THE LARGEST salmon ever recorded swimming up the River Usk has been landed by a local fisherman and is believed to be the largest for 62 years.

Dr Mike Scott, age 53 and a member of Crickhowell and District Angling Society, has been enjoying fishing the past ten years on the river that flows through the Llanover Estate and on Wednesday, September, 14, he and a friend landed a giant specimen that weighed in it at 42lbs and was measured to be 50 inches in length.

Jean Williams, the owner of Sweets Tackle shop in Usk said that she had done some research into the largest catches over the decades and said: "I believe using the information I have obtained over the years and an article published by retired fishery officer Guy Mawle in April this year that Dr Scott's catch is thought to be the heaviest and largest caught in the Usk for 62 years, being beaten by only a pound in 1949.

"We have to go back 100 years to significantly better its weight, and then by only 6lbs, with catches recorded in 1911 and 1913."

Dr Scott said that he learnt to fly fish in his early teens but that the hobby had lain dormant until his 40th birthday, some 13 years ago.

He said: "My best result was seven salmon catches on the Usk in one season and my biggest catch was 23lb prior to last week. I've now caught and released five Salmon so far this year."

Dr Scott describes the river height being about five inches above the normal summer level, caused by sediment flowing downstream from the previous week's floods following the remnants of hurricane Katia, "Leaving the river with the golden colour of a fine peaty whisky," he added.

He then recalled the moment when he realised he had a huge fish at the end of his line and said: "I had already returned a fresh fish of 10lb in weight and when I realised that the fish wriggling at the end of my line was no regular salmon, as it jumped for the first time and 'ran' 60 yards upstream, I called a friend who had a big net to help, but even this was not big enough for the task in hand.

"After I disappeared in plumes of water twice in unsuccessful attempts to seize the fish by its tail, which far exceeded my grip, we declared the only solution was to beach this great fish in the pebbly shallows.

"About a hour later this task was eventually accomplished, enabling us weigh and measure our prized salmon. Naturally photographs were taken before releasing it once it was fully fit to go. It swam off powerfully upstream, back in the direction of the lie where it initially took the fly. Hopefully it will contribute well to the gene pool of the fish breading in the Usk this winter."