Wye & Usk Foundation News May 10th 07

Rain at last! You can see the effect of yesterday’s downpour on the Wye by looking at our webcam (http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/conditions/waterheights.php). The Usk was up just under a foot in the middle reaches this morning and carrying some colour. How high they rise is the key factor. After such a long dry spell, it may do no more than stir up the rubbish on the river bed.


Despite doing our best to put off salmon anglers for the last few weeks, Steve Barnard pressed on with his plans to fish at Caradoc and proved us all wrong by taking his first ever fish – a clean 10lbs salmon. What can we say but well done Steve! We are absolutely delighted to be proved wrong. Those who berate us for letting these beats may not appreciate the magic of someone – a novice- catching fish. A cynic is as they say, someone who has given up, but not yet shut up!


So…..our advice is keep in contact with the prevailing conditions, the existing rain may colour some tributaries briefly but this will help. What rain has fallen will do no more for salmon than liven up those already there in the middle beats but it will certainly help the fishing on the lower beats. If more rain falls, we may yet get the salmon to move upstream but in the meantime, the trout fishing will be very good everywhere. Last week the middle Usk in particular provided fabulous sport with two definite periods of activity 9.30-11am and 4-6pm.


The current hatches are mixed with some olive uprights, hawthorns, the first of the caenis, sulphur duns, brook duns and midges all bringing fish to the surface at times. Even during the rises the best catches were still being made on small nymphs, but that should change soon with dries and emergers coming to the fore


A few shad are being reported from the lower reaches of the Wye and Usk but they are yet to appear in the upper Wye (but can’t be too far away)


The office is open Mon – Fri 9.00 – 5.30 weekdays but we will shortly be able to take

bookings on line. Please remember, we operate a “wash off “policy for most booking office beats if does finally “get wet” and please let us now how you fare.