Feedback & Reports

Fished from 6pm until dusk after fishing Monkland in afternoon. Getting chilly in the evening, no insect life and no fish. Nice stretch of river although couldn't find a safe way to fish the weir pool. Any ideas anyone?

3 fish all caught on spinner. One nice brown trout well over a pound and a lovely meal. A Rainbow of around a pound and a half and a larger one nearly 3lb. Good sport. Water is still icy cold making it hard going so looking forward to warmer weather.
Great idea for the £10 ticket. I would buy this if I expected a shorter day or poor conditions. A wonderful venue as always. Will fish at least 20 times this year.

3 Trout

6 rainbow trout caught, 1 returned. 4 between 1 and 1 1/2lbs, 1 around 2 to 1/2lbs. Wet and windy with rough water. Fished off bottom with worm.

6 Trout

Mr R caught a pike 10lbs whilst fishing for salmon and Mr Morris caught a kelt, 33 inches.

1 Pike, 1 Other

After a lengthy chat with D.P. of Rugby on the bankside, having noted a few rises, I decided to have a few casts as the rain set in. Nothing rose to dry LDO patterns, so I opted for a single Beadhead PTN (my red holographic ribbed version) and achieved success within a few casts, with the first of 4 wild browns at approx 10" (I thought was a very good fish for this small brook). The others taken ranged from 4~6".....perfect little specimens. A very pleasing hour and a half's fishing, and my first trout of the season. :-)

4 Trout

Fished Dukes and Hut beats - just a couple of fish seen porpoising in the Pipes mid morning, but nothing felt. Water at around 44 degrees and 3'4" on Colemans gauge (about 1'6" on Fownhope), having come up 4"+ overnight - would be better 8" lower. Fished fast sink tip with 1" yellow / black / pearly tube. Water fairly clear and blue green tinge, except dirtier flow from the Monnow.
Fine warmish morning that deteriorated interrupted by cold fronts and rain mid morning, early afternoon and from 4pm on wards. Saw my first swallows of the season on the Dukes water.

I got Skunked.

Fly fished Wyebank am but no luck. Moved on to Courtfield late morning and fished all the way down from the top of Leg Meadow down to the Willow run with spinner. Only joy was 2 pike from below metal steps. Mid afternoon a large pod of salmon started moving through the Willow run including some very large fish head and tailing. Despite reverting back to the fly I couldn't get any takes so I assume they were just intent on running on the good water.

2 Pike

35" cock salmon from Coleman's ( middle of the river above the rocks) in high water on a Flying C, covered in sea lice, adeptly netted by Joe Cobley (Ghillie) who measured the fish and reported the chart to indicate 16.5lbs.
Later caught a similar length, well mended kelt from the road bridge part of The Dukes, also on a Flying C.

1 Salmon

First time out this season and first time ever on Upper Bigsweir. I have to say that overall I am very impressed with the beat and cannot wait to get back on there with a foot or so off the guage (? - see below). Neither Nathan or I managed to connect, but we saw several very good fresh fish showing in the cockpits,sunken tree and later in Little Stream. The wading was quite easy, but deep in places - once you got into the water (see below)

There are a couple of points would help to turn this into a very nice fishery;
1) Cutting some steps down to the water - ok there are a few ladders, but on the day we were there most looked as if they dropped into 6ft of water! The bankside access is very poor in places and I wouldn't recommend to those who cannot climb.
2) Some bankside clearance would improve casting/fishing lines. Maybe because the water was high this became more obvious, as some of the bushes and general bankside scrub made spey casting impossible
3) I understand the hut is for private/syndicate use, however use of the toilet would have been welcomed (it's a bugger having to head into Monmouth in your waders) - female anglers take note.
4) It would help to have some pool markers and an idea of the ideal heights - there is a gauge in the beat but it doesn't have any meaningful value unless you either know the beat or have some idea of the best heights - could be part of the information sent when booking. (this applies to other beats)
5) The entrance from the road is a bit hairy considering the speed most seem to drive along the A466 - be careful when pulling in or out of the gate.

Lovely to be out on the Wye again and shall be back.

Carl