bank I briefly tried Vicarage Pool which was quiet bar the odd parr on top, and from this part of the day (lunchtime) on there was a fair amount of thunder and some heavy showers, one featuring hail! Going through the gentler part of Poplar Stream (the head looked too fast at this height) was uneventful but in Highwell there were finally some risers. Here I finally connected with another incredibly strong fish not far above the tail break only this time to get caught up in weed after this fish too came towards me, with the same outcome. Two good fish lost despite stout 5lb fluoro and both with a hook to deal with. Not good.
After more thunder and briefly high winds, things settled down in the evening and of the catch between 7 and 9:15, five of these Usk leopards averaged a good pound. All on small PTN and shrimp. Covering the water without getting on top of fish often requires switch casting or (upstream) casting over the left shoulder. Not for beginners and the wading is a bitch (leg recovery time: unknown) but Fenni Fach is a wonderful place. Lots of dippers, wagtails, song thrushes today.

11 Trout

2 Trout

Beautiful conditions, but only had until lunchtime. Tonnes of fly life. One on and off in lower pool near car park area; one or two rising towards lunchtime. No other fish seen otherwise.

All caught on Pheasant Tail nymph.

6 Trout

We arrived at 8:30am hours to find the river in fine form. Blizzard-like clouds of gnat hovered around virtually all day and were joined periodically by good hatches of Olive and the occasional Sedge. As such, the trout rose freely throughout the day but were not easy to tempt – one bad cast and they would dive for cover. We caught 3 Trout – all on klinkhamer. Nymphs produced nothing.
Points to note:
(1) do not attempt to access car park 1 in anything other than a 4x4.
(2) Bring chest waders and a wading staff.

3 Trout

Water a good height (12" on Brecon gauge), warmish day. Reasonable amount of fly life about - olives, LDO's,sedge and some sherry spinners later in the day.
Surprised, given the conditions, very little rising. Two decent 12" wbt caught (emerger pattern) and released.
Unauthorised angler (poacher to you and me) dropped in with his spinning rod on the lower part of the beat. Was despatched by one of the anglers and beat owner, David, who over a glass of wine shared some useful knowledge about the beat and area which has been tucked away for future trips.

2 Trout

Guiding two clients. The river was high but it fished quite well. 6 trout best around 14 inches.

6 Trout