River Usk at Glan-yr-Afon
August 28th
After the recent rain (it never seemed to stop in Bristol) the forecast was for fine weather over the weekend. How often does that happen? So I booked a day on Glan-yr-Afon on the Usk and set off full of hope. The river was still up a bit and coloured, but nothing that would prevent a great days fishing. Even the strong downstream wind didn't dampen my enthusiasm.
I waded out and watched the water for any signs of fish. A few gentle sipping rises, nothing too regular, but the locations could be marked and the fishes covered. So steady work, with steady, unspectacular rewards. I caught both on dry flies and nymphs. Both types were imitations of a fairly chunky brown caddis that I'd disturbed from the bank-side vegetation.
There was enough action, and enough water that I was happy to share the river with a family and two young enthusiastic boys who went swimming in a decidedly chilly river. But what I wasn't prepared for was a flotilla of ten canoes that came down slowly through all the pools, splashing and capering as they went. No more fishing for the day. How sad to end, prematurely, what was otherwise such a happy day.