KEMEYS BEAT

PLEASE BOOK WITH NIGEL OR FRANK BEFORE FISHING  A CATCH RETURN  IS REQUIRED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER FISHING

Anglers are reminded that the may not wade across the river on this beat.   The law states that we can wade to the centre of the river, the median line, but no further.   Although we can wade to the middle of the river we can fish from the centre of the river to either bank.   PLEASE DO NOT CROSS TO THE OTHER BANK AND ANY ANGLER FOUND TO DO SO WILL BE ASKED TO EXPLAIN HIS/HER ACTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE.

July 2007

The river is continuing to fish extremely well for salmon, although this perpetual rain is a curse for many people it is a blessing to the salmon angler.   Howard Rubbery caught the salmon pictured on Friday 6th July at 9am, he had fished the 2 previous Fridays and had hooked but lost salmon, so he was a very happy man when he caught this one that weighed 9lbs 12ozs.

Howard Rubbery with his 9lbs 12oz Salmon A sea lice on the tail of Howard,s Salmon looks like a ninja turtle Can you find the salmon in this picture, if you can drop me an email to tell me where you think it is!!!

  

Directions to the fishery

This fishery is situated above Usk town and access to it is from the B4589 between Abergavenny and Usk, signposted as "Kemeys Commander ¼ mile". A tarmac lane leads to Lower House Farm and parking is only allowed in the lay-by on the road leading to the farm. NO VEHICLE IS ALLOWED PAST THE NOTICE DISPLAYED IN THE LANE. This fishery is 1070 yards along on the left-hand bank looking downstream. The beat is approached on the public right of way from the farm and at its junction with the riverbank. The angler may fish two whole fields up-river to the wood, and a field and a half down-river to the large clump of willows. There are signs at the extreme ends of the beat facing the angler and no angler may fish past these signs.

The water holds Salmon, Sea Trout, Brown Trout and coarse fish. Only full members of the club can coarse fish this water. The fishery is split into 3 beats for salmon fishing. All fishermen must book to fish this water be it, for Salmon, Trout or Coarse. Booking can be made with Mr Nigel Morgan 01685 377848, or Frank Thompson on 01685 386730.   New Rule for 2007 only 4 trout may be killed in any one day, day ticket anglers are only allowed to kill 2 fish

Information about the Fishery

The Association purchased the Kemeys Fishery in June of 1979. We were not a rich Association and had many doubts and fears as the sale progressed. The matter was put to the members and the decision to purchase was taken. The cost was met out of Association funds and grants from the Sports Council, and the then Welsh Water Authority, who gave us an Interest free loan over ten years. It was a turning point for the Association as more Anglers wanted to join as we were now offering Salmon fishing on the river Usk. The Kemeys is an attractive beat in a very rural setting, and well worth the walk from the parking area to the river.

The Fishing:

The Salmon fishing when conditions are right is very good and the average catch since the Association purchased the fishery has been 20 per year with some years being exceptional and other years (Dry summers) only producing fish at the very end of the season, with some fish during the early months if conditions are favourable. The average catch on the beat is at present 2004 in the region of 20 fish. This average is low due to some very dry years, 2003 being the last one.

Most Salmon are caught on spinning baits with the Flying C being the favourite.

Those anglers who persistently fly fish for Salmon also have their share with the best flies being Ally Shrimp, Usk Grub, Munroe Killer, and Willy Gunn. The best all round size on a tube or Waddington appears to be one and a half inches, with hook sizes 6 or 8 doubles. Bait fishing is also productive. However the period in which bait fishing is allowed, 16th June to 16th September tends to be the drier months. This means that very often the river is too low for Salmon fishing. Many anglers are now practicing Catch and Release and this is to be encouraged.

Trout Fishing:

This had declined in recent years on the Usk but it has now improved considerably and reports suggest that many more fish are being caught on the fly. There is also a greater tendency towards catch and release and this is helping to improve the trout population.

Wet fly is the best way to fish early in the year and probably until the end of April. After that dry fly fishing comes to it’s own. Flies for wet fly are Greenwells Glory, Partridge and Orange, Iron Blue Dun, Olives, Hares Ear, etc. Many anglers now tend to use nymphs with Olive Nymphs, Pheasant Tail, and Hares Ear proving popular. During the summer evenings good sport can be had on a dry Sedge pattern, Lunns Particular, Tupps Indispensable, and the Pale Watery. Any of these are an excellent choice.

