Feedback & Reports

26 May, Dan y Warren: 10 small trout to 12 inches, spiders. The occasional yellow may and true mayfly hatching off. I rather liked this one - it's only really one pool, but a good pool and a fish nursery at that. There are some better ones in the deep water where the Grwyne Fawr comes in, but my attempt at deception failed. Nice place for a bottle of wine and picnic one evening.

28th May, Cilwych: blank. Spoiled by high water - at least that's my excuse. Nothing much hatching. There must be large trout in the gutter, but I would like to see them rising.

Another magical day on a magical beat. Had 3 fish between 8 and 15 inches by 11am all but one on beaded PTN. Mayfly started to appear around 11 ish but fish didn't seem too interested until about 1.30ish when I had a mad half hour and landed another 4 fish on a home tied Mayfly, which is basically a Comparadun tied on 12 l/s with a yellow body! The trout seemed to like it. Best fish I estimate at approx 2lb. Had another 2 fish later on, one on PTN, the other took a Mayfly, grey body this time. Lost 3 during day, one broke me! All fish returned. Total for day 9.

22nd May 2009; Lower Escley. A good mayfly hatch and fish rising freely to them in slightly coloured water. In a few hours and on the bottom third of this beat I caught 10 fish to average 12? the best was 14?. All happily chomping mayflies and very fit. There is some very deep holding water in this stretch and there are some big fish in them that the mayfly will bring up. I know of a 15? wbt caught already.

26th May 2009; Fished the Upper Escley WUF beat this afternoon. There was a sporadic hatch of mays, which is not too surprising given that the substrate up there is not going to suit them that much, along with some turkey browns and the very occasional sedge. A few unidentified olives added to the mix. The fish were not rising enthusiastically to begin with but they were definitely looking up for a #14 para Adams!

In four hours, on one of the prettiest beats on the Monnow, I lost count of the fish I caught but around 25, I guess, and also of those missed or lost. The fish were in the places you would expect them and on a couple of occasions I caught fish on successive casts. I only managed to fish about 2 of the 3 miles of this beat. The average size of the fish was between 11 and 12 inches, one to 13# and three at about 6". The rest were stunningly marked fat peas in a pod.

The Escley is well worth a look, especially whilst the good water conditions last but, because of its gradient, it fishes well when down to its bones.

22nd Dan-y-warren good hatch mayfly and olive. 1 fish ret 23rd Cefn Rhosan Beautiful river and sunny day. Sparse hatch. only managed 1 fish ret 24th Penpont Again perfect day and river. 1 fish ret 25th Dan y parc. Cloudy and windy. Mild hatch olives and mayfly. Good upper beat 2 fish ret. Dead lower beat 26th Gliffaes. Windy and showers. Fished all day with ghillie and 1 fish ret
27 Dinas & Abercynrig- didn't fish.
Many thanks for your help. I'm a novice to rivers - better luck next time - I think I've learnt a lot.

20th May Fenni Fach
high and coloured water and extremely difficult wading but absolutley beutiful. Two browns, 6" on beadhead and 14" 0n dry GRHA, the only rising fish I saw that day.
21st and 22nd May Penpont
Seven browns, two 6" and five arround 12" all on beadhead. There were few fish rising and a difficult downstream wind. This was very easy access water in loveley surroundings.

Can I say a very sincere thank you for your help and attention in all the dealings that we had including the owners of the beats.

Perfect conditions , warm, still, overcast . Unfortunately nobody had told the trout. Caught 2 in the big pool up from the bridge, one in the fast water up buy the church. Caught one in the fastwater at the bottom of the beat. All fish aboyut 10 - 12 inches.

Caught my first salmon must have been 4 inches at least.
Hung around till 8 o clock waiting for a rise, nothing doing. Back tomorrow.

Had hoped to try for Salmon but none showing. Reasonable trout fishing with 5 fish (4 returned) on GHRE, PTN and Bibio

Did not see any salmon, but any caught loads of brownies. Lovely looking water and easier wading (on the whole) than previous beats - although very nearly had to ditch the rod, as thought I'd gone too far and got caught by the current.

On a really warm day I would have expected to see more fly activity on the river but there didn't seem to be much hatching all day. Only saw a few fish rising and targeted these, between us we managed four trout including one real beauty in excess of two pound caught by my fourteen year old son and two grayling up to a pound. The trout were taken on either a klinkhamer or an adams and the grayling on a nymph which was fished when nothing was rising.
An easy river to fish in beautiful surroundings but on the whole a bit dissapoimted as I would have expected to have seen more fish.

Caught - Nil. Beautiful day. Big hatch of flies. More difficult to wade than anticipated.