Feedback & Reports

'Fishing can be accessed from the field on the left' said the directions. There were several and all seemed to be aggressively fenced off close to the riverbank. Eventually, I got tired of searching and climbed over a fence after getting surrounded by some bullocks. It's the last field on the left that you need to go to, currently labelled 'Camping', directly in front of the farmhouse.
Anyway, once I was in the river, I had no choice but to go downstream, seeing as the upstream direction was quite overgrown, with a vey low canopy. I had hoped to get out of the river, walk down the bank and fish my way upstream, back to my car, which was parked at the recommended spot. However, the banks are steep, high and overgrown on this beat. I trudged downstream, obviously spooking any fish that might have been present. At one point there was an accessible bank on the right but it soon petered out, leaving me back in the river. After a mile or so of this, I again found an accessible bank and climbed out, to find myself at the back of a farm. Fortunately, the farmer was charm personified and showed me where I was on the beat map. I thanked him and then trudged the mile or so along the road back to my car.

6 x trout 10-15 inches, on a Dogsbody plus 1 x out of season chub. Not a bad result, but quite hard work on a hot bright afternoon, with very few fish rising and those always seemed to be oncers (except the chub). Still, if you managed to mark the spot, you usually got a take. We will pass over the ones I missed, pricked, and especially the big one which pounced like a tiger on a fly which I inadvertently allowed to drag on a tight line through a crease in the current. It broke the 4lb leader like rotten cotton – a shameful affair. By early evening, with the sun gone down, things began to liven up a bit. Some more mayfly were around and a few more fish began to rise. I would have liked to stay but I was already at risk of missing an important family occasion: to be precise, visiting hospital to meet a new grandchild. (Sorry I was late, Jasper, you will understand when you are older).
Incidentally, I note the access situation at Monnow Valley has been criticised lately in reports. This is an old chestnut. Of course the winter floods have rearranged the banks a bit at Monnow Valley, just like everywhere else, but it doesn’t seem to me to be any better or worse than before. Ladders and posts put in by the management a few years ago have survived. The broken stile hasn’t been mended so, sadly but inevitably, the farmer’s fence has been trampled down. The best way to describe Monnow Valley is the fishing equivalent of rough shooting and it may not be everybody’s cup of tea. It is a bit of a jungle and in fact it’s quite a bit rougher than many of the wild streams. There is a lot of tramping up and down on the edges of ploughed fields to be done. On the other hand it is a challenging and very interesting water to fish, superb with the dry fly and while it doesn’t seem to have a huge head of trout, there are some very fine specimens. It repays a bit of study. When fish are sulky it can be quite difficult but it can also provide a red-letter day. There are areas you can’t reach (which is no bad thing in a wild trout fishery) but a lot which can be covered. A winter grayling ticket is available and this is a good way to get to know the banks when the nettles and weeds have died back.

6 Trout, 1 Chub

Forecast to be the warmest day of the year. Started on the Rock Pool at 5.30am and fished until 10am. Returned at 6.30pm. I continued the hunt for salmon and J, more wisely went for trout. The fish started to rise at 8pm and it became obvious that the larger fish were in the tail of Rock Pool. John landed 3 in quick succession 2 x 1lb and 1 x 1.5lb. He then hooked a much bigger trout (he estimates well over 2lb) but it snagged in the fallen tree opposite. Time for the pub!

3 Trout

Evening time, Wyebank run, midway down (above Wyebank Crib), fantastic 37" plus hen salmon on size 10 double Tosh fished just below surface, taken by rising fish just as line straightened out. Good controlled fight within 25 yards either way of take, worked it to edge after what seemed a long time but was actually, having checked my phone previously couldn't have been much over 10 minutes plus. Managed to tail it in 2ft of water, turning her upside down and dropping my rod butt to get a visual mark above my 3ft scratch showing at least an inch over, pushed out hook with my forked piece of withy and off she went. A very controlled and flukey series of moves. Not dazzling, clean and fresh but very lovely. My biggest fish on fly, and the biggest from Wyebank since 2005 when Prof Basil Jarvis had a good twenty and lost a possible 30 twenty minutes later. A couple of hundred yards of fly water which has produced 5 so far this year all on fly and 3 or more lost. It took me best part of two hours to fish from the steps to the crib, not even half of it. No canoes, no noise, no people. Oh yes, 3 lovely twaite shad and another 2 lost in the process of trying to catch a salmon!

1 Salmon

1 Grayling

4 trout to 10 inches. Some mayfly about but no fishing rising, caught 1 on a dry Mayfly, the rest on nymphs.

4 Trout

High waters made fishing and wading a little difficult. Despite not catching anything we had a relaxing and good day. Thanks for the office for their advice when booking.

Started early to avoid the heat and canoes. They arrived around 9.30am on cue. Water still a tad high with some colour. Caught one shad on a small Cascade at the head of the Vanstone. Saw no Salmon at all.
Walked up to the Cottage pool. Banks now full of summer growth, making access difficult.
The Maddox, Corner and the Vanstone provided the best of the fishing.

1 Other

All but two fish caught on nymph, the odd Mayfly drifting down. Small fiesty fish.

9 Trout

Fished dry fly and nymphs. Beat was very quiet. Hardly saw a fish and didn't catch one.