Coarse Fishing:

Only full members of the Association are allowed to coarse fish. The beat used to support a good head of Dace, but like most beats on the Usk the Dace seems to have vanished. There are good Chub on the Kemeys and Barbell are now established down at Usk town water. Who knows they could possibly appear on the Kemeys one day.

 

Martyn Amos with a 9lb Salmon 15lb Salmon landed and returned 15/5/04

MY FIRST SALMON

I went fishing over Kemeys on the 19th of September 2004. This was my first day fishing for salmon. I was accompanied by a very experienced senior angler Steve Lewis. Also fishing with us was Mr John Kinsey and Mr J Meaney who was also on his first salmon fishing trip. The river level was 0.92 and Steve, said that this was a good height and we should catch fish. We started fishing the middle beat, after about one hour John Kinsey said he was going to fish the bottom beat and I asked if I could go with him. It was agreed that we would go down the bottom beat while Steve and John Meaney fished down to meet us.

When we got to the bottom beat John showed me where to cast by and we started fishing. We had been there a little while when I felt a sharp pull on my spinner, I raised my rod and shouted to John that I had one. There was a lot of splashing in the water then I felt my line go slack and the fish had come off. John seemed to think that the fish was of a good size. I was feeling a little sorry for myself and went back up the river to inform the other two of my loss. a I approached the pair I noticed a nice salmon lying on the bank. When I asked who had caught it, I was told that John Meaney had caught his first salmon. This cheered me up and I started fishing just below them. On my second cast I felt another sharp pull on my rod. I shouted `Steve I've got one'. Steve came down the bank to help me play the fish, after a short fight Steve netted the fish for me and congratulated me on catching my first salmon. The salmon was killed and I was over the moon. We weighed the fish and it was just over 5 pounds in weight.

Later in the day John Kinsey lost a salmon but caught a sewin. Steve did not catch anything all day but was happy that both John Meaney and I had caught our first salmon

DANIEL HOWE aged 13

TWENTY YEARS FOR A TWENTY POUNDER

Ever since I was a small child I have been fishing. At first just fishing for trout on the river Taff When I was about 12 years of age my late father introduced my to the art of salmon fishing. During my teenage years I spent most of my weekends fishing for the `king of the river' down in West Wales. At the time the rivers down there were supposed to be the perfect place to catch these fish. I did catch a few fish, the best being l4lbs l0oz. As time went by I found that I had less and less time to enjoy my sport. The trips down west were limited to once or twice a year and my catch rate decreased. I started to lose interest in this great sport and spent my time trout fishing instead. Then in 1997 I joined the committee of M.T.A.A. During this year I was asked to accompany another committee member on a salmon trip over to the Kemeys stretch.

On this first trip my companion caught a fresh run 6lb salmon. I was now back hooked on these magnificent fish. I then started to discover all the salmon waters that the club owns. I was catching one or two every year. The biggest was just under 11lbs. Every year there was a fish over twenty pound caught on the clubs waters and I was starting to think that a fish of this size would elude myself. This changed on October 7th of this year.

A fishing mate; who I introduced to salmon fishing, and I agreed to go over the Kemeys early in the morning. We arrived ~at the car park at about O6.5Ohrs only to find another angler getting ready to go down to the river. We changed and made our way down to the river. As we thought the other angler was fishing the spot we wanted to fish, not put off by this we went to another spot and started fishing. On my second cast my line went tight and I thought I had got stuck in a reed bed [which I knew was there]. Then I felt the fish move. I called my mate, who came up to where I was fishing. I could tell that this fish was of great size by the way that it was fighting. When I managed to get the fish to the surface John was concerned that it would not go in the net. At this point the fish raced back across the river and I had to start playing it again. I was worried how well it was hooked, as I had not really struck when it took. The fish fought very hard, and had 7 or 8 runs off the reel, but after about 12 minuets the fish came over the net and John netted it. The fish was slightly red in colour but could have been taken but I decided to return it to the water. I estimated the fish to be between 20 and 23 pounds in weight. After I returned the fish I then realised that I had waited twenty years for this moment and I did not have a photograph of my biggest fish. I now carry a small camera with me just in case another twenty or bigger appears.

STEVE LEWIS

 

 

 

 

 

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