Feedback & Reports

4 Barbel

2 Barbel, 4 Chub

Good days fishing for the time of year

3 Barbel, 2 Chub

My luck had to run out sometimes. It is January after all :)
A dull drizzly day with real gusty wind but still manageable.
Only manged three nice big chub and pulled out of two on the maggot. Tried pellet too but just really slow going.
River was rising steadily all day with a little debris coming down. I think the river temperature had a lot to do with the hard fishing. Was just over 4 degrees. Still a nice day out and hope for a visit next month when the snow has been and gone.
Got drenched when i packed up as the heavens opened. Home for a hot bath!

3 Chub

Quite a cold day with it only getting up to 4 degrees, really was expecting a few bites from chub.
By midday we had lander 6 barbel between two anglers and then after a long period of activity we managed another 2 barbel and 1 chub.
Was a great day for the time of year.
The river was 0.68 and rising when we started and 0.78 and rising at the end of the day. Possibly why the fish seemed to switch off at midday.
All fish were caught on good old faithful maggots.
A great day overall, saw a kingfisher in the morning and was so quiet all day all you could hear was the birds singing and the trickle of the river.

8 Barbel, 1 Chub

Could not resist another winter visit to this lovely venue. Especially after my last visit the week before and with the level at 0.55m and 5.6 degree water temp, lots of fry still active and warmer weather I had a feeling it was worth another session. I did expect Chub and hopefully the odd Barbel to feed. It was very windy, but not too much trouble. Fished 11am till 4pm. I used open end feeder, plugged with GB and filled with hemp and maggots. After a hook and line change, lighter gauge, i was in. Had two beauties 5-10lb and 5-6lb and the others ranging between 3lb and 4.5lb. My 10 year son came along to watch and he was loving the day out. Chub-tastic he called it. A fabulous winters day fishing on the old maggots

13 Chub

A day off on my birthday allowed me to spend it at this lovely venue. Over 100 Canadian geese keeping me company on a cold frosty day. I only expected Chub to be honest but I managed 2 barbel and a beauty of 9lb 8oz. Cracking birthday present that was. Fished maggot, plugged feeder with maggots and hemp. Very cold day, was happy to have my hand warmers with me as temperature never rose above 2 degrees all day. At the end of the day my landing net froze to the grass - time to go home then for sure! Wonderful day, was still buzzing when I got home.

2 Barbel, 1 Chub

Weather very good, mild and dry. Small barbel 2lb, All chub between 2 1/2 and 4 lb, the grayling a bonus. Thought the barbel would show in the conditions but not at all. Fished first 2 pegs in the right hand field, most the pegs were treacherous as very slippery, Many of the banks had collapsed as a result of the high waters over the last weeks.
Great beat and be back in the spring/ summer

1 Grayling, 1 Barbel, 6 Chub

This was an impromptu birthday outing to test out my new tackle on the Wye's big barbel, but on this occasion non showed, not even a sniff of one. Nevertheless, when you catch 10nr chub ranging from 3lbs to 4.5lbs, with the smallest just a nudge below the 3lb mark, with a +30lbs net of fish, then who can complain. At this time of the year, after periods of cold / frosty nightly weather, whilst the barbel will invariably go AWOL, the chub won't generally let you down.

River level reading of 520mm high at Ross-on-Wye; weather - cloudy all day, but no rain, temperature - 8C, breezy from the north-east.
Fished 2oz Drennan maggot feeder (open-ended), filled red maggots and plugged with pelleted groundbait. Five red maggots on a size 14's hook.

Winter's days like these, catching fish like these in such beautiful, peaceful surroundings, are memorable.

Here's to next year's season.

1 Grayling, 10 Chub