I have just returned from a week away in a cottage in the brecon beacons . It was a chance to combine a bit of fishing with a weeks holiday with my wife or should I say fishing widow?, she never complains that everytime we book a cottage somewhere in the country there is the certain knowledge that close by will by a tumbling stream or rolling river. The river this time was the Usk. This is a river I have fancied fishing for a long while. Rising in the Black mountains of the Brecon beacons of South Wales . It is a river that reminds me very much of the Ure .
I booked the beat that ran at the bottom of the cottage garden it was the Glan-yr-afon beat of the Wye and USk foundation. I booked the beat for 5 days with the intent of been able to fish early mornings and evenings , During the days the river was well populated by kids and dogs so fishing was out of the question anyway.
Hatches of small olives happened nearly every evening . The fish responded to a size 20 IOBO humpy anything bigger was ignored . Mornings was a time for prospecting the faster deeper runs with a nymph . I caught a agood few wildies and a few better fish that looked like well conditioned stock fish.
One early morning nymphing session saw me hooked into a real beast of a fish which although I got it close dived under the rock ledges below my feet and ended up breking the tippet. A big fish that resulted in some choice words shared with the early morning air. Early morning not a single fish was seen rising so nymphing was the logical choice.
I enjoyed the fishing immensley but not sure how much I would enjoy the wading at high water levels. The very clear and low water meant that you could always see where you are putting your feet. My mate Peter ( He of the old walks and fishes blog) warned me of the dificulties of wading the Usk. I understand what he meant.
I am always ammazed at how brown trout from different river systems vary so much in their colouration . Most of those I caught had quite blurry spots and few with the bright vivid red spots I see in the local spate streams up north.
Many like the one below had quite a distinctive olive colouration.
Whilst I did some fishin this was essentially a quiet week away with My Mrs in a very small cottage which had the Usk at the bottom of the Garden which enabled me to fish in the last and first hours and leave the day free. I am pleased to say that the cooker in the cottage remained nicely unused local pubs were chosen at random and by checking menus. We spoilt ourselves every night but were puzzled with the constant fascination for chips with everything....
First night : Tempura lobster with green salad, asparagus and new potatoes....Accompanied by huge chips...
Second Night: Chicken curry with Bombay aloo. Garlic naan , popadoms and dips , Pilau rice...And orange yes orange chips
Third Night Sea Bass in a salt crust seasonal vegetables New potatoes and yes you guessed it
chips
The other with chips dishes included lamb shank and Mash, Roast beef and Yorkshire puddings at Sunday lunch with roast potatoes .One night the chips were made with sweet potatoes but cant remember what is was with ....
Final night was steak night at the local Pub I had the rump , wife had rib eye with veg the menu said, itll be chips the wife said good says I steak and chips is good . What arrived ? Game chips sodding parsnips put through a potatoe peeler and deep fried.......Wont be eating chips for a while....
Anyway despite the chips. A lovely river and friendly people in a stunning part of the world....
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