The River Usk was a renowned early-season river for both brown trout and salmon where many would travel from around the world to fish this wonderful river.  One of the aspects of this success particularly for brown trout was the unbelievable hatches of March Brown (r.germanica).  These large flies would emerge normally around the end of March and the beginning of April and the river would come alive with rising trout.

It was a sight to behold and hopefully will be a sight to return again to this wonderful river.  To explain there are steps being taken to try and introduce this native of our river and so the reason for this article.  We want you to help.  Firstly by telling us if you see this insect on the river or tributaries during the coming season. Simply contact us by the website e-mail address and let us know where, when and how many you saw.  To help here are a few pictures by kind permission of Dr C.J.Bennett.

As well as asking you to keep your eyes peeled we would also like information or anecdotal records of when you witnessed these great hatches of yesteryear and also when you remember they had depleted or vanished altogether.

I thank you in anticipation of your support and help in this and hopefully, as a result, we may well enjoy the sight of those magnificent hatches and the trout’s rise to them again.