Feedback & Reports

Went to Lower Longtown in search of the Mayfly which I found in abundance. Arrived at about 13.00 having been delayed on M40 from London, beautiful day, sunny with cloud. Some Mayfly coming off when I arrived and increased as afternoon went on. A few rising fish, a couple in very pool, as I worked my way up the beat. Fished dry with small May and size 14/16 Grey Wulf. A good number of slashing rises which, frustratingly, I missed. Two 8/10 inch fish and a couple of nice 12 inchers. Probably would have had more luck with Mayfly nymph but had none in my fly box.

4 Trout

A late afternoon session on this favourite beat produced 9 fish fairly rapidly, then all action ceased and despite the amazing amount of fly life on the river, the fish were nowhere to be found. Having decided to call it a day and head off for the Crown inn for some good beer and a fine evening meal, surprisingly caught one more trout on the last cast. Still a favourite beat!

10 Trout

Tenkara klink & dink, first section up from Olchon is a joy to fish easy wading over flat bedrock that would put many a pavement to shame - caught most of 7 wbt here, none very large. Middle section pools met same camping party as mentioned by PL on Saturday, can't really begrudge people enjoying the environment. Lots of fish rising so the trout weren't bothered by campers, more down to inept fishing with an audience - a tree every other cast. Try again another day.
Top section from below footbridge up is hard going over broken bedrock in coloured water, with livestock fences every 20 yds and lots of barbed wire climbing to get around them - holed waders wet leg so gave up before end. Nice beat but access could be a tad less challenging - they're sheep not deer - although I met the couple who farm the middle/top sections on a previous recce & they are nice friendly & interested.

7 Trout

Beautiful morning for fishing, water clear, good height / flow and massive may flies all over the place. Only downside was large number of noisy campers and children playing in one of the better pool series of this beat - perhaps to be expected on a fine bank holiday weekend! Still, small price to pay for a very enjoyable few hours. 1 decent 10" and others all around the 6" mark. Missed several.

4 Trout

Started fishing at 11am and after sitting for half an hour at the first pool from the parking spot saw a fish rising and took him on a winged Greenwell's Glory #16. 9" WBT. Hatches of what looked like March Browns throughout the day with some mayfly. No other fish to hand but many missed takes and 1/2 a dozen shook off. Wonderful sunny day.

1 Trout

Great 4 hours in the morning, water low but nice conditions. Two 6" Browns and a nice but unlooked for Grayling - released in water but looked about a good 1lb fish. Hooked other small Browns but not quick enough on the retrieve and all wriggled free. All on small just sub surface emerger pattern. Very few rising fish - saw half a dozen or so, all within a 1 hour slot.

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

A beautiful, bright afternoon. Fished for a few hours and found four rising fish. Bumped two landed two, 9" and 14". A pruned olive emerger fished in the surface worked for me.

2 Trout

Lovely day tempered by a downstream breeze. Spoke with the sheep farmer whose flocks adjoin the river - he says the grass needs some rain soon to keep growing, I think the Monnow would benefit from a drop as well! Very clear river and quite low now. Slow but steady hatch of olives everywhere but few trout rising, just the little ones. Still, had a good day with a tan Klink and small GRHE combo catching 5 to 12" in the heads of pools and faster runs. Nothing doing in the slow glides or pools.The trout were in good condition.

5 Trout

A tricky day. Lovely weather but not much going on above or below water. Just a few LDOs and the odd March Brown about and only a handful of rises. I had no success nymphing but managed to tempt one 8" wbt with a Parachute Adams, safely returned. Missed another couple of takes. Water levels seem very low for this time of year.

1 Trout

Sunny but cold with water temp about 8C. Nice little stretch of highland stream. Water level fairly low and crystal clear. LDO's coming off but no fish rising. Trout conspicuous by their abscence with a few pulls from the odd deep run/pool but none in the net. Caught a nice out of season Grayling of about 15 inches which took GRH fished deep in one of the pools. Difficult to fish beyond the footbridge two thirds of the way down the beat.

1 Grayling