Prospects & General Comments:
When will it stop raining? Friday 6th April, 2018 Just for once the promised rain will miss us today (6th April) but no doubt tomorrow's will hit the target. Almost hourly interrogation of weather forecasts suggest it is unlikely to improve (i.e. continue raining) before the latter part of next week. What to do now and what to do then? Keen and well wrapped up trout fishers can visit the various lakes and reservoirs, the smaller wild streams and tributaries or upper sections of the main Usk and Wye. We are at least seeing a few hatches of March browns and large dark olives.
In the short term, salmon fishers should keep an eye out for any opportunity that may arise between spates. Tomorrow (Saturday) may be one and although it will be raining, the rivers will hopefully not start to rise until Sunday. If you are new to fishing the Wye or Usk we have a wash off policy available on most beats. This means that you can feel confident in booking but know that if fishing is impossible on the day, you will get another one in lieu.
Season Rods
When it does come right, to avoid any scramble for fishing it may be worth considering our two newest season rod fisheries: Ty Newydd and Abernant ( click here for details for all season rods). As with some other upper Wye beats, a season rod allows you access on any day you choose to fit in with water conditions. Both have excellent trout and grayling fishing but haven't been fished for salmon that much recently. Day tickets remain available for these fisheries too.
Meanwhile, on the Usk, the Llanover fishery still has some availability for season rods. This is a fantastic middle river fishery with a resident gillie. In the brief moment when the river dropped enough to fish, it accounted for the first two Usk springers reported to us. The trout fishing at Llanover is first class too.
For trout fishers that enjoy the small streams there are Wild Stream Permits. These give you access to over 85 miles of unspoilt fishing of tremendous variety. The smaller streams usually start fishing at their best from April through to late June, although with snow still on the Black Mountains, this year we're a couple of weeks behind!
Regretfully, neither the Wild Streams Day (run in conjunction with LAFA) in May nor the Tenkara Day in July will take place in 2018. We hope to resurrect both of these events in 2019.
Fishery News
The first Anglesey fishery has joined the Fishing Passport scheme. Llyn Coron is an 80-acre natural stillwater situated on the west coast with the spectacular backdrop of Snowdonia. It is easily accessible with waterside parking and offers fly fishing for wild brown and sea trout.
When water levels settle, this is what could be in wait for you! Dave Roberts with an 18lbs salmon he caught from the Carrots Fishery on the Wye in March

The Llanover fishery on the middle Usk - superb salmon and trout water with its own gillie. A few season rods are still available

Llyn Coron, the first Anglesey fishery to join the Fishing Passport. It offers excellent brown and sea trout fishing on a day ticket
Apart from the volunteer work on the Wild Streams, some other Passport beats have benefitted from improved access. Marsh Court has had new steps put into the bank while the Dean & Chapter and Strangford have also had clearance work.
Foundation staff have also improved access on several Wild Stream beats, including Titley and Whittern on the Arrow and the Knill beat of the Hindwell. These will be well worth a visit once things warm up!
All the best from WUF.


Details of our Projects can be found here.
Click here for anglers' reports and here for monthly fishing reports.
For details of WUF's Consultations, Click here.
EA Emergency Hotline: 0800 80 70 60 NRW Emergency Hotline: 0300 65 3000
Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water Emergency Sewage Line: 0800 085 3968
Rainfall at Llanstephan 2018 to date: 12.5" ('17: 34" '16 : 35" '15: 28", '14: 54", '13: 39", '12: 47", '11: 29")
Bookings and availability Tel: 01874 712 074
This email was sent by The Wye & Usk Foundation.