Well, I’m yet to post anything regarding the Monnow Social that I attended as I’m still trying to capture in words something that will do the weekend justice…yes, it was that good! A post will be up soon.

So, as a nice come-down to the weekend gone, a spot of Taff was called for.

Arrived to survey the water at Aberfan around 3:30pm, noticed the odd rise here and there. A few LDOs, brown duns and Yellow Mays flitting past at my normal starting spot, and, as usual, all the rises tucked nicely against the far bank in the cool shade.

Weather conditions were a little off perfect due to the cloudless sky, but a beautiful day nonetheless. So, on with my new favourite dry, the deer hair sedge, to try and get a few brownies looking up.

Not the most impressively tied fly in the world, but the fish seem to like it

Second cast saw me into a lovely stocked brown of around 10”. Upon landing the fish, I thought it was well worthy of a quick snap, although on finding the batteries in my camera dead (probably over exerted from the weekend) I then concentrated on getting the trout safely back in the water.

It’s worth pointing out at this point that one of the chest-pack pockets (where I keep my camera and my mobile) was left open due to the removal of my camera. So, as I bent over to release the fish…splosh…yup…my mobile was gently released to its unnatural home of electronic devouring water.

It’s seems to have become a requirement that each season I have to drop a phone into the river Taff. It’s worth pointing out that this is exactly the same place where I dropped my phone last season.

Strange how a weekend away from work, just fishing and socialising with like-minded people can chill you out to the extent of not caring about rather silly material objects.

Okay, so I do regret being so stupid as to leave my pocket open while returning a fish, but, in truth, phones can be replaced. It will cost me money, but, lesson learnt…hopefully.

Onwards upstream saw me catch and release another five fish (all taken on the Deer Hair Sedge), a mixture of wild and stocked, as I worked my way upstream through slow pools, gentle glides and fast runs. All fish ranging from a cracking 11 incher down to a tiny 3 incher.

A lovely day ended around 9:00pm, a pity about the phone (more of a pity the batteries in my camera died, as I was gutted I couldn’t capture the impressive fish for the blog), but a beautiful end to a beautiful weekend.

Monnow Social post and pictures coming soon.

Well, today it’s my birthday…the grand old age of 26…and what better way to spend it than with a weekend fishing and camping! Although according to a few people, I’m now getting old…and I’m not impressed by the fact that I’m supposedly now in my ‘late-twenties’.

I seem to have packed more fishing gear than actual clothes, so I may just have to re-assess my situation!

I’ll soon be on my way (stopping briefly to purchase a few things of the alcoholic nature) and heading up to Hereford…3 days of no computers, no job; just a river, beer, and a shit load of fishing!

Weather forecast isn’t looking bad…although at the moment, the weather outside my window looks horrible…

So…Happy Birthday to me! See you in a few days

This weekend myself and around 10 or so other members of the Fly Fishing Forum will be meeting around the Abergavenny/Hereford area for a weekend fishing the river Monnow.

Even at the expense of friends/family ridicule and jokes for taking part in said event, I honestly can’t wait. A full weekend of fishing, camping, no IT ‘issues’ rearing their ugly heads, no problems; just relaxation, fishing….and maybe a few drinks

At the moment it has been reported that the mayfly are hatching and great sport is being seen. So, for the last few days I’ve been readying my kit and tying every fly that I think may come in useful (because of course, whenever a group of more than ONE angler get together, ‘competition’ usually appears, which of course, can be a good thing).

The only thing that is concerning me regarding the weekend is all this rain we’ve been seeing. The Taff is up by as much as 2ft in a few places, although clarity seems to be clearing…a little! So let’s hope the Monnow is a little better!

Metcheck.com reports light showers for Saturday afternoon and dry all day Sunday…I will be praying! If it comes to the worst and the river is out-of-action, this “bar sized fridge of beer” that I’ve been hearing so much about sounds appealing