Prospects & General Comments:
September 2015 I have almost forgotten what a wet September would be like. 2012 was great - fish were spread about the catchment and many had completed the majority of their journey up river. Fast forward to 2015 and the end of the month was bathed in what everyone, save those who fish for salmon, would call lovely warm sunshine! It's been a very dry year for Wye and Usk - just 18" of rain so far this year compared to 2014's total of 54", albeit falling at crucial times.

So on the face of it not much to get excited about this month, but well done all those who wielded a rod in perhaps less than ideal conditions.

Wye: Levels dropped away after the bank holiday downpour giving those at the top of the river the first shot. The first week produced about twenty fish spread between Caerwnon and Bigsweir. As the levels fell away, so did the catches but a small rise lifted hopes for the start of the third week and fish were taken again mainly in the middle and lower river. From then on there was very little rain to trouble flows: nonetheless fish were taken throughout the catchment.

The scoreboard leaders included Glanwye with 10 for the month. The Rectory, Garnons and Wyebank and Courtfield all had 5. Below Monmouth, Wyesham landed 12 with a great many lost. Upper Bigsweir also had 5 but the bulk were taken at Bigsweir who landed 47. Some of Upper Bigsweir's were absolutely fresh, silver fish (as were Bigsweir's) but they seemed to travel no further upstream.

Prize of the month was a fish of 23lbs Wye fish taken by Chris Morley from Glanwye. The same beat also had a fish of 20lbs, as did Moccas. Another notable capture was the 12lbs hen fish taken by Peter Horsburgh from the Rectory on the 25th which was the Wye's 1,000th reported salmon of the season.

So the total for the month to date was 138, one of the better Septembers in recent times and certainly a high score for such low flows. Not surprisingly, the Monmouth to sea reach did best with 70; Hereford to Monmouth 19; Glasbury to Hereford 14 Builth to Glasbury 33 and just 2 above Builth.

Usk: Many more fish have been reported to us than in the past from a greater number of fisheries. Clearly the Usk was doing well when the modest flows allowed. As on the Wye, the lower sections did the best with some creditable catches downstream of Abergavenny but especially below Usk. Hopefully next year we can get a core of fisheries to report catches to give Usk its own webpage.ywi: Again subject to low water. Golden Grove's total has moved on to 33 while Abercothi is up to 45. Both Usk and Tywi take the majority of their salmon in the last six weeks and they both need rain....NOW!

First ever salmon included an 8lb cock fish to George Hazel from the Newbridge fishery (R Usk) on the 14th September and on the 16th a 26" grilse to Mr J Hazell at Severn Sisters. The quote of the month came from John Harris when describing his 15lb cock fish from the Usk "as brown as my shoes and as ugly as me."

Whenever I mention that rain is expected (as I did last month), it tends to disappear. A huge storm mid-month did just this, taking a left turn just as it reached Wales. I promised I would try not to say anything about rain being on the way again as it tends to fall on those possibly less deserving and needy as well as those who probably don't want it at all! There's no escaping that we need a really good downpour especially as so many fish are so far downstream. Nonetheless, on the Wye there are opportunities for anglers, especially in the lower beats. On the Usk, Tywi and others water is needed so the usual routine of visiting the weather websites, gauges etc, applies and, of course, hoping All the best from WUF.