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RiverDay ticket

Aberbaiden Beat, River Usk

Aberbaiden is a proper middle-Usk beat near Gilwern, with around 1,200 yards of right-bank fishing. It’s a gravel-and-shale job with pools, trees and cracking wild brown trout water, plus salmon when the river has a bit of push.

Run by Wye and Usk Foundation / The Fishing Passport · checked 12 Oct 2026

River level

River level integration coming for this stretch.

The lowdown

  • You get roughly 1,200 yards of fishing — just under three-quarters of a mile — all on the right bank. The opposite side is Merthyr Angling Alliance water.
  • The Top Pool is the headline swim. It’s described as the best fishing on the beat for both salmon and trout, so it’s well worth giving it proper attention.
  • The riverbed is mainly gravel and shale. Wading is generally easy underfoot, but don’t switch off — there’s deep water in places.
  • A wading staff is recommended. Some access points are steep, and there’s a long walk of about 505 metres from the parking area down to the riverbank.
  • Overhanging trees line parts of the bank, adding a bit of cover and some likely ambush water. Mind the casting room, especially when the river is up.
  • This is fly-only water. The beat offers wild brown trout throughout, while salmon fishing comes into play in medium and high flows.
  • There are up to two salmon rods available per day, although two rods are retained by the house. So, complete exclusivity isn’t guaranteed.
  • Evening fishing starts at 5pm, with half-price evening tickets available from 1 May after 1pm. A bob-on option for a short session if conditions look right.
  • It’s near Aberbaiden and Gilwern, a few miles upstream of Abergavenny. Dogs are allowed, but they need keeping under control.
  • All species are catch and release, and the beat operates a wash-off policy. Check the national fishing byelaws too, then enjoy a tidy bit of Usk water.

Methods: Fly fishing only. Go after the wild brown trout throughout the beat, and look to the salmon when flows are medium or high, especially around the Top Pool.

Access & tickets

Full-day salmon ticket

Up to two salmon rods are available per day. Booking approval required.

£33.50 (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Junior salmon ticket

Junior ticket listed at approximately £16.50–£16.75.

approximately £16.50–£16.75 (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Evening ticket

Half-price evening tickets available from 1 May after 1pm. Evening fishing begins at 5pm.

Half-price (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

Tickets are run through the Wye and Usk Foundation’s Fishing Passport scheme. Salmon, river-trout, junior and evening tickets are listed through the scheme, with half-price evening tickets available from 1 May after 1pm on the fishing day.

Fish the club names

trout

Key rules

  • Fly fishing only.
  • Catch and release applies to all species.
  • The beat operates a wash-off policy.
  • Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control.
  • National fishing byelaws must be followed.
  • All bookings must be approved by the fishery owner.
  • Two rods are retained by the house, so complete exclusivity is not guaranteed.

Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.

GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

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