Feedback & Reports

Three brown trout (6" - 10") taken on small dry's. Low water small hatch about 8pm.

3 Trout

It was a beautiful day in Hay on Wye so, courtesy of my Wild Streams permit, I decided to spend the evening on the Monnow at Longtown. Sadly the clouds had settled there and rain began to splatter down. The river was still colored after the rain of the last few days. No flies around, no rising fish either. However my small Elk Hair Caddis did the trick and three 8/9 inch trout came up to the fly. All returned.

3 Trout

This really is a magical little bit on the Monnow. Good pub as well, the Crown at Longtown. I didn't hold out much hope given the low water levels, but I've done ok here in the past and thought I'd better give it a go having not fished the Lower Longtown despite having paid for the ticket. The Monnow was also terribly low, but I had some hope when I saw a couple rising to flies in one of only three fishable pools. I hooked 2, both of which got off almost straight away, on a small wet fly. In the next deep pool, again I connected with a good-sized wild brownie, and in the crystal clear waters I could see it was easily a pound plus. Unfortunately, as it approached me and saw the net it had one more shake of the head and it threw the hook! It was a very frustrating moment, given the hot weather, the trek over the fields and generally boiling alive! But it shows what a great stretch this is when you can still hook a beauty in such poor conditions. The beer at the Crown was beyond superb in restorative terms.

A lovely day, water low and clear but enough rising to make it fun. Only one 10" trout brought to hand (and released) but plenty of interest in the dry fly and certainly bigger fish around. The end of the day was marred by someone local or from the campsite (no car) who took their Friday evening on the pool at the top of the beat for free. Sad really when I'd driven an hour or so as I looking forward to trying my luck there.

1 Trout

A lovely stretch of water with plenty of challenging casts and fairly good access to the pools. A few yellow may spinners about but otherwise not a lot of insect life - a quiet day with not much rising. Only two 7" brown trout caught at the end of the day.

2 Trout

Spent most of the day on the river. Conditions were promising but again as per my experience on the previous day on the Lower Escley, blanked again. Only Two rises, and one fish sub surface, but no takers for olive dry or ptn. Being as stealthy as a heron I was expecting some action but still no show. Fantastic scenery though, beats a day at work :-)

Fished from 11.30am to 2pm, several hatches taking place including Mayfly and empty husks floating downstream.
Not many trout showing but small trout feeding under the footbridge. Lovely bright day though morning temperature only 14C.

1 Trout

After fishing Upper I decided to have a go at the Lower whilst I was here and had an hour to spare. Some good fish rising at the bottom end of the beat near the campsite, rose several fish but they were too quick for me (or the other way around) - sun was a bit high and bright and I struggled up until the top end of the beat. Some lovely looking runs that would take a nymph well, no doubt on a rise there are plenty more fish here. At the confluence with the Escley 3 fish rose to the mayfly pattern, great fun. Lovely beat - one of my favourites I think and good for a beginner to the small streams with less cover over your casting shoulder. Highly recommended.

3 Trout

Temperature up, water low. Nothing caught.

Another excellent beat with a great pool at the lower end and two massive deep pots towards the top. In the field with the footbridge there is now a campsite so dogs, kids, plastic rafts and caches of cooling beer were the main things in the river around there. Didn't spoil the fishing. Water was slightly coloured and there were only a few Mayfly coming off. Did well with a cdc emerger at first and later took trout on mayfly patterns. Caught on very nice trout in the faster glide coming into the "red pool" towards the top of the beat.

5 Trout