Feedback & Reports

Being of reasonable competence when it comes to Trout fishing I dismissed the previous feedback reports of very few fish but do have to say in comparison to other small rivers there did seem to be a decided lack of Trout activity.
There was a consistent hatch of Mayfly all day but only 3 or 4 rising fish that could be attributed to a grown Trout rather than a parr. After sunset the spinners returned to the water in some numbers but again this resulted in few rises and even then they weren't what you would consider consistent. That said, the fish I would consider to be grown Trout certainly made an impact when they did rise showing that there are fish here of a good size even if few in numbers. I did manage 5-6 good takes to my fly but failed to keep a hook hold (or even prick most of them) finishing the day with just one Brownie in the net(a small but spirited little fighter about 12" long).
Nymphing would bring different results but I am a steadfast dry-fly angler when on the rivers.
For those of you who also decide to walk the full length of the beat, wear long trousers and long sleeves and be prepared to get nettle rash! At the top end of the river they were 6' high and even a day after my hands still don't feel right. Getting nettle rash is an occupational hazard.
I'd also suggest you don't leave your bag by the river. It's in a remote part of the world so it's unlikely to get stolen but the local cows do like a game of football with it!!! Apparently they also find the sleeves of a fleece jacket tasty as well. You live and learn.

1 Trout

A truly memorable day. Arrived 10.30am after a 180 mile drive from Surrey to be confronted by bright sun & scorching temps. Nothing to report until 7.15pm when I caught & released my first ever Shad on a salmon fly, to be followed 20 minutes later by an immaculate 18lb bright silver cock fish (my first Wye salmon) to a Francis pattern. Ed Brown, our third rod then fished through the same run to land a 7lb grilse. Many thanks to the WUF for giving us access to such fine fishing and pleased to see your bailiff putting in an appearance too.

2 Salmon, 1 Other

Water running low and a bright sky but a fair number of fish moving to olives and a few mayfly. Fish where between 10 and 12 inch and in great condition. We
lost/missed/spooked plenty of others, including some larger chaps! Lots of fry in the water. A great day out !

7 Trout

A lovely stretch of water but bright sunshine and temperature rising to 20 degrees with very clear water meant fish spooked very easily. Good hatch of fly from 10am to 12pm with occasional mayfly getting up. Some rising fish at tail end of pools but I was unable to temp them despite numerous changes of fly. It all went dead from midday onwards. I was on the beat from 10am to 4.30pm. Good fish came downstream past me as I gently waded upstream - they are there but I could not get amongst them.

Hot afternoon at beacons, few fish seen but not taking, left about 5 so missed any evening action.

Lovely warm bright day with plenty of fly life including regular Mayfly so was very deflated to blank. My day was truncated due to work commitments and with only a couple of hours I think I might have rushed things a bit searching likely spots with my usually trusty Grey Wulff and resorting to nymphs occasionally. Looking under a few stones revealed swarms of stone clingers which might have explained where the fish were (only saw one rise) though I expect it was just one of those middle of the day spells when the river had gone to sleep. Otherwise parking was very convenient, access to the water was easy and thankfully there was only the odd bit of farming plastic to spoil the view.

Lots of fly & a fish in every hole need i say more? Mayflies , sedges ,olives, stones and some all fluttering about.. Mayfly on the point right through and unknowingly I was fishing approx 1 hour or so behind another angler and the fishing was still good....
10 fine fettled trout to hand, lost a few, fooled a few...
A fine couple hours.
Spent half hour below bridge downstream and fooled a couple more ...

12 Trout

Coming from Hertfordshire I don't get the opportunity to fish rivers very often so when I do it's all a bit hit or miss. I worked my way up the beat from the bridge initially hoping to take a bag full of fish on dries, but despite lots of flies coming off the water, rises were few and far between. I had sought advice from WUF before coming to the Usk so concentrated on small and dark, then small and light. Then very, very small. I had a couple of small fish but I didn't feel that I had the situation sussed so I changed to nymphs and took a couple more tiddlers. I had a late lunch, or maybe it was an early tea, right at the top of the beat on the flats and had a serious think. I had to do something different so resumed with a big bushy dry fly, second cast straight down the bank, a very ostentatious take and a few minutes later I had 19 inch brown trout in the net. Brilliant. Obviously I had found the answer. Alas not. Still lots coming off the water but I couldn't entice any more fish onto my fly. Not complaining though.

5 Trout

Bright sunshine, water clearing and low/dropping (less than a foot at fownhope). Not a sight of a salmon or trout and hardly any sight or sound of anything topping all day despite considerable fly activity (mayflies and others unidentified). But plenty of (what I think must be) shad around - five of them (all released safely) around the 3lb mark took flying Cs of various colours. Overall it was much more a day for sitting by a lily pad-filled pond dozily watching a float than for flogging away after salmon with spinner and fly. Ho hum. Caradoc is a beautiful part of the world with good access to beat itself, and easy access to water at the start and end of beat; access OK (less so for fly) in mid stretch. Probably due to lack of success not sure I'd want to pay same amount again for Salmon (not when it's £10 more than -for example- Goodrich Court. Having said, could well be tempted back later in year for some barbel fishing.

5 Other

Dry and warm all day. Opposite dam fishing. 3 fishermen all using worm injected with air to stay afloat. Fished 25 - 30 ft out with 4 ft leader from weight. Released 3 under-sized fish, fish taken were clean and from 1 - 2 1/2 lbs.
Good day out for my young daughter who bagged her 2 fish limt, I bagged 4 fish and my mate bagged 3 fish.

9 Trout, 12 Other