Feedback & Reports

Today I made the long return trip from Dorset for my first ever day on a Wye/Usk foundation river. With hindsight I should have perhaps curbed my impatience to get on the water(I'm a relative novice at river fly fishing) and waited for better conditions because the River Lugg was pushing through at quite a lick and was the colour of chocolate. I walked the beat which was very pleasant and could see the opportunities it might offer under more benign conditions. With a selection of weighted nymphs I searched out a few eddies and patches of slacker water but was not overly optimistic of connecting with anything given the combination of opaque water and my own shortcomings. My lack of optimism proved well founded and I was not at all surprised to register a big fat zip! However, undiscouraged I will be back to try this and other beats in more favourable conditions. I did very much enjoy the tranquillity of such a pleasant pastoral setting.

We gave it a couple of hours before the 40 mph winds persuaded us to repair to a local hostelry. On the rare occasions our upstream nymphs landed in the right place they significantly failed to induce any detectable fishy action. Lovely bit of water on a balmy summer evening I suspect!

A few olives about but nothing rising so lightly weighted nymphs seemed best. All trout were small fellows from the shallower runs. Tried going heavier and deeper to look for something bigger but to no avail.

5 Trout

River was a foot or so lower than Thursday running at a more fishable pace and starting to clear, we were fishing the top weir when I heard a galloping on the opposite bank, I turned to see what I thought was a dog but was surprised when I realised it was an otter that carried on running past and superman like dove off the bank into the weir right in front of us we stopped fishing but did not see him again. I am shocked at the size of this otter as the only one I seen before at an animal park was tiny in comparison, I googled otters and this was a fully grown adult that's obviously had a good winter from the size of him. No fish were caught no fly hatches.

River was a bit too high and fast to fish really but tried hard with some tungsten bugs to no avail.

(Nothing reported)

River a little high, one small trout par. Lovely crisp winters day out though.

1 Trout

This beat was fished by two members of the Grayling Society on this occasion.

2 Grayling

11 x grayling 6-18 inches, 1 x out of season trout 14 inches, Tungsten Hare's Ear and Pink Shrimp. The Lugg has picked up an inch or two since recent rain, but still unusually clear. A mixed bag of grayling, from small shots to several nice ones including a large cock fish in excellent condition. The out of season trout looked like a wild fish. One hen brownie on a gravel flat showing distinct redd cutting behaviour, despite the warm weather. In fact it was a very warm day, absolutely still, with slanting sunlight. A memorable day in every way. The mating instincts of wildlife caused some hazards during travel however; my way home lies through Hereford and then across the Forest of Dean. After a near miss with a rutting fallow stag in front of the car on the outward journey, there was another in darkness on the way home followed a mile later by two suicidal wild boar in quick succession. Drove the final part of the journey in third gear, all ready to brake.

11 Grayling

River very low and gin clear, until the cattle decided to muddy it! Fish very hard to find in such clear water, also the bright sun probably didn't help.
This is a pleasant beat but where have all the bigger fish gone, all grayling were fingerings and the oos wbt was only 6".
Be aware the cattle are inquisitive and crossing the river to avoid them was a waste of time as they followed and really stirred up the mud.
Thanks again to all at W&U.

1 Trout, 6 Grayling