Today I took the fly rod onto the Monnow hoping to catch a few wild brownies on the dry fly. I have to admit it was all a bit half-hearted, with every cast I made, I kept thinking of the neighbouring Wye, was it low, was it clear, would I be able to spot a few fish! As I cast my dry fly, only to miss a rise, I was not concentrating 100% so I decided to scratch that itch, I wound in the floating line and headed back to the van to take the drive upstream to the Wye.
Any fisherman who has a favourite water will understand the feeling when walking the banks as you visit each swim, memories of previous captures come to mind, each step evoking vivid pictures of red letter days. I stared into the Wye as I walked and through polarised sunglasses I spotted a big chub hugging the over hanging branches of a willow, then below it a flash of a barbel, I stood still and crouched so as not scare the fish. It was another "Wonder of the Wye" there were dozens of barbel, chasing each other in groups of 3's and 4's over the gravelly river bed.
You can just make out the barbel |
A nice Chub in the edge |