AS the town which takes its name from the lazy river winding its serpentine way through its centre, it’s only fitting and right that Usk has produced its fair share of legendary fisherman over the years.

When Usk’s town clock was renovated a good few years back, the towering testament to the tyranny of the tick-tock revealed a timely secret during the process. For beneath the clock’s dials, a plaque was found bearing the name L. Sweet, 1932.

A further plaque printed in gold leaf read, "Repainted by L.T. Sweet, Usk - June 1964 - Now 62 I don’t suppose I shall do this next time, but I hope there are still salmon in the river."

Lionel Sweet was an internationally famous Usk fisherman. He was also a local councillor and a highly respected citizen of the town.

As many are aware, one of the oldest retail establishments in Usk is Sweet’s Fishing Tackle shop.

The shop was opened in the 1930s By Harry Powell and then taken over by Usk’s legendary fly fishing champion Lionel Sweet and his wife Molly. Sweet won many fly casting competitions but the pride of place was in Scarborough 1953 when he became European Champion. He held the title for nearly 20 years.

The late Cyril Pearce, who was also a lifelong angler, previously told the Chronicle, “As a kid I used to watch Lionel practice on the river Usk, where he would anchor saucer sized plastic plates 10 yards apart near the far bank and hit them with successive casts from the other side of the river. Such was his tremendous skill. Many showbiz stars of the day such as singer Frankie Vaughn came to Usk for his tuition, and stayed in the Three Salmons Hotel, much to the delight of the local ladies.”

Cyril added, “The shop run by Molly was a huge success, anglers came from far and wide to purchase Molly’s hand tied artificial flies.”

Sweet’s fishing tackle was taken over by Lionel’s assistant, Jean Williams and her husband in 1978, and is still going strong to this day.

Past customers have included Sir Gareth Edwards, Billy Connolly, and Timothy Dalton.

On the banks of the Afon Wysg, there is also one other fisherman whose name has since passed into the stuff of legend, and that is Fred Mosley, also known as the Wizard of Usk.

Mosley died in the early 1960 but during his lifetime he was renowned for his innovative angling. As far back as 1895, young Mosley was regarded as the master of the clear-water worm and during the following 60 years he set a series of almost unbeatable records.

As a teenager, his takes were said to be 50 trout and more a day, but it was as a salmon angler that Mosley made his name.

During a season he would take a total of 130 salmon from the rivers Wye and Usk.

Mosley was once invented by Lord Glanusk to fish for Wales against Ireland and Scotland at Loch Levan. Ever the joker Mosely told all and sundry that Lord Glanusk had officially invited him to fish for Whales.

Mosley was also a big fan of fishing the lake at Nevill Hall which was well stocked with carp back in the day.

During the course of his much sought after angling tuition, Mosley effortlessly glided his way through high society like a natural-born dandy.

Among his many pupils were Lady Violet de Bath - the daughter of Lillie Langtry.

Mosley is famous for taking a lock of Langtry’s hair and using it to create a salmon fly which came to be known as ‘His Majesty’s Favourite.’

Also known as “The Jersey Lily,” Langtry was a household name in the early 1900s. The British-American society beauty and world-famous actress captured the heart of many a man including Prince Louis of Battenburg.

Oscar Wilde was also infatuated with Langtry and praised her beauty in his poem, The New Helen. In the 1920s, when hauled up in her Monaco villa, Lillie had a curious custom of perpetually maintaining an empty seat at her dining table in “memory of dear Oscar.” When one of her guests frowned upon her habit and declared that Wilde was little more than a convicted homosexual, Lillie’s angry retort was, "You fool, you don’t understand. Oscar was a very versatile man".

In 1936 Mosley presented his fishing friend Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn with the salmon fly made from Langtry’s hair. In a wink to the fact that his late brother King Edward VII had conducted a not so secret affair with Langtry, the Prince remarked that the most fitting name for the fly would be, “His Majesty’s Favourite.”

An article in the Fishing Gazette once stated, “Not everyone loved Fred Mosley. some said he caught far too many fish. Others that he was selfish and bought only of his own sport.”

Yet few can deny that the Wizard of Usk was a fiercely flambuoyant character who cast his line into the river of time and waited patiently for history to take the bait.