Feedback & Reports

Across and down in riffled water, all on pheasant tail nymphs and all around 6-8inchs.

5 Trout

Conditions were very good with clear medium level water and fish intermittently rising and feeding on the surface to a hatch, egg layers or spent insects. The best fly was a small dry olive or small gold headed nymph on a klinkhammer duo. Either way the day ebbed and flowed with fish activity that kept me interested at all times. A fantastic day with the final catch result being 6 fair sized brown trout to the net and many more missed chances. The best fish being a 14" beauty at the very end.
A wonderful introduction to the river Usk.
Bob Clark.

6 Trout

Lovely sunny day on the Usk but a bit warm most of the day - also a lot of bathers and dogs to contend with. Can't really blame them on such a lovely day, in the heat of the day was tempting to join them and good at least to see others also appreciate this lovely river. Most were considerate, but must say it's incredible how a minority of selfish idiots think it's fine to just jump in immediately ahead of you when there is so much water here and you are clearly wading mid-river. However it's a nice long beat so was always able to find the odd secluded swim away from the public paths. And usually it isn't like that here - a busy, sunny Sunday! The fishing was very slow in the afternoon anyway when it was busiest, as it was around 26C, although a few fish were taking midges - got one on a #20 Black Gnat then (and had a couple of others come off), also another took a big French Partridge Mayfly when there were a few big mayfly about, although also some large brook duns of similar size hatching so not sure what it was taken for. Other than that there was not much response to those mayflies though - too warm in the middle of the day/not enough hatching I guess. The late morning, and late afternoon/early evening were much better. Fair numbers of yellow may dun and some other olives coming off, and also a good spinner fall late on - most of the fish came to the latter. A range of sizes from 10" up to a couple of nice 16"ers, and all eight caught on dries.

Saw a dead hen salmon of c.6-7lb on the bottom mid-stream and midway up the beat - although had been dead a while, at least a few days? Had not been predated or scavenged much yet. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, at least it was in the river - hope she got to spawn. Hopefully a late kelt? Heard they can delay a while on return to sea, and of course most die so maybe one of the majority that didn't get back - although seems quite late for a kelt in May?

One note on access - I parked at the middle parking spot in Llanwysg Farm, returned to the car quite late due to the spinner fall to find I was locked in - the farmer had forgotten I was there! Thankfully the neighbour was home and had their number, farmers lovely again too and did return to let me out! Apparently it is possible to drive across the fields and exit the gate by the bridge, but if returning late probably best not to park there unless you have a 4WD, or the padlock is switched for a combination lock? Thanks again for a lovely day out!

8 Trout

7 Trout

Such a lovely stretch of river. So lucky to fish it. And, on a day like today, to share it with so many dogs chasing sticks thrown by happy owners. And a paddle boarder who turned back at the lower fast water.
But little can irritate for long when you're allowed access to the fishing.

2 Trout

Apologies for the late return - I did log one before but it seems there was some bug and it did not enter the system. It fished very well, some small mayfly hatching for a couple of hours in the early afternoon - I think iron blues? Caught nine, all on small, dry mayfly patterns - Iron Blue and Grey Duster and nearly all in this hatch period. Good sizes as usual for the Usk - they ranged between 12 and 17".

9 Trout

Caught two off the top in the early afternoon - some scattered hatches of LDO, also some grannom. Should have caught a few more really - at least 10 takes and nearly all on dries,. A couple bumped off but I missed quite a few - maybe my fingers were too cold, it was really wintery weather with fierce northerly gusts at times! Had a nice chat with one of the farmers, and despite the cold snap lovely to see spring blooming on the river. Saw lots of birdlife - a dipper doing it's own nymphing wading ahead of me one run, two kingfishers dancing around, grey wagtails probing the bankside stones, a goosander and of course the pantomime villain - a cormorant! Suddenly saw the first swallows of the year hawking straight past me later in the afternoon and a sand martin too - that warmed the cockles again (and the heated car seat on the way home, the luxury of modern tech)!

2 Trout

Thoroughly unpleasant weather, rain, powerfully gusting wind, more rain. I did go down and chuck a jig-streamer around for about an hour before beating a retreat.

Four on dries - small mayfly patterns - another on nymph. Some small pale wateries, sulphur yellows and some very small, pale, yellowish flies which were not mayfly at all - Diptera of some kind, I couldn't identify but they seemed to be on them at times, a size 20 IOBO was the only thing that would get bites when they focussed on those. No monsters but three were nice fish between 14 and 15" which fought hard - all in good condition, all returned as usual. Thanks for the fishing - a beautiful beat. Thanks also to Luke Bannister for fixing a broken tip on my Granger Favorite - first trip back on the water with that tip and it still performed beautifully, indistinguishable from the other. A c. 85 year-old rod but still such a sweet caster, a joy with both dry flies and light nymphs

5 Trout

Three trout between 10 and 14.5", all on small Grey Dusters during a pale watery hatch. Had a few other bites but it was very tough for long periods - the odd rise in the slow glides to a few caddis and a large mayfly - I think autumn dun? - but those insects were quite sparse so hardly any repeat risers and they were very hard to tempt until those little mayflies got going. Nothing on nymphs - did try that too in the slower periods, although there are some nice glides and riffles here between the long flatter sections. Did nearly hook a large chub on a wasp imitation (Jasper) but struck a fraction too soon/got unlucky - there are some nice ones here. Nice to see a bit of rain finally for the Usk, the level rose a bit and it seemed to dislodge quite a lot of algae - and there was a lot more in the shallows - but the water stayed nice and clear. It's a beautiful part of the Usk, I thoroughly enjoyed it - thanks for booking and to the beat owners for letting me fish it!

3 Trout