Feedback & Reports

The brook was very low and although fish were moving in the pools and a good hatch was on, they were very skittish and easily spooked. A couple of takes but no fish landed in the short time I fished. The closest I got was watching the lovely sized fish in the pool by the bridge inn with a pint!

After days of hot sun, the weather finally broke with a thunderstorm in the early hours. We got to the river around 1030 with overcast and alternately muggy and windy conditions. The water was still low, despite the rain, slow and warm (18C). There were very occasional splashes from small fish on the surface but nothing really feeding - only occasional mayflies coming off the water.
We had absolutely nothing on most of the beat, but weighted nymphs in the fastest parts of the pocket water resulted in six fish on the hook, but only one 10" wbt stayed on long enough to come to hand.
Always a pleasant day in these surroundings, but the river could certainly do with some cooling rain.

1 Trout

I chose one of the more wetter days of the week with clouds and mist hanging over the small valley where the Upper Grywne Fawr runs through. Nice little beat with plenty of small pools and fast streams where I mostly tried the nymph and a small green gold head streamer but no luck between 11am and 1pm. The weather didn't improved much so I didn't bother going back for the evening. The trees are really hanging over the water so a '7' or '8' should handle this better then my 10#5 Hardy rod. Beginners in this part of the UK like me are better of fishing in the Usk or Wye or one of the middle Wales rivers. Will have another try in July and read some of the feedback forms from the other enthusiasts where the fish are more easy to trick.

Trout from 6-12 inches on various may fly patterns plus 2 grayling 10-13 inches on size 16GRHE tungsten nymphs.

16 Trout, 2 Grayling

3 x trout 10-13 inches, Monnow Gosling. A real heatwave now in progress and the river very low. I had to fish early due to commitments later in the day, but I found the river looking virtually dead with just the odd mayfly around from the previous afternoon. Having worked halfway up the beat and seen nothing at all, I thought I was probably going to record a blank, but then I came across the odd fish hanging round the in-flow to deeper pools and a big fly was what they wanted. Three caught, one lost, and several missed on the strike. I left around 11....which was probably the right time to arrive, because more mayfly were starting to hatch.

3 Trout

Three fish caught on worm with popup.

3 Trout

Arrived at 6am and fished 'till 9:30am due to the very hot weather forecast.
Started with a CDC Mayfly as there were spent Mayflies in the grass, had two takes but missed them both, the next rising fish refused the Mayfly but took a Griffiths Gnat first offering, the rest of the fish took a traditional style dry/olive pattern.
Very enjoyable few hours stalking rising trout on a glorious early summer morning, finished off with a coffee alfresco at the Bell.

4 Trout

Well I hadn't expected a heatwave when I booked. 27 degrees and bright bright sunshine! Having said that there was more water in the river than in the Severn at Caersws. I'm a novice on this type of river and was glad of the low water level from a wading point of view and it seemed to be a much more slippery exercise than the last time I tried it.
I figured the fish were still there and I clink and dinked it, varying the depth of the nymph as the water depth changed. The grayling was a beauty and one of the trout a joy to catch. Both out of the same run. Hooked a big fish for 2 seconds in the shallow tail of a pool. Showed me its flank and stopped my heart beating. Finished about 4pm. Should have stopped at 2 and come back for the evening. Nothing to compare the fishery to but I thought it was excellent. Thank you.
Stayed at the old vicarage right opposite the beat, pretty much. Well looked after and would recommend. Linda is very used to anglers.

8 Trout, 1 Grayling

( I was on salmon ticket)
The more I use a switch rod the more I love it! Fished down through the main pool with a Bann Special, just in case changed tip and leader and fished back up the river with some dries, changing patterns until the trusty Grey Wulff size 14 invoked an aggressive and acrobatic take from a brownie. 14" fish brought to the net. Immense hatches happening all evening. With a bit of water I can imagine that Bann fly could well pick a fish here with a bit more depth and flow.

1 Trout

Water low but slightly coloured

1 Trout, 1 Grayling