EVERY week since the New Year seems to have brought a new set of weather conditions for Monmouth and District Angling Society (MDAS).

Overnight rises in river levels have left favourite swims inaccessible and bank conditions dangerous. Only the extreme cold in the wind has remained constant.

On the afternoon of Monday 9th February MDAS member Barry Jones took advantage of improved conditions on the Monnow at Vauxhall, and landed a magnificent pike on slow retrieve dead bait fished two feet below a cork float.

The winter fish was in excellent condition, weighed in at 18lbs and was safely returned to the river.

Last summer, while spraying Himalayan Balsam on the Monnow at Vauxhall, retired agency enforcement officer George Woodward reported two very large Pike above the Inglis Bridge and some of the largest chub ever seen on the Monnow.

The return of colder weather later in the month failed to stop member Martin Mumby fishing the Wye at Hadnock, landing a chub over 5 lb on the 14th February and a 7lb barbel the very next day.

Since the New Year, member Joel Flello has likewise made a habit of catching chub to 5lbs on the club's Upper Wye beats and Joel's successes can be viewed on the club's website http://www.monmouthfishing.co.uk">www.monmouthfishing.co.uk.

With the coarse season closing on 14th March there is still time for "the fish of a lifetime" for those hardy enough to brave the cold.

The trout season, which opens on Tuesday 3rd March, will suffer unless the weather warms up as the cold has produced few fly hatches to date, and early season anglers will likely have to fish nymph and low to find their quarry.

One benefit of the cold winter is the likely early budding and flowering of hawthorne hedges and bushes which attract countless black long legged Hawthorne Flies.

These flies are often the cause of the first real rise of the season and are the favourite food in the early spring of our native trout and grayling. We look forward to those warm spring days to come.