Out tomorrow (I hope....)

[Pross]

Well, I have been hoping all week to get out for a few hours tomorrow and get back for the rugby. My most likely destination was Cwm Hedd trout lakes to try out my new fly rod or Morgans Pond to try for the decent pike that have been showing or, failing that, the neighbouring Woodstock pool which has been producing lots of small carp following a recent re-stocking. However, with the weather it is likely that the two coarse ponds will be frozen while Cwm Hedd may be clear of ice as it is spring fed but the access lanes are likely to be a struggle with the snow. So, my new plan is that I might try the River Monnow at Monmouth for some chub and dace with maybe a bonus pike or grayling or the River Rhymney at Draethen where there are apparently lots of grayling and chub. Never fished either venue before but it would be quite nice taking a few good winter fish on the snowy banks and I should at least get some nice photos!

[..::Pike Pirate::..]

good luck! i hope you get out and fishing despite ice and snow cos i think the views are brilliant! (and the fish )

[Pross]

Yep, we've got about 5 inches of snow here now so the banks should look lovely and the river will still be fishable so looks like I'm going for that now.

[pingu]

have a good one mark

[Norfolkboy]

Best of luck Mark

[Greenheart]

Tight lines Mark. Theres some cracking Chub swims on the free stretch of the Monnow just above the A40 road bridge. Think the river may be up a bit if that snow starts to melt though. Good luck.

[Pross]

Well, I got out for a few hours on the Monnow. Arrived at about 11.45am and took a leisurely stroll down the bank looking for a swim that I could access fairly safely down the snow covered banks. The overnight rain and rising temperature has caused a large amount of the snow to melt but it was still a wonderful sight as I set up my kit



Upstream view



Downstream view

It was my first chance to try my Shakespeare Odyssey match rod and Shimano reel and I was trotting a waggler on 3lb line down the furthest third of the river following some advice in Dave Richards. Bait was maggot and caster on a size 14 hook and my targets were chub and dace although there are also plenty of roach and possibly grayling and barbel in there. I also had my spinning rod with me which was set up to jerk a dead bait through the swim for the double figure pike that regularly attack hooked silver fish.

After a few runs through and a snage which lost me my float I had left the bait hang at the end of the run for a while and, feeling a tug on the rod, tightened up to feel a fish pulling. After a brief fight I brought this lovely fish to the net which weighed in at 9oz and which I think is a dace???



If it is a dace I'll have the forum record please, also my first points for this year's species hunt.

I continued for another hour or two at the same peg and had several bites which I missed and one hook up which I lost very quickly (does anyone have any tips on hooking fish in rivers as I think I was pulling the bait out of their mouths ). Eventually I decided to moved downstream a bit to spend a short time trying for a chub before ending with a quick bash for the pike. However, things started going wrong at this point starting with me snagging my line on a tree walking down, it then started raining and having found myself an accessible peg I snagged the bottom again losing a float. I decided to give up on the float fishing and have half an hour chasing the pike before going home to catch the second half of the rugby only to discover my bait had fallen out of my bag. So, increasingly wet and fed up I packed up and went home to watch the rugby only to wish I'd stayed getting drenched on the river bank......

Overall it was a really enjoyable day out and it was nice to wet a line again after 3 months. It was only my second attempt at river fishing in over 20 years and my first course fish from a river ever having only previously fly fished on the Usk and for me it was far more enjoyable than bagging up on the banks of an overstocked puddle. Looking forward to getting out again in a couple of weeks, either back to the Monnow or the Rhymney near Caerphilly where I've heard reports of huge bags of grayling, another new species for me.

[baitmaster]

very good report and well done on the dace

tightlines
kevin

[pingu]

great report mark, looks a lovely spot

[Greenheart]

Great report & pics Pross. I,ve fished those very swims, many times myself. Great spot for ledgering or trotting for some good size Chub.