I am working in LLandrindod Wells on Monday and Tuesday next week so HOPING to get 2/3 hours on the river on Monday evening.

My plan is to fish one of beats 20-22 from the Wye and Usk Foundation Passport scheme. These are:
20 The Disserth (New for 2007)
21 The Clyweddog
22 The Severn Arms
I realise that it is still very early season for these beats but with limited time I do not want too much travelling.

Does anyone have any advice on methods, flies, etc. for this river at this time of year. Replies via this thread or via PM would be appreciated.

Finally, anyone recommend any Day Ticket river beats for trout in the Bangor on Dee area?

Thanks in anticipation

__________________
Brian

It is early but this spring is doing wonderful things for the fishing and fly life. The Ithon has a good March Brown hatch and can be good at this time of year. You really want to be working early in the morning and evening at this time of year to take advantage of what fly activity there may be, from mid morning to about 3.00pm. Try taking a loooooooong lunch.

I do like the Ithon and, if you get a hatch, you will have a great, if short burst of activity, in the fast riffly runs, from a river that a few minutes before you would have sworn was devoid of even a minnow.

__________________
"The sun was so delightfully warm, and the stone, which had been sitting in it for a long time, was so warm, too, that Pooh had almost decided to go on being Pooh in the middle of the stream for the rest of the morning."

www.monnow.org

There is some day ticket fishing In the Bangor on Dee area with two clubs based there and the best place to ask is in the Post Office in Bangor on Dee. There are some good trout but the predominant fish is likely to be grayling, depending on the beat and the coarse fish start to be more numerous in this part of the river.

If you prepared to travel a few miles there are more beats available up towards Llangollen including the Maelor AA water which is used for many international competitions.

http://www.maelor.org/Club.html

In Llangollen you can get a ticket for Llangollen AA’s water from Watkins and Williams (a hardware shop), 4 Berwyn Street, Llangollen. Tel: 01978 860 652.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Things went a little better than planned on Monday, initially anyway.

Thinking I would only be able to fish from 5pm I had planned to fish Beat 20 – The Disserth Ithon from the Wye and Usk Foundation Passport beats. However, work finished about 1pm so a quick change of plan led to a quick dash to the Wye and Usk foundation offices in Builth Wells to book the Gofynne beat on the Irfon.

This is a small (1Km) beat in superb secluded surroundings, which I had all to myself. It was a pleasure to be out in the sunshine in such fine surroundings and the river was running very clear. Just a bit of a cold upstream breeze, otherwise ideal. The river here is relatively easy to wade, and a mixture of fast runs with long relatively shallow wide stretches with some deep pools here and there.

Whilst I was (relatively) confident about fishing the faster stretches, I had no idea how to approach the long shallower stretches or deep pools. Things were not helped by me not seeing (or hearing) a single rise all the time I was there. Perhaps I need to enlist some help next time I fish there (possibly in May).

Unfortunately I have to report a complete failure to catch a trout, although four grayling – possibly somewhat sympathetic to my plight – did manage to attach themselves to my small beaded PTN. Nothing of any size, the best being just over a pound I would guess (see below), all safely returned without leaving the water.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable few hours, and I hope to return again soon.

__________________
Brian

My thanks to those who responded here and via PM.

__________________
Brian