Feedback & Reports

1 x 14 inch trout, Waternen Bloa. Usk was very low and clear, and this was the day the cold weather arrived, an icy wind from the east resulting in steadily dropping temperatures. Still, by lunchtime I had hopes that a large Dark Olive hatch might produce some sort of result. So I sat down out of the wind to watch a likely spot, and eventually the little grey sailing boats appeared one by one on the surface. I had counted up to 20 by the time I realised that no trout had risen to them and I eventually concluded they weren't likely to on this occasion. So I moved to a pool tail upstream where it seemed the trout were interested and managed to get just one before the hatch and rises ceased for the day. And that, as they say, was that.

1 Trout

17lbs bar of silver, spinning with 3" green and yellow Minnow, a good scrap from a well rested fish, no sea lice.

1 Salmon

Aplogies for the late return. The river was low and very clear. A few LDO's appeared around lunchtime and a couple of rises were seen. No fish caught but given the conditions that was pretty much in line with my expectations.

New to this beat so just finding our way round with the fly rod / where and where not to wade! Lower limit of beat has Martins Island which you can wade to from above Island on left bank pointed out with white spray paint and some steps cut out of bank. More spinning water than fly but some nice spots to get to know.

1 Trout, 1 Barbel

Very cold day with river running high and coloured. Fished with swim feeder, red maggott to catch good 5 pound Chub and 1 pound 12 oz Grayling. Very muddy banks after recent flooding!

1 Grayling, 2 Chub

Fished with the fly. A nice stretch of water below the foot bride on the right bank, the river looks fishy around the island. I thought if I could wade out to the island it would be a great spot to fish but access to river looked a bit iffy with out kwowing your way out. I spoke to Adam when I was leaving. Its a shallow wade out at the bottom of Martins Pool on the left bank and he is going to improve the access to the river bank which makes returning worthwile when the weather warms up a bit.

Fishing was slow, only one barbel to the two of us on pellet. We have fished here several times before and will be back again in better weather. Thanks to Don for his advice and help.

1 Barbel

Blanked! Relatively warm weather with a high, coloured river, should have been pretty decent Barbel conditions but I just couldn't find the fish.

Very tough day, we went in high hopes of the milder recent weather bringing the barbel on to feed but we were wrong!! Tried several swims from the power lines down, with various hook baits but couldn't get a touch. Right at the end, NC had a pike follow his feeder and it subsequently grabbed a plug the first time of asking (glad I bought a tiny bit of pile gear with such an occurrence in mind). I think we probably needed about two weeks of better weather rather than two days. And with the current forecast, it looks like it will be next season before I venture this way again. Thanks to all at WUF, directions and service all first class as usual, just a shame the fish weren't playing ball!

1 Pike

At around 10.15am I landed a 38.5" cock salmon 22lbs from the Waterscross Pool of Craig y Heul, aka the Fishing Lodge, which is the 150 yards no fishing stretch in the Courtfield beat, now extended to 250 yards double bank. Yesterday a fish was seen rising here and another one below the Boat Pool of Courtfield plus a further 3 fish were seen leaping early morning on Legg meadow. I believe this was a run of fish going through after the small lift and dirty water below Monmouth. They are the first fish seen breaking the surface in the first week. All quiet again today. maybe my fish was part of this run.

1 Salmon