Feedback & Reports

Only fished for 2 hours but saw 1 salmon move in Rock Pool and another below bridge by fallen tree. Water is perfect and expect salmon to be caught in chainbridge area in next few days. Great trout rise at 7pm, best this season so far.

Lovely day and water perfect for fly. Started at Rockpool and landed a 9lb cock fish at 12.30, which was returned safely. Fish taken on small brass tube dressed with yellow hackle and orange and black streamer with lureflash.

Fish was in excellent condition and put up quite a fight.

Again little or no rise of trout and only the odd yellow may dun seen. Not seen a mayfly yet.

Fished for trout until 4pm subsurface with the same flies as last week with no takes.

Good to get off the mark so early in season.

Looks like a non starter tomorrow as its 1.44m and more rain forecast tomorrow in the catchment.

1 Salmon

No fish caught. Water was in good condition, enjoyable day but only one bite.

Arrived at 7am. River perfect. A 12lb silver cock fish took my Golden Killer just under the bridge on the 3rd cast! A dogged 15 minute fight ensued (with some aerobatics). It was duly measured and safely returned.
Fished hard for another eight hours but only two 8oz trout took exception to the Killer and were safely returned. A beautiful sunny day with only the call of buzzards interrupting proceedings. One or two yellow May Duns hatching.

1 Salmon, 2 Trout

I was fly fishing and the river was quite full and there appeared to be a lot of silt downstream, maybe due to the fact that some maintenance work was being carried out on the bridge. Also some of the areas outlined in the map were inaccessible. I was staying at Vanilla Cottage near Chain Bridge which is an excellent base.

Water .92m and kept above .9m all day. Too deep and fast to wade safely so stuck to bank or margins and fished nearside bank with roll casts. No success on salmon in both wood stream and below bridge down to wires. Decided to switch to trout using size 14 greenwells nymph on point and partridge/orange spider on dropper. 3 trout landed all taking the greenwells nymph. Best 12oz.

Rain came in with squally showers and wind. Casting became difficult so called it a day.

Little or no hatch during day

3 Trout

Arrived with river showing 0.72m on gauge, slight tint and falling slowly - perfect. Fished very hard with the 15 footer for almost 6 hrs with no sign of salmon. A lovely day for casting exercise though.
Six trout 1/4lb up to 1 1/2lb took exception to my Golden Killer. All were safely returned bar one little bleeder.
On a more concerning note, the fly hatch was very poor and only saw two rises all day. Has the unprecedented winter flooding decimated the insect population? It's beginning to look that way.

6 Trout

Lovely day again but still no rising fish and little fly activity. Decided to try to go through from top run for salmon but water level too high at .86m so had to cast mainly from bank. Used usk grub again and the Willie Gunn tube with no takes.
Hope someone is having better luck as I think I am on the right tactics but haven't seen any salmon at all.
I am writing this Sun 27th April and the river has gone up today to 1.03m and rising with more rain forecast so prospects for tomorrow not looking good.

Stayed at The Fishing Lodge at Swanmeadow on this family (including cousins) holiday; great place and base for going surfing at Rest Bay, cricket tour at The Swalec, good food, all day breakfast at the Steel Horse and BBQ suppers, bike rides and walks in wonderful countryside and thankfully weak internet reception.
The river was perfect for salmon fishing the whole week, however time spent on it was minimal. 3 trout and a mini salmon (salmon smolt 7") to the salmon rod, fishing at both Swanmeadow and Chainbridge. Spent a lot of time on bank and steps repairs (with young help). Lots more to do on what the winter floods" hath given and taken away" at Chainbridge.

3 Trout, 1 Other

A beautiful day. Arrived and was made very welcome by the owner of the beat who provided good advice and guidance on how to fish the beat. Day had sporadic light hatches of March Brown, Caddis and LDO. Day was bright and cloudless, water gin clear. Couldn't help but spook the larger fish rising on the flats but caught two small ones in the riffles. Will be back to this lovely wide and deep flowing beat. Thanks again to the beat owner for his compnay and advice.

2 Trout