Feedback & Reports

Fished the lower end of the stream in changing weather. Water clear and some limited hatch, the odd fish rising. Managed to catch one trout right at the lower end of the beat. Lovely part of the river, had to leave when the heavens opened.

1 Trout

Fished the upstream half of the beat after visiting the estate office. Weather was bright and mostly sunny as I made my way upstream looking for fish, eventually found a few fish rising right at the top of the beat and missed a couple of takes but casting from under the trees was proving difficult so headed back to find some easier to target fish as there was now a steady hatch of Olives. Found some fish rising in one of the pools and proceeded to miss take after take, hitting a few only for them to throw the hook soon after! All the time fish were rising in a slack under far bank trees so after spooking the easier to target fish I waded to a position that would allow me to target them. After a few attempts a big cast brushed the far bank branches and my small dry fly landed in the slack, moving slowly down steam a splashy take and a strike that met with firm resistance, luckily this one stayed on and after a spirited fight on my 4# a fish of over 2lb was netted and safely returned, chancing my luck I repeated the exercise and was rewarded with another good fish, possibly slightly smaller but still a lovely brownie. By now it was 2pm and so time to move to the down stream beat, unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse with a strong downstream wind and rain. I only found a couple of fish rising, one refused stubbornly to take anything I offered it the other took the same fly at the first time of asking just down from the bridge. Decided to call it a day after that, very happy with the fish I took in the morning.

3 Trout

First time for me on this beat. 8 WBT split between top and bottom ends of the water. All on March Browns. Hatches were sparse and sporadic.
Lovely stretch of the Usk. Very fishy with very varied water types.

8 Trout

Sunny and warmer than it has been (~10oC) but with a fresh downstream wind. Water clear and 11in on the gauge. Started at 11:00 and had a 1 1/4lb on the nymphs upstream of the bridge. Moved downstream of the bridge and at 12:30 a hatch of march browns started. Good number of fish rising to them. Had 5 up to 2lb on a parachute. At 13:30 the hatch stopped and all went quiet. Fished nymphs all the way to the end of the beat and had another 4.

10 Trout

A perfect spring day and a few fish were caught. Compared with about the same time last year the water was a bit higher and a little coloured so that is our excuse for not catching more. This is a great piece of trout water.

8 Trout

Cold cloudy day with rain in the air but came to nothing. A small hatch of LDO's at about two but only a couple of rises seen Had two trout of half and three quarters of a pound both on olive nymph just under the surface. Should have been more, lost at least five or six. Enjoyable day

2 Trout

What a great day! One fish caught does not do the day justice. On a couple of spiders hooked a big fish, after several leaps and tearing about the water, I managed to get get it close to the net at which time it shook itself free and I lost the flies it a tree. Not sure what the fish was, my guess is a small salmon or the most energetic 3 Lb grayling. It was not a brown trout.
Later the flies were piling off the water and rising fish were concentrated in a run below the bridge. My size 15 JT olive was ignored. Massive frustration and a sulk ensued. Cast after, cast but not a fish.
Above the bridge in the shade, after the fabulous looking salmon pools a few dimples gave the game away. On with a size 18 emerger, BOOM!! Covered a riser, hooked up, massive air, gone. Same formula, shaken off. Same formula more air, gone. Same, played this fish harder and lower, got it in the net. Beautiful fish!
What a day, brilliant!
WUF Note: Grayling are not present in the Usk.

1 Trout

River a foot above summer low and well coloured though clearing, water temp 12 degrees. Very pleasant day but no sign of salmon. Spinning not allowed on this fishery below 2ft (nor wading in coloured water!), or I would have been very tempted to try a small spinner in these conditions. Plenty of interest in my various doubles from out-of-season trout. Note of caution - a gigantic trunk road development scheme has started between Abergavenny and Merthyr and once you hit the A465 it's very difficult to find your way across towards Crickhowell (I went 20 miles out of my way)- suggest anglers coming from the south and east go through Abergavenny and travel via A40.

River high and coloured after heavy rain. Canoe's only seen on water's surface. A lovely fishery will return hopefully with better river conditions

Sunshine and showers and a northerly wind. 3 WBT caught on beaded pheasant tail nymph. Two just below the bridge and the rest in the fast water. 12" , 10" and 8" Lost 2 All returned.

3 Trout