A Morning Fishing the USK at Llanvihangel Village.
30th September 2023
Unexpectedly, I received an invitation to fish the Usk as a guest, which I have never fished before. Why? I suppose the opportunity has never arisen before.
The Crickhowell club has a selection of beats, and I was fishing the Bridge Meadow & Pant-Y-Goitre Beats, a selection of 8 areas located 5 miles downstream of Abergavenny, easy parking and access from the road. Through the gates each side of the road, you then have a short walk to the river across a sloping meadow to the edge and fairly easy access to the banks to speak of. In this short length of water you have pools, rapids, bridge supports, still water pools, trees overhanging, deep gully’s, flats over shale, raised Islands and channels, something for any fly fishing person.
I was trying something different a Shakespare 10ft, 4w, on loan from a good friend coupled to 4w, USA built by South Bend, reel about 55 years old, dry line with 9ft of braded leader and 6ft of 5lb Maxima-chamelon tippet, and a selection of flies recommended for this beat by a local.
The water was coloured and fast moving, you could wade in the margins but further out was dangerous. I tried a selection of flies none of them preformed, a 3lb fish jumped clear of the water, on the far side, spectacular sight, but I have to say a wonderful piece of water to fish next season with a dry fly, if I get an invitation.
Andrew Ayres
Grayling Society, WFD, C&GFDC, Ludlow Fly Dressers, And FDG member
Worcester Fly Dressers 