Feedback & Reports

1 x 10 inch trout, lots of salmon parr and one heavy trout lost during play. Given the ticket price, the fence crossing arrangements on this beat really could use some improvement - maybe fit proper stiles?

1 Trout

After a full Welsh breakfast at the Manor Hotel at Crickhowell we headed for the beat. Excellent hotel overlooking the Usk valley and splendid food and hospitality.

Somehow we hoped that it might be easier fishing than the day before at Dinas. After about 3 hours of nymph fishing and swimming spiders across and down we only had a salmon parr to show for our efforts. At least we avoided the dreaded blank. Only saw 2 or 3 olives and some midges. Not one rising fish.

The time was nearly 1 pm when we sat on the bank observing a deep pool where we had encountered March Browns in the past. Miraculously about 1:15 pm the first MBs started popping out of the water and not before long we saw the first splashy rises. The fish held in the fast water and in theory it would be easier to catch them not having time to inspect our flies. Wrong! We had to chop and change a few flies as each fish was feeding "a la carte". There were predomnantly on emergers just below the surface and only touched the occasional dun. The hatch lasted for about 40 minutes and then it stopped as suddenly as it started.

We managed 5 beautifully marked fish in the 1/2 lb to 1 lb class. A memorable day and another example of right place right time.

5 Trout

Cold east wind, dull with low cloud. Just a short flurry of LDOs around 1400, but few fish rising to them. Very difficult fishing. First time I’ve ever blanked on this usually productive beat. Spring seemed to have been put on hold.

Bright sunlight and a stiff downstream breeze presented a challenge. We managed 2 trout, - one taken with a nymph, one off the top. Both fish safely returned.

2 Trout

River crystal clear and good level. Warm day with very little westerly breeze and sunny. LDO trickle hatch from 11:30 but fish did not rise to them. From 12 till 13:30 there was a fantastic hatch of MB and the trout were hammering them on the surface. Between the 2 of us we had 22, the smallest 3/4lb and the largest 2.5lb. Fantastic day’s fishing!

22 Trout

Lovely day but little action. March brown hatch for 20 minutes around 11.30 switched to a dry March Brown and missed a big and aggressive take. Hatch went off and little else all day. Tried various locations and fly types but no sign of any life - still a great day though!

Not a great start to the season. Very wet and windy so I only fished for an hour or so. The only rise I saw was a cormorant which appeared at my feet. Both of us were very surprised!

1 Trout

Very bright conditions. Hard work but enjoyable

5 Trout

Bright conditions

5 Trout