Feedback & Reports

9 x trout 10 - 16 inches, on various mayfly patterns. That might seem like a rather slow day for two rods, but doesn't take account of the number of fish, some of them of good size, we rose, missed, turned over or otherwise pulled out of during play! For some reason, it was one of those days when they tended not to stick. It was a grey, murky day, warm and close, and ended with a sharp shower of rain which soaked us. And of course Monnow Valley, overgrown as it is, is always "rough fishing." But what fun it was, and full of incidents. Consider this example: While I'm stood changing my fly on a pool tail, a trout of about a pound and a half suddenly leaps up about a foot from the surface and not more than five yards upstream and neatly takes a mayfly on the wing. Noting that we have just fished and waded through that shallow place, with somewhat trembling hands I tie on the largest Mohican Mayfly I can find in my box and flick it up there. On the third run down, a silver shape comes shimmying up through the slightly coloured water and sucks it down. I set the hook and, as often the case with trout hooked in shallowish water, this one begins a series of high leaps. After the second leap the fish comes off. I am left fishless, but chuckling with sheer delight at the whole game. Monnow magic!

Thank you WUF and Angel Hotel in Abergavenny for helping me overcome my technical problems in getting the directions. Managed to started fishing at 6:30pm on this lovely beat. Various strong hatches all evening of up wings of various sizes and sedge. Caught 5 WBT up to 1.5lbs on x caddis, CDC emerger and lightly dressed Klink patterns. All released. Missed many more.

Caught 1 brown trout approx 1 lb 4oz on a mayfly returned.
A great location will be back again

Fished 12.30 to 18.30 in a Mayfly Hatch which increased from a sporadic trickle to medium heavy by evening. Spinners were also busy laying. The fish tended to hold very close to cover on the banks and ambushed drifting Mayflies at the edge rather than midstream. Caught 17 trout around 12" in size all on dry CDC Mayfly emerger patterns. Events were brought to a halt for about an hour due to a group of youngsters drifting down stream on a raft and in 2 canoes. The fish did return to their stations and resumed feeding after a while however. At least there were no stick throwing dog walkers or poachers as encountered on several other beats though.
A thoroughly enjoyable day despite the interruption and clouds of Mayfly were still in the air when I departed.

Weather was much improved over that of the previous week and the river was running much clearer.
The Mayfly started hatching in ernest at about 4pm.
Total catch 8 fish, best 1.5lb! A great afternoon on a beautiful little river.

Perfect weather , the river was perfect, there was a perfect profusion of flies , my casting was perfect , my sandwiches were perfect , ........................Blanked ! Not an hint do a fish all day not a sniff , nothing zilch !

3 trout 2x6oz 1x12oz. No fish killed.

Perfect day for fishing, alas only 1 WBT about 8" caught. A few fish rising but little interest shown. Caught on Pheasant Tail.

Brown trout: 1 near 2 pounds, 1 near 1 pound, 5 smaller fish. All returned.

1 rainbow caught, good condition. 2LBS