Feedback & Reports

1 Brown Trout approx 2/3 lb - returned. Caught on a dry Gold Ribbed Hares Ear. Lovely beat, will definitely fish again, but could be improved by clearer access to river.

3 BT c 10". Some good hatches but few fish rising.

No fish caught but a very pleasant day on the river.

Lovely day, 4 nice fish caught 9"-12" fishing duo. All on small bead head nymphs and spiders.

A pleasant day but unfortunately no fish caught.

First visit here in winter. Hoping for a few grayling on trotted maggot. Conditions seemed fine, but only managed a couple of small grayling and a couple of chub.

Had 3 out of season trout up to about 3/4 of lb. No grayling unfortunately.
Interesting beat with a variety of water including some pretty deep pools that I don't think I was fishing very effectively.
Accessing the water still an issue in the dead of winter. Hate to think what it must be like when the bankside vegetation is high!

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.

The river was in flood, far too swollen. Went walking instead, but a lovely area.

Beautiful river, but access was very challenging. Could only get in at 7 different areas, the rest was completely overgrown. My advice would be to leave your best clothing in the car due to the brambles etc.

One fish lost in the large deep pool up upstream of the house. 0 caught.

Worth a trip due to fantastic scenery, but take a chainsaw along if you've got one!!!!!