Penpont, River Usk - 20th March 2011

Well I said I wasn't expecting a bonanza and I was right! Sunday 20th March saw me loading the car for my first outing of the season, and long overdue it was too. 2 hours of driving later (taking in the beautiful scenery of the Forest of Dean and then the Brecon Beacons) and I was eagerly setting up my 5 WT, complete with new reel. My newly tied flies, as per previous posts, were packed ready and I was soon walking the familiar route over the bridge at Penpont House to start making my way downstream over the fields. The season had really started for me at last! Ewes and their lambs ambled casually across the grassy hills; the sound of buzzards could be heard high in the sky; nobody else was in the vicinity; and the Usk herself called with the sound of rapids full of promise.

And now the reality-check....cue sound of needle being scratched across vinyl record....

The skies were foreboding. Morning calm had given way to a penetrating westerly which whipped up between the river banks like a wind-tunnel. Although it was supposed to be around 11C, it felt much colder in the wind. The river was incredibly low too, almost as low as it got last summer. The water was gin clear and despite a modest hatch of Large Dark Olive, as well as tiny midge, I didn't see a single fish rise the whole day. In fact I didn't see a single fish at all, apart from some shoals of fry in the shallows (one good sign after the winter we've had).


River Usk at Penpont - rather low at the moment!

 I decided my tactics would be to focus on some of the deep gullys and try to fish them upstream with short casts. I used my tungsten weighted Baetis nymphs and midge larvae, all fished deep on a dead drift. I tried a few lifts periodically, particularly with the Baetis nymph to see if I could induce a take. All this amounted to nothing. Not even the slightest hint of a take for the whole session, which lasted from 11am to 4pm.

A newly hatched Large Dark Olive (Baetis Rhodani)

So I'm sorry to report that for the first time since I started fishing on the Usk, I blanked. But no matter. Just being there was what it was all about, Moreover, after a long absence over winter, I felt confident and happy with my tactics. A winter spent researching and reading has equipped me with new knowledge which I began to apply on this visit and I shall, no doubt, be a better angler for it. Afterall, if it was instant gratification that I desired I could have just as easily parked up at a stocked lake and almost guaranteed myself some action. That kind of gratification wasn't on my agenda today. I went home having blanked but still satisfied - just not sure I can fully explain why!!

The new reel sees some action at last!