Monday 26 April 2010

One For The Future

Due to some 'domestic' duties I had to carry out in Abergavenny I found myself with a spare couple of hours on my hands so I had the ideal opportunity to take a stroll along some of the nearby Usk waters.



The Usk is on my 'must fish' list for this year so I was looking forward in getting a little closer to her. I was not dissapointed...greeted by swarms of Grannom and rising fish on a still morning I could already start to feel the beginnings of what could become more than just a casual affair.




Delving into the riverbed to investigate what invertebrate life there lurked beneath the rocks was a real eye opener, masses of shrimps, nymphs (hetagenid & stonefly mostly), bullheads..the river is positively alive with life, which probably account. for the couple of lumps I saw swimming around!


This mini-beast was a good inch long!


With the sun on my face and the lure of the river it was hard to leave but unfortunately I was required elsewhere, safe in the knowledge that a return is inevitable.

I also managed to fit in a couple of short outings on the River Wye on the club waters around Builth wells and although there were plenty of Grannom flies still coming off the water most of the surface activity seemed to be from the 'out of season' Grayling with plenty of unavoidable catches. The few trout caught all came to a small nymph.

Monday 12 April 2010

River Edw Revisited

I took another couple of visits to this cracking little stream that runs into the River Wye just below Builth Wells.






Fishing two beats on The Wye And Usk Foundation voucher scheme over the weekend I found this little gem still with the same magic as I remembered from fishing there last year.




These upland streams soon thin out after a few rainless days and I would certainly recommend a visit when the river is just starting to clear after a good rainfall.



The fishing was as I'd expected with trout having a go in the likely spots but really this river still needs a few weeks to get into top form.



The upper section (Hundred House) of the W&UF beats is very different from the lower beats with a much more gentle appearance and lots of slow meandering bends, it is definitely a place to target when the trout start feeding freely on the surface and fish are easier to target with a dry fly...its hard to get an ideal presentation whilst nymph fishing in slower water like this.



With a few vouchers still in my pocket I have a feeling I'm destined for another return in the near future.