Feedback & Reports

Caught on a nymph in the rock pool. Water low. Access to pools downstream of the Rectory nigh on impossible with the bank severely overgrown with vegetation.

1 Trout

2 x trout 13 and 14 inches, Mohican Mayfly. A very difficult afternoon of glaring sunshine during which we tramped the beat searching in vain for a rising fish, although the odd natural mayfly was around. Some cloud drifting in about 5.30 improved the situation slightly. We got two and I think, missed about four. Challenging as only Monnow Valley can be! The owner very kindly asked what we thought about the access? We told him any improvements he can make will be gratefully received.

2 Trout

Hot and bright and water a bit low didn't make for easy fishing. Dog walkers throwing balls into the river and sunbathers all day put the middle section of the river out of action. Still a lovely place to spend a day waving a rod around.

1 Trout

Weather very warm 25C glorious bright sunny day with a light breeze, perhaps not the best fishing conditions but the fishing really was just an excuse for being there today, this beat is simply wonderful, peaceful and secluded. Lots of fly life noted from the outset with all manner of flies coming off from the smallest to the biggest mayflies, nothing in any great numbers today but judging by the shucks in the margins there'd been quite a hatch of mayflies over the past week or two.
You'd have expected fish to be topping everywhere on a stretch of water like this but it was very difficult to find any, eventually I found a fish taking at the head of a small pool which took my fly the instant it touched the water...which I missed! Then I noticed another just up stream which again took my CDC mayfly very quickly, this time I hooked it but it very quickly threw the hook. That was about all the excitement I had until I returned a little while later and caught the fish I missed at the head of the pool, a very pretty little trout of about 8 inches. A very pleasant few hours thank you WUF.

1 Trout

I made the mistake of booking this beat on a sunny day. The best of the fly water is also the most popular with the stick throwing dog walkers, picnicking families who are too busy lighting the barbeque to notice the children killing fry by hurling rocks at them in the margins and, later in the evening, the swimmers.
I was very patient but after a while I just gave up. I won’t be booking this beat again.

Water level very low plus bright sunshine and high temperatures made for a tough couple of hours. Plenty of small Trout seen heading for cover but I managed to tempt 2 of around 6 inches from the deeper pools.

2 Trout

Few rises. Hooked one about 8-9 inches WBT on a mayfly pattern size 14. Nothing after that for few hours. Then switched to nymphing. Hooked a lovely 20" but lost it. Instantly on another cast, caught a superb 25 - 26" WBT on a black GRHE. Hooked few more really good size WBT but i just couldn't net them. All fish safely returned.

2 Trout

Reservoir still brim full. Fished into the gloaming hoping for some sedge activity. Not much of an evening rise after bright sun all day. Two small trout on PTNs

2 Trout

Late evening session after a boiling hot day. Approx 16 trout between 2 anglers. Most taken after 9.30pm. Best fish 1 lb 4oz with a good few 12 - 14 inch fish encountered.

16 Trout

Arrived after a large fry up in the café in the garage up the road about 2.30pm. Fished the deep gutters, around any deep fast water. No salmon seen but picked up four trout, one grayling and a good pike of easily 13 pounds, caught by Mick Pritch. Very few rises and what was seen seemed to be smutting on gnats. Saw a lot of coch-y-bonddu beatles late on so worth having a few patterns handy in the next week. Tight lines.

4 Trout, 1 Grayling, 1 Pike