Feedback & Reports

14 May, Brecon Town: 20 trout to 15". As you can tell, the silly season is here and they have stocked the water (Abergavenny too, I think). However, a nice brace of wild trout (15" each) included from the Bridge Pool. Again, I am seeing otters in daylight on this water, a pair of young ones this time, frolicking in the willow branches.
16 May, Upper Crai: blank, except for salmon parr.

Just to let you know what a wonderful time I had fishing your roving voucher beat 15 - River Edw on Saturday morning, this is the first time I've fished this river and I was extremely impressed by the amount of life this river holds.

There were lots of trout around every corner obviously sustained by the prolific invertebrate life the river holds, (the amount of Dippers I saw bear testament to this) every stone I lifted was covered in nymphs.

About 12.45pm they decided it was time to hatch and there were masses of upwings coming off, lots of various Olives & Large Brook Duns but no true Mayflies yet.

27 trout in all (biggest 11") mostly between 5"-8" all returned as always.

You can read more with the addition of some pics on my Blog: http://www.micksflyfishingdiary.blogspot.com/

Can't wait to try the other beats out along this river... hence the purchase of another booklet of vouchers!!

A very enjoyable day on a beautiful beat. 18 fish caught, 12 brown trout to 12", six grayling to 16", grayling recovering well from spawning, all carefully returned. Difficult conditions with heavy rain showers and fierce gusts of downstream wind. Fish rising only between showers. A few mayflies hatching but being ignored, rises to olives and black gnats, many fish preferring a pheasant tail just sub-surface.

River low and clear. Weather warm a.m, cold p.m.

18 trout and 4 grayling caught on pheasant tail nymphs, mayflies hatching but none taken on surface.

All trout (bar two) returned. All grayling returned. Largest trout caught 13.5 inches, smallest 9 inches. One salmon seen.

Nothing to declare, but had an enjoyable day, in wonderful surroundings. I shall definately return again.

Several v. small trout caught on small wets.

Two larger healthy fish 1/2 lb caught and returned to Fenni Fach from the pool by the lower gate.

1st time on Usk, Fenni Fach is an especially beautiful beat, good fishing but no sign of larger fish.

21 Brown trout Biggest around 17-18 inches smallest 11 inches.

A days guiding with Frank Williams. Arrived at the river Monnow around 9.00 am to meet Frank. The river was in flood and like hot chocolate. After a wirlwind tour of the rivers I was shown the river Usk at Glan Yr Afon. WOW! After a call to the WUF the beat was secured. What a fantastic days fishing, if a little treacherous to wade at times. We only fished about one third of the available water but with Frank's patient guidance I feel it was really covered well. I did hook one fish that was an absolute whopper and took took what felt like an eternity to get to the net only to be broken of at the last minute.

After a fairly tough few hours, the river came to life at around 11.30 with hatches of sedge and olives. There were swarms of black gnats and a trickle of Yellow Mays. I had a dozen or so decent trout, the best going 2.25 lbs. Fish were caught on spiders and dries. I had to stop at around
4.45 to drive back to London. Fish were rising as I left! I'm sure the evening would've been productive but this is one of the many prices you pay for living in London! The river could do with another 6 inches of water.

I can report just 1 x 14" out of season grayling.
I've come to the conclusion that Wednesday's big slow-moving fish which came off in deep water was a chub - I've seen a monstrous one lying in the same pool.

Well, I'm certainly finding Monnow Valley quite a challenge although I'm learning places to scramble in and out and I may start taking a coil of rope with me . The conclusions I'm drawing is that it contains quite a number of large trout, they aren't fished for that much because they are so hard to get at, therefore if you see one rising and you do manage to present a fly to it, there is a very good chance of a solid take. But, and here's the problem, they all live next to a snag. Not much rising in the cold winds of the 8th, but one which was rising accepted a Tan Klinkhammer, waved a big black tail at me and dived straight under the fallen tree he was lying next to with the rod bent double. Ah me, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all....

Abergavenny Town Water is fishing OK, by the way, when not too cold and windy...I seem to be able to get them to the net there.

No salmon even seen, let alone caught! Five small trout caught and kept one at 1 1/2 lbs. River looking beautiful.
All good things.