Flies Everywhere

With the fishing season now in full swing it is time to stock up on fishing flies at the hotel. Nick, who has fished the river Usk since he was a boy spent nearly a £1000 and the best part of a morning sorting out the new stock. He complained to me that they will insist on coming up with new patterns the whole time making it hard to find enough space for everything.

Old Favourites

New styles may come and go but at this time of the year they are a few favourites that the trout never seem to tire of;

• Medium Olives
• Tupp’s Indispensable – dry
• Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
• Pheasant Tail
• Iron Blue Dunn

As the days get longer and the fish begin feeding in the dusk you will need to change your fly for something a little bigger as the light goes. Fish in the shallow water and choose a fly with a bit of silver or gold in it like a Bloody Butcher or a Dunkeld.
Every fisherman has his favourites but it is good to know that the hotel does now have a good stock of both dry and wet flies for when you visit.

Low Water

With no meaningful rain in the past eight weeks the river is very low and combined with the bright and cloudless weather it all makes for difficult fishing conditions. Fish are being caught but mostly quite small fish and nothing much over a pound. Fingers crossed for some rain very soon.