Feedback & Reports

1 chub landed no other bites all day. Unusually slow for some reason.

Arrived with really easy directions to a really lovely stretch of water, first time on this beat.
Met Don and he said we would struggle today as the river was full of really cold mountain water being washed down. Boy was he right, not one touch or pull all day. Len went piking in the woods later and had a pike on spinner approx 12lb and that was that. We couldnt really rove about as the banks were quite dangerous after the weeks before down pour which Don said the river was nearly up to top of banks. Apart from a fishless day bar one this beat is I think one of the best looking ones weve been on and looking at the reports if you want a Wye double this is the place. Cant wait to return next year.
We also met really nice chap from Fleet who caught one barbel. Nice to put faces to the reports we read.

2 Grayling 20cm.

5 x out of season trout 10-13 inches, 3 x chub to 2.5 pounds, 2 x grayling 6-14 inches, trotting. I'm always fond of Monnow Valley for spring trout fishing, despite all the criticism about the access. In the spring, it's mainly a matter of looking for rising fish. And as Monnow Valley is relatively close to home, every winter I get this hopeful idea of catching a nice bag of grayling there. It's quite a few years now since this plan worked out, at least more than a handful...although the grayling must be gathering somewhere in there. But on this day the trout (which are still in superb condition) seemed to be dominating the upper part of the beat and chub were to the fore in the lower part. Just one nice grayling caught at 14 inches, with that special Monnow silver-blue colour to it, which cheered me up, plus a little 6 inch grayling parr to give hope for the future. It was not quite the day I planned, but a very enjoyable one all the same. And so warm! It was 15 degrees and almost like a summer evening as the light faded at 4.30 this afternoon. Altogether it has been a strange up and down week for autumn temperatures. On Wednesday, I felt really cold standing in the upper Wye on a wintry day of cold fog and high water. On Tuesday, I watched a client catching Irfon grayling with a dry fly.

One point on the Monnow Valley access: The stile on the first field fence above the mill house has been broken all year. Undergrowth and crowding trees are a feature of this beat and a lot of it can be pushed through with a bit of care, but we don't want to be trampling down farmer's wire fences - or tearing our waders - just to make our way along the bank. The fishery owner needs to attend to this. Also, thanks to the farmer on the upper part of the beat for not planting his winter wheat right up to the bank - a sensible path has been left this time.

Finally got to fish the Irfon after being washed off a few weeks ago. The river was much lower than when I last saw it and just a bit of colour, as well as a lot of leaves.
I caught and returned 9 fish in total, 4 grayling and 5 trout. The grayling came to nymphs, either a hot spot czech nymph or a copper headed grey nymph. The fish were in splendid condition, bright silver and with plenty of fight and ranged from 1/2 a pound up to about 1 1/4 lb. They were mainly caught in faster flowing water with the flies well down.

The trout were all 6-8oz and some came enthusiastically to a dry Adams while the remainder were caught whilst nymphing. Not much fly on the water and I didn't see many grayling rises so just fished likely spots. I also saw a large and very coloured salmon at the lower end of the beat, as it porpoised twice as it cruised around the pool.

This is a great stretch of river with plenty of interest in terms of the type of water to fish. Its not always easy to wade to where you want to be, but that just adds to the fascination.

Thankfully the wind that was forecast yesterday did not arrive and, with the air temperature at 13 degrees in early afternoon and none of the usual mid-November feet-numbingly cold water either (water at 9 degrees), it wasn't too surprising to still find some grayling in relatively shallow water. Had nine grayling including three plump 16" fish each of 1.5-1.75lb and six small trout. No olives on the water today but a couple of grayling rose and these, plus another non-riser, were taken on a hare's ear emerger. The rest were taken fishing duo or Czech Nymphing, either on a small skinny pink nymph or a Goldhead HE variant. The dippers warbled on and off throughout the day and sounded pretty much as content as the angler!

Overcast with a light breeze. Fished the west side in the morning. One rod caught a 12" brownie at the northen end, which was returned then a 1.5 lb rainbow - kept. 2nd rod a 2.5 lb rainbow in excellent condition - kept also lost two further rainbows. All caught on meps3 spinners. Continued fishing on the east bank with no further luck. Worrying to find that the toilet block provided at the car park was closed due to recent vandalism, which seems mindless in a quiet and relatively remote lcation.

Another good day on this beat catching 10 grayling and 6 out of season WBT. Spotted about 5 Salmon head and tailing in the deeper pools. Heavy bugs and klinkhammers worked well.

3 grayling caught - all small. Fish caught on both nympths and dries. River high and coloured. Enjoyable day despite small size of fish.

1 Brown Trout 6". 50+ chub to 8-10" max.