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There is a good length of the river, close to the town, 

 rented by an association, and day tickets at 5s. can be had 

 by visitors. Mr. Pritchard, the principal hotel proprietor, 

 is also the tenant of several lengths of good fishing, and the 

 wandering angler will find him a useful man to consult. 



We were very unfortunate in our Usk speculation, be- 

 cause we took a length, of the river for a month, and found, 

 afterwards that the man who let it did not possess the ex- 

 clusive right of fishing ! As a matter of fact, there were 

 two anglers wading in our best pools, when we first started 

 to fish. 



Deep wading is necessary in many parts of this fast river, 

 and as the bed of the stream consists, for the most part, of 

 red sandstone, it is very dangerous. In some places the 

 water flows over these shelves of stone, not deeper than a 

 foot or two, and then drops into a hole ten or fifteen feet 

 deep. AYith a spate on it is very unsafe for anyone un- 

 acquainted with, the river to wade it. When the flood last 

 week began to subside, an owner of an upper reach of the 

 river very kindly invited me to come up and fish it. The 

 river there became fishable two days before it was fit at 

 Abergavenny, there, being a lot of discolouring matter dis- 

 charged from a little stream at Llangriney. We had a 

 most delightful drive through this lovely valley of the Usk, 

 and were charmed with the sylvan beauty of the river as it 

 flowed through a rocky gorge above Crickhowel. There is, 

 by the way, a pool in this village, which visitors at the 

 principal inn can fish. But this is a very dangerous spot 

 and some anglers' lives have here been lost when wading. 

 We found the water on our beat somewhat high in colour, 

 but it could not be fished without wading, as the " catch " 

 laid along under the opposite bank, and the river was 

 fringed on both side with overhanging trees. My atten- 

 dant said he knew every stone in the river, and he averred 

 that there was only one dangerous spot, just opposite a 

 bush, which he pointed out. Finally, it was arranged that 

 he shoxild watch me from the bank, and give me warning 

 if I approached danger. The stream was very strong, but 

 not more than three feet deep, and the salmon were lying 



