Feedback & Reports

Sorry I'm a little late with our catch return, I'm afraid my organisation isn't improving! Dave M and I had a most enjoyable if, for me at least,challenging day at Monnow Valley on Weds 19th. Water was high-ish and coloured but dropped and cleared a little during the day. We both started out trotting, deeming the conditions tricky for fly, only managing a trout each by lunch-time. I then switched to fly as my trotting skills are something of a handicap.(To be honest I'm not much better with a fly but better the devil you know!) I waded upstream with a team of deep nymphs in search of the elusive grayling, the deep cold water allowing me to develop a profound sympathy for the plight of brass monkeys in winter conditions. Dave stayed on the lower half of the beat and largely on the bank, which was wise. By sundown I'd managed just two grayling of about 8 and 10oz, both on czech nymphs. Dave M however had 7 chub between 2 and 4.5 lbs and he lost count of the trout that probably numbered 15 and ranged between 12oz and 3lbs!

If this is a true indication of the quality of the trout in the Monnow (not fish from the Wye moving in to spawn) then I'd like to block-book the spring please! In all a most enjoyable day on a lovely looking beat and we'll definitely return in the trout season.

Thank you for a wonderful days fishing at Luggs Mouth - no barbel, but I was rewarded with a 4b 4oz chub. Do I need to enter this in the fish returns?

This was indeed the stretch that Martin Bowler fished - I recognised it from the video on his web site. Truly spectacular surroundings, with glorious autumn tints lit by a clear sunny sky. As the sun set I saw the amazing site of Venus and Jupiter rising together above the horizon, When I described it to my wife she remarked.... "that's why you go fishing!"

I shall definitely be returning.....

Best regards

Lypepole is a lovely spot and a great beat. Unfortunately conditions were against - the water level seemed OK on arrival, but was rising rapidly and becoming very coloured by lunchtime and the rain was getting heavier. Both rods failed to trouble the scorers and retreated, cold and wet, at 2.30ish.

We will be back, without doubt.

Started fishing at 8.15am but the river was rising and beginning to colour and unfortunately by 11.15am it became too difficult to fish(leaf soup).I also lost a big Grayling and another Trout. Never mind i'll wait until floods subside and return to this lovely spot again.

Thanks
G.W.

WUF Notes : 2 Grayling to 12" and 3 out of season Brown Trout to 14"

Fished with a friend this time - his first experience of a Foundation beat. (Hence two rods).

Water cold and coloured, (despite the relatively mild conditions on the day). I started with heightened anticipation as we were returning to the swim where I caught my first barbel (Aug 2008), but it wasn't to be this time. No sign of chub or barbel. Nothing to show for our endeavours until a 4lb Pike late in the afternoon.

The usual spectacular scenery and wildlife still made for a very enjoyable day (kingfishers, buzzards etc). Will definitely use the Foundation Booking System again - very convenient (especially when work always gets in the way and limits one's time for fishing).

As usual we had a terrific days fishing on this beautiful river in all its autumn glory. We shared a catch of 35 hard fighting Grayling many of which were over 1lb 8oz with several close to 2lb. Also, and I know it sounds corny, but you should have seen the ones that got away! We'll be back!!

Thanks for excellent presentations on Severn Barrage Engineering, Environmental & Political issues. All three speakers seemed to be approaching the issue from an angle that we game anglers could empathise with, although I suspect that if politics are allowed to overule logic we will all be taking our holidays in Scotland/Iceland/Norway! I was particularly interested in the first speakers presentation(John Lawson).

I assume that as the subject ran on the subject of water resources and the real meat of an AGM, the foundations annual report, will be the subject of a follow up meeting?

Rod One. 5 Grayling 10oz to 20oz plus one Grayling of 2lb2oz all on trotted maggot size 14 hook with 2 maggot combination of one red plus one yellow.

Rod Two. 12 medium sized Grayling all from one 4ft deep swim trotting with 14 hook and double maggot. Tried nymphing in morning with no result.

Very enjoyable part cloudy day, maybe 4 to 6 inches of excess water but very clear.

Thanks to all at Foundation.

I had two guests with me on the Cammarch Hotel water last Saturday ? R.E. and L.D. of Total Fly-Fishing - who are both sewin fanatics but not really used to grayling and who have never fished the Irfon before. It turned out to be a harder day than I expected with falling temperatures and little sun as a front came over, so that almost nothing was rising. Apart from some nice out of season trout, we had just 10 grayling between us, nearly all taken on the bottom with various bugging methods. That?s a modest bag for this river. But what I would like to report was the remarkable average size and condition of the fish. The smallest was 15 inches, most of the rest around 17 inches and one really superb looking deep fish of 18 inches. I should have some of Lyn?s photos later. There is nowhere quite like the Irfon.

24th Oct 2008 Conditions challenging. Plenty of flow. River rose steadily throughout the day. Only fish caught were one barbel and one chub, in the late afternoon.

25th Oct 2008 Worse than the (one fish each) day before - neither of us even troubled the scorer!

Although fishing the Wye can be challenging because of the fluctuating water levels, it is never anything less than a pleasure to be able to fish such beautiful and secluded stretches of river, in lovely countryside. We had very reasonable weather for the time of year, and although the 2 days we fished were a struggle (and bites hard to come by) we might have landed a couple more fish if we hadn?t missed the few bites that we did get! So, we?ll definitely be back next year in another vain attempt to convince ourselves that fishing the Wye successfully is not beyond us. Thanks again to the Foundation, you do a great job.