Feedback & Reports

The Usk in fine fettle, excellent height (1ft on Brecon guage) and reasonably clear.
A steady trickle of flies coming off from about midday. Mostly LDO's. 3 fish caught on nymphs, largest about 14". All retured.
The real action came at about 6pm. A large fish was sipping flies constantly in the pool just below the left hand bend on the lower half of the beat. It lazily took my Adams parachute and I immediatley knew I was into a big fish. After several minutes of heavy, muscular runs he came to the net. After 7 years of fishing the Usk this was my biggest wbt by a country mile. I measured it using my net at 20 inches, a deep fish with big shoulders. My best estimate would be 3 1/2 lbs. Returned him safely, hands shaking. A fish of a lifetime.
I notice that M.D. of Surbiton hooked into a similar fish on Sunday. Same one maybe?

4 Trout

Beat holds lots of big trout. Caught four very nice trout up to 3lb+ on Deer Hair Emerger and bead head nymphs. Plenty of water and strong currents but only a little rain over the day. Fished only a small part of the beat but had plenty of takes.

4 Trout

Great day to be back on the Usk, after a five year absence. Daughter and myself caught on nymphs fished on long leader, french style. Best fish 16 inches.

8 Trout

Strong cold wind all day made casting difficult. Despite this & some rain, there were a few hatches with fish rising at times - some big splashy rises, including a few within a rod length of where I was wading. Caught one trout, about 2lb, on a march brown, and lost another slightly smaller after it jumped a few times. The fish lower down the beat seemed completely disinterested in my march brown (& everything other fly I tried), whilst further up they took it without hesitation - possibly as the water was a bit faster there, so less time to examine it. Lovely beat, with lots of swallows swooping over the water.

1 Trout

An overnight campervan stopover and a days fishing booked a week ago could not have foreseen the lashing rain and near gale force winds that graced the day. One trout fell to a sawyers PTN fished New Zealand style, and a couple of slashing rises to the royal wulf sighter. Gave up just after midday, I need a new wading Jacket!

1 Trout

No fish on dry fly. Some flies on the water but no hatch.

The conditions were difficult with both anglers using light tackle casting into a strong headwind all day. Water levels were unusually low with some parts of the river being ankle deep where 1ft would have been ideal. This also meant that the water was cold for the time of year.
Both anglers fished a duo setup with an indicator Klinkhammer above various nymph patters (small Olive patterns - gold headed).
We managed 6 fish between us with two points of the day producing fish (around midday when the sun appeared and the last hour fishing from 6pm – fishing the runs near the bridge). Fish consisted of weights up to 1 lb. Not many fish seen throughout the day and felt because of the low waters they may have moved down river.
Not many rises seen and any hatches were very minimal because of the wind and temperature throughout the day.

6 Trout

A decent day with 7 to the net and 5 lost. A few LDO's around in the late morning but no significant hatch.

7 Trout

Chilly day and I fished from 12 to 3 . Sadly saw no hatching flies or rising fish and drew a blank. However this is a beautiful and eminently fishable stretch to which I will happily return.

Superb days fishing. Arrived at 11.30am to find fish rising. Good LDO hatch and some march brown and brook dun. Landed 6 nice trout including 3* 2lb trout and one lunker smashed the tippet. If I had not been so rusty then would have landed 12-15 trout - kept missing them and casting into strong upstream wind made things tricky. Pied fly catching, redstarts, bleating lambs and rolling hills.... ah Wales in the Spring can't be far from heaven!

6 Trout