Feedback & Reports

River rose slowly through the day and was colouring slightly. Wading stick was heavily in use and this beat has some pretty tricky wading with large boulders and deep pits. Not for the faint hearted when the river is pushing through.
Fished 11am to 3.30pm. Not an insect, nor a fish to be seen. Met the owner who had friends fishing at the weekend who did well, but not for me today. Fished my 10' 3WT upstream with a couple of very small bugs on and weighted down with a twist of lead. Top half of beat well tended, but a bit of a scrabble over fallen tree on bottom half. Easy parking and easy access generally. Nice day out, thanks!

Third trip of the winter to this beat. Two takes on nymphs fished klink and dink, bigger fish -about 12"- shook itself free.
Have not been able to find any shoals of grayling on this beat. WUF reports elsewhere on their website show Monnow fish populations have decreased over the last decade. I am beginning to wonder if, at £25 per rod for Skenfrith, one of WUF's other grayling beats might offer better value for money.

1 Grayling

1 Barbel

Tough going, but managed to get 2 Pike, 11lb & 9lb. First fish fell to a float ledgered bluey tail and the second to a suspended sardine.

2 Pike

M.S. South Gloucestershire. First time on here. Rising river all day but running clear. Great beat in a nice part of the world. Did not trouble the fish much despite some advice given. Some olives coming off but not a big hatch. Fish taken on french leader in the middle of the beat. Emerger put across the couple of rising fish I did see but could not tempt them.
1 O.O.S. trout and 2 grayling.

1 Trout, 2 Grayling

2 Grayling

Turned up at the lovely Lyepole beat at about half nine , water was up a bit , only three degrees and overcast . I had checked on the Lugg cam and still a bit zippy for my liking , perhaps down three or four inches on the gauge would be spot on , anyway , French leader tactics again , see if any obliging ladies were keen this morning !!!!!

Seemed an age before I hit into my first fish , really working the water , were I could get in !!!!! Nice little fish , took the gammurus pattern , about ten inches , slipped back in . Second fish ditto in size , again took the gammurus pattern , feisty little fish , but finding them was like trying to find a haystack in a huge pile of needles !!!!!!! . . . . . . . . . . . .

Didn't get another take till after the bridge , one of the sumptuous pools , nice little fish again perhaps eight or nine inches , took the pink beaded shrimp pattern , quickly admired then slipped back in .

Last fish not far from the weir , in deep water again , same stamp as the others nine or ten inches , no big girls showing this morning , which was a shame , still that's fishing hey !!!

A noticeably large amount of otter prints in the fresh mud on some of the inside meanders , nice to see , also a fair few footprints , hopefully not our poacher friends again , perhaps a few "OP LEVIATHAN " boards displayed in various locations may be a deterrent ????? I'm sure WMP will pleased to help out . . . . .

Anyway , a fun three and a half hours , only four small ladies caught , still great fun , although as always in this valley , seems to stay cold all day in Winter . . . .back soon , good fun !

4 Grayling

25 x grayling 8-15 inches, 1 x out of season trout 13 inches, long distance trotting. Rather slow afternoon (although a few rises to large dark olives), but with the air temperature warming, grayling came on to feed hard at dusk.

25 Grayling

Sadly the beat was not accessible as road closed for resurfacing. Rang Don for advice and he let me fish Wyebank instead. Temp not above 5c all day but a nice chub hung itself on the line to make me feel better.

1 Chub

Just couldn't find the fish today but nice to be out on the river.