Feedback & Reports

River running relatively high and a blustery wind made matters interesting. No sign of WBT. All Grayling in very good condition. One my PB of around 1.75 lb. All caught on gold hare nymph. No rises.

4 Grayling

I chose the Honddu because it offered some shelter from the promised south-westerly gale, and that worked out well. The NRW river level at Tafalog was suggesting a decent water level - but it was lying, the river was desperately low and I should have paid attention to the more recent catch returns from the Monnow system. I fished through the whole beat in 4 hours but the only fish I saw were the two small brownies I caught on nymph and the one rise which I missed - despite a decent smattering of sedges and upwings of various types.

2 Trout

Really like this beat and river looked spot on, having fined down after recent rain. Had to wander round to find fish but my mate was catching from the off. He ended up with 12 barbel and a chub, I had 5 and a chub. All barbel between 6lb and 8 and half pound. Very windy but a great last day of our holiday on this beautiful river.

17 Barbel, 2 Chub

River high but falling. CD fished meat and hemp in a feeder while DF fished pellet on straight ledger rig. Three chub fell to the feeder and one to the pellet. CD was getting small twitchy bites so changed to a single swan shot ledger rig and touch legered. This produced a further three chub and some eels. Best chub were about three and a half pounds. A lovely bit of river.

7 Chub, 3 Other

Haven't been here for a little while so thought it about high time and glad I did as the water was bouncing through very nicely indeed, crystal clear and cool! The river bed was in great shape and littered with bugs of all sorts , absolutely loads of micro caddis cases glued to the rocks and some of the biggest stoneflies nymphs I have seen. Slim pickings starting from the bridge, it is quite skinny water here though so never linger and then started to get some interest to the fly as you get to where the big farm house is up on the right side of the hill and then you start to get in to more lovely runs and pots all the way up to the top boundary .
Fished a clown shoe caddis as is a good and very durable fly, just the job for these rough streams and all the fish where in super shape and hard as nails when hooked punching well above their weight , as always, love them.
Biggest maybe would have gone 11" and quite a chubby chap too. Didn't make it all the way up today, two days on the trot on these hill streams meant the old knees where groaning a tad.
I didnt get troubled by any salmon parr, or trout parr too which I thought unusual? Had the good fortune to chat to a WUF electro fish team doing the rounds and doing great work. Spooked a large salmon in one of the pool tails

5 Trout

Sadly, no Barbel to report… Lost loads of gear to snags and end up spending most of my time re-rigging!
Finished the day with 4 Chub but should have done better (given the favourable conditions). Just couldn’t find Barbel!

4 Chub

No salmon caught. Plenty of coloured fish showing though in Vanstone, Corner Tree and Dog hole pools.
Access to the pools was very good. So thanks due to Mick the ghillie for efforts in keeping paths and steps jungle free.

1 Chub

Excellent conditions Friday covering all of the beats. Plenty of Salmon showing on beats 6, 5 and 3 but sadly no takers. A good lift of water followed over the weekend. River now back to a very good height for us and weather forecast is good so we are ever hopeful.

2 Trout

Poor weather conditions, nothing from 10.30am till 5.30pm. We caught everything in the last hour, 3 Rainbow Trout caught on a spinner and one on worm. 2 others came off the spinner.
Roads surrounding the reservoir in dire need of repair, some pot holes would better be described as craters.

4 Trout

Lovely day on the river, but water a bit low. The egret is still around - spotted above the bridge. Lots of birds including Kingfisher and Ravens, but no fish caught. Managed several rises to various flies but no takes. I suspect the rising fish were mainly small and not trout.