Feedback & Reports

2 Grayling 20cm.

5 x out of season trout 10-13 inches, 3 x chub to 2.5 pounds, 2 x grayling 6-14 inches, trotting. I'm always fond of Monnow Valley for spring trout fishing, despite all the criticism about the access. In the spring, it's mainly a matter of looking for rising fish. And as Monnow Valley is relatively close to home, every winter I get this hopeful idea of catching a nice bag of grayling there. It's quite a few years now since this plan worked out, at least more than a handful...although the grayling must be gathering somewhere in there. But on this day the trout (which are still in superb condition) seemed to be dominating the upper part of the beat and chub were to the fore in the lower part. Just one nice grayling caught at 14 inches, with that special Monnow silver-blue colour to it, which cheered me up, plus a little 6 inch grayling parr to give hope for the future. It was not quite the day I planned, but a very enjoyable one all the same. And so warm! It was 15 degrees and almost like a summer evening as the light faded at 4.30 this afternoon. Altogether it has been a strange up and down week for autumn temperatures. On Wednesday, I felt really cold standing in the upper Wye on a wintry day of cold fog and high water. On Tuesday, I watched a client catching Irfon grayling with a dry fly.

One point on the Monnow Valley access: The stile on the first field fence above the mill house has been broken all year. Undergrowth and crowding trees are a feature of this beat and a lot of it can be pushed through with a bit of care, but we don't want to be trampling down farmer's wire fences - or tearing our waders - just to make our way along the bank. The fishery owner needs to attend to this. Also, thanks to the farmer on the upper part of the beat for not planting his winter wheat right up to the bank - a sensible path has been left this time.

Thankfully the wind that was forecast yesterday did not arrive and, with the air temperature at 13 degrees in early afternoon and none of the usual mid-November feet-numbingly cold water either (water at 9 degrees), it wasn't too surprising to still find some grayling in relatively shallow water. Had nine grayling including three plump 16" fish each of 1.5-1.75lb and six small trout. No olives on the water today but a couple of grayling rose and these, plus another non-riser, were taken on a hare's ear emerger. The rest were taken fishing duo or Czech Nymphing, either on a small skinny pink nymph or a Goldhead HE variant. The dippers warbled on and off throughout the day and sounded pretty much as content as the angler!

Overcast with a light breeze. Fished the west side in the morning. One rod caught a 12" brownie at the northen end, which was returned then a 1.5 lb rainbow - kept. 2nd rod a 2.5 lb rainbow in excellent condition - kept also lost two further rainbows. All caught on meps3 spinners. Continued fishing on the east bank with no further luck. Worrying to find that the toilet block provided at the car park was closed due to recent vandalism, which seems mindless in a quiet and relatively remote lcation.

3 grayling caught - all small. Fish caught on both nympths and dries. River high and coloured. Enjoyable day despite small size of fish.

1 Brown Trout 6". 50+ chub to 8-10" max.

One grayling (12 inch) and one out of season brown trout. The weather was cold and heavily overcast, but dry and still. The river was showing 1ft 4in on the lugg camera and was reasonably clear and falling.
Overall a disappointing day given that the conditions were ok. The beat is generally easy to access except for the lower end weir which is almost impossible to access due to barbed wire on the very old stile. We fished most of the beat but did not connect with any grayling shoals - perhaps next time!

We came in search of grayling...we found The Garren running clear but sadly found no grayling! However the weir pool provided great sport with chub coming to the goldhead nymphs with alacrity.
The final tally of the day was one 4" WBT and each rod had 50+ chub in the 6" to 10" range.

3 Barbel from 4 to 6 lbs, 2 Chub around the 2 lb mark.

After the previous day's success (with Oliver Burch) we fished the lower beat and, later, the same spots on the middle beat we had fished the previous day - all with
hardly a sign of fish apart from two takes on a fly.