Feedback & Reports

3 Trout

Difficult day with bright sunshine all day, so no rises until very late on and then the fish were 'out of reach'. Nothing on the numerous nymphs I used either so drew a blank!

One highlight though, which did nothing to help with the fishing, I did have a very close encounter with an Otter, which appeared just behind me as I was sat on the river bank at the top end of the beat. It was less than 12 feet away and obviously hadn't seen me and just trotted into the river, did a barrel roll and a couple of up and downs and was gone, fishing!

3 Trout

A very hot and sunny day. The river was low (as expected) but moving strongly across the shallows. I didn't catch sight of a fish let alone have a bite! But I can think of far worse ways of spending a few hours. I found a pair of sunglasses that are now hanging on the car enclosure.

2 Trout

A lovely few hours on the beat I learned to Flyfish on (I calculated it to be 46 years ago- gulp…). A perfect warm spring day in the Monnow valley. In truth the river was pretty low and had missed the quite substantial rise the Usk had had over the previous few days. I was only able to fish from late morning to mid afternoon and I know from experience the evening would be much better. Anyone fishing over this BH weekend would do well to prioritise 5pm onwards. A trickle of Mayflies was coming off but not in the quantities I know this best produces. Olives, yellow mays and some caddis too. There were a few rising fish which obliged but all under a pound. I know there are (much) bigger ones, not least because I bumped into Monnow guru Patrick Lloyd by The Bell and he showed me the recent photos…. I spent my few hours remembering fishing the beat with my late father and grandfather and countless family picnics and expeditions, and my own son catching a trout there. And I cast dry flies to rising trout on a perfect Spring day on the Monnow. It doesn’t get better.

2 Trout

Fish took a mix of dries and nymphs although insect hatch was very sporadic
However river has recovered well from rain earlier in the week and looked to be in good fettle
Lovely beat

5 Trout

Lost 3, two over 3lb …
Bright sunshine , gin clear water, very few fish seen , even fewer rising/feeding, very spooky fish, all fish hooked went immediately into snags/tree etc

Four small brownies to the net, two on a DHE emerger and two on a nymph fished duo style. I had two offers from one very large fish in some pocket water halfway down the beat, but it was a frustrating day which exposed my lack of skill with the dry fly!

There was a huge midge hatch all day which the fish were fixated on, and despite covering rising fish they refused my offerings. Tried a Proctor's APT, Griffiths Gnat, klinkhammers, and all sorts of emerger patterns, but I don't think I had anything small enough in my box to tempt them.

4 Trout

Fished 3 hours up to dark. 4 shad, 1 chub; all taken on a small black Flying C. No salmon seen.

1 Chub, 4 Other