Gents, thanks for the replies.
The weekend was, as I mentioned above, a bit(!) of a surprise. I was dragged of to Derbyshire to visit the my wife's sister at short notice. So the only chance of fishing was if I volunteered to take my nephews out to learn to cast and fish.
Believe it or not, my wife suggested that we go to Carsington Water to walk the dog and let our 21 month old boy have a breather before arrival at the sister's. On arrival it was decided that we would hire bikes. You can see how the torture was being layered on!
To cut a long story short, after an hour on a razor blade for a saddle I managed to find somebody who knew a little about the fishing side of things. I asked the usual questions and then popped the one that I knew the answer to already, "Is it worth bringing a novice to at this time of year?" Good lad said; "To be honest no. It is August and the stocking is light...."
I loved the look of the reservoir and the thought of it it only being stocked with browns made a river fisherman feel more at home. I will fish it one day.
So, after a morning spent at Ashbourne Show (highly recommended) we set forth to Alton Manor under brooding skies. Nearly missed the poorly signed turn into it and trusted to luck that that we had found the right doorbell to ring. To be greeted by a blue rinse and a look of "be quick you have interrupted something important." £20, two evening tickets later and a brief "oh, the other lakes are over there" and we were on our way.
First stop the "fishing hut", which would have made a very poor bus shelter blush. Complete with wheelie bin and loads of rubbish strewn around it and further afield but no rod rack (how easy and cheap is it to put a rod rack up?!).
Three others are fishing the main lake of about 2 acres. As we tackled up there was no sign of fish being or having been caught and no sign of fishy activity in the lake, which has a good ripple on it from the reasonable breeze that is cutting up the valley and, more or less, along the length of the water. Rain is threatening and as we make our first casts it begins. But fish begin to rise, some to emegergers, not taking from the surface and others jumping, probably in irritation to some stimuli or other or perhaps sedges. Various goldheads, unweighted wets fished just below the surface, emergers and dries failed to attract even a knock. Fish were rising regularly but not in numbers throughout, to give you heart that there were fish in there but a selection of dry sedges and smaller parachutes and up-wings tempted nothing.
One fish was caught by one of the other fishermen whilst we were there and that was it. The rain came down harder and I decided that the pub was a better bet.
On the way back to the car we spoke to one of the other fishermen, who said; "I wish I had gone to Prestbury (something ?? I think it was). When I first fished here it was good but since then it has got harder and harder". I am happy with hard and, if I lived locally, I would probably go back to "crack it".
But to summarise; the welcome was non existent to poor, not rude but off putting, the litter was very off putting and not a credit to the owners or the fishermen/women that left it there. It was nice to see at least one of the banks unkempt and full of wild flowers (good for terrestrials), full of pheasant poults, a pretty location with at least one bank that would be sheltered in all conditions but not a place to try and get a beginner into a fish.
Thank you Cookie, The Squire and Mogul for your help, if you are ever in Herefordshire/the Marches let me know and I will try to point you in the right direction, especially if you want some river fishing. To find out more see the "Fishing the Monnow" thread on "UK River Updates". We are arranging a social for the end of next May and, if you fancy a change, all tackle (if you need it) can be found etc.
Regards
Rob.
www.monnow.org.uk
Alton Manor Farm
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