Spate · Old Red Sandstone · Monmouthshire / Herefordshire border (Monnow Valley, Wye tributary)

Monnow

Monnow terrain map
Terrain map

The Monnow forms much of the England–Wales border on its way down from the Black Mountains to join the Wye at Monmouth — a smaller, quieter cousin of the rivers it feeds, but one The Field rated among the best trout streams in southern Britain back in 1904.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Poorlive now
Slow going — better windows ahead
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stale fish in low clear water spook easily — pick your hour.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather29°C
WindSW 7 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for atlantic salmon
Welfare risk
22°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for atlantic salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22.3°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Large StoneflyHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Beats · 8 · 3 reaches

The Monnow's day-ticket water runs through the Wye & Usk Foundation's Fishing Passport — two named beats (Monnow Valley, Skenfrith) plus a scatter of small Wild Stream tributary permits upstream. The rest of the river, including the Trothy, is controlled by local clubs (Monmouth & District AS, Gwent AS, Cwmbran AA, Garway Fly Fishers) on a membership-only basis.

Monnow beats — Fishing Passport · 2 beatsDay rods
Monnow Valley, Skenfrith
The 2 beats
Monnow ValleyDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
~1 mile right bank in the lower Monnow, a few miles above Monmouth. Riffle-and-pool water with an excellent mayfly hatch; chub and grayling are also present, with the best coarse fishing at the downstream end.
Fishing Passport, max 3 tickets/day. Catch & release all species, no spinning or lure fishing, no dogs, wash-off biosecurity policy in force. Gravel bed but overgrown banks — chest waders and studs advised. Block booking available (£70.50); Trout full day £23.50; Winter Grayling full day £23.50 (2026 pricing).
SkenfrithDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Just under a mile of double bank, 7–8 miles upstream of Monmouth — some of the most exclusive trout and grayling water in the Wye catchment, with abundant mayfly hatches and the occasional large chub. The Bell at Skenfrith pub sits at the upstream limit.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day, fly only, catch & release all species. Dogs allowed under control. Half-price evening tickets from 1 May (fishing from 5pm). Trout full day £23.50 / evening £11.75; Winter Grayling full day £23.50 (2026 pricing).
Monnow Wild StreamsDay tickets
Ten small tributary permits across the upper Monnow system: Abbey Dore, Chanstone Court, Escley Beat 1, four beats on the Afon Honddu (Half Moon, Lower Henllan, Lower Stanton, Maes y Beran, Pandy — the Black Mountains Honddu near Llanthony, a different river from the Usk's own Honddu tributary), Lower Longtown, and The Dulas.
Monnow club water — membership only · 5 beatsMixed
Monmouth & District AS — River Monnow (Vauxhall Fields), Monmouth & District AS — River Trothy, Gwent Angling Society — River Monnow, Cwmbran AA — River Monnow (Osbaston)…
The 5 beats
Monmouth & District AS — River Monnow (Vauxhall Fields)Members
Monmouth & District Angling Society
Vauxhall Fields stretch in Monmouth town itself — lowland spate water with healthy wild brown trout, grayling in the faster streamy sections, and a mixed coarse population (chub, roach, occasional pike; Wye floods have even washed flatfish in on record).
Members only, no day tickets. Annual membership: Full £65, Concession (65+/disabled) £40, Family £70, Junior £5 (2026 rates). Salmon 3 Mar–17 Oct, trout 3 Mar–30 Sep, coarse (rivers) 16 Jun–14 Mar per club season dates.
Monmouth & District AS — River TrothyMembers
Monmouth & District Angling Society
River Trothy — a separate, small Wye-system river the same club controls near Monmouth: steep, overgrown banks, a strong May/June mayfly hatch, and permanently coloured water that makes for a genuine casting challenge. Club water runs from Jingle Street Bridge down to Dingestow, plus a stretch below Treowen Estate.
Members only — same Monmouth & District AS membership as the Monnow water.
Gwent Angling Society — River MonnowMembers
Gwent Angling Society
About a mile of mixed single/double-bank water on the Monnow holding trout and grayling good enough that members fish it through the winter. Easy wading throughout.
Members only; day tickets available to guests of members only. Part of a wider ~15-mile Gwent AS portfolio also covering the Usk, Wye, Sirhowy, Afon Llynfi and Talybont Reservoir.
Cwmbran AA — River Monnow (Osbaston)Day tickets
Cwmbran Angling Association
Around 1km of single-bank mixed coarse-and-game water just upstream of Osbaston — the same reach where a newly installed fish pass has reopened the Monnow to migratory salmon. Roadside-bank access only.
Day tickets available by phone/Facebook. Annual membership also sold: Adult £40, Junior/Concession £30.
Garway Fly Fishers ClubPrivate
Garway Fly Fishers Club
A substantial private stretch — around 8 miles combined either side of the Bridge Inn at Kentchurch — on what the club calls one of the best trout rivers in the Welsh borders, with strong winter grayling fishing.
Private members' water — upfront joining fee plus annual subscription (on the order of £300 + £325). No day tickets.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Probably above the atlantic salmon safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
Little Avon River
36 km
~22°C
Brown trout · Grayling · Chub
About this water

The Monnow forms much of the England–Wales border on its way down from the Black Mountains to join the Wye at Monmouth — a smaller, quieter cousin of the rivers it feeds, but one The Field rated among the best trout streams in southern Britain back in 1904. It's classic small-stream fishing: gravel riffles, overgrown banks, and a genuine mayfly hatch, with grayling giving it a second season through the winter.

  • Old red sandstone
Why this score · for atlantic salmon
  • Temperature030% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time9015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsGrayling Playbookgrayling tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methods
Booking & contacts