150 



pair of shootiug-boots williout getting wet-footed, whilst 

 the water in the upper reaches was reduced to the propor- 

 tions of a brook ! The whole of South "Wales and Mon- 

 mouthshire have this summer been phenomenally dry, and 

 the only chance that remained to those anglers who have 

 paid big rents was the chance of the river getting up several 

 feet above its present summer level. Nothing short of 

 seven days' downpour could save the salmon anglers on this 

 river from a blank season, but given those watery condi- 

 tions, and the fish would come racing up in their thousands 

 like a pack of hounds ! 



I had got thus far in my account of the hard fate of the 

 Usk anglers when the floodgates of heaven were opened, 

 and its long pent-up waters descended upon South Wales, 

 to the great joy of the patient and long-suffering salmon 

 anglers. On the first of the present month (September) the 

 upper reaches of the Usk fished, for the first time in this 

 season, and seven clean salmon, with sea-lice on them, were 

 taken. Two of these fell to my rod, and were taken on 

 Dan OTee's silver-bodied "judge," -a very killing pattern 

 for fresh run fish. The local anglers in the TJsk valley are 

 wedded to a large and coarse dressing of " Jock Scott," and 

 scarcely use any other fly if there is the slightest tinge in. 

 the colour of the water. 



Xow that fish are to be caught on the X^sk, perhaps I may 

 supply some useful information by saying that there is no 

 difficulty about getting a day or two on this river. By 

 making Abergavenny his headquarters the would-be sal- 

 mon angler can get his choice of two or three pieces of 

 water, for wliich daily tickets are issiied at a reasonable 

 price. On one of these lengths of the river I saw three nice 

 fish killed last Saturday ; and to men whose means and 

 time are limited, and whose love of fly-fishing is great, these 

 waters now offer the certainty of sport. When I say " cer- 

 tainty," let it be understood that this mountain-fed river 

 will jump up three feet in an hour with rain in the moun- 

 tains, and that it becomes a raging torrent, like unto tomato 

 soup, both in colour and consistency, upon the slightest pro- 

 vocation. 



