Feedback & Reports

17.15-18.30.Moved from Courtfield. Still heavy rain and river colouring with local sandstone. 1 brown river trout on the small pink silver flying c of around 2lb in shallows behind first croy. Later in shallows between lower 2 croys another fresh silver salmon similar size to the Courtfield one. Hooked it within 2 mtr of rod tip so had to let line out fast! Both fish released in water. By 18.15 river very coloured and rising fast around the (2nd) swans nest on the island.
Not a bad 3hrs, much better than watching rain run down windows, river to myself and no canoes.
You need patience to fish the Wye and hang in when the going gets tough but the good days produce exceptional memories to last a lifetime as those of us who have the pleasure of fishing it regularly have come to know and treasure.

Two fresh salmon caught and one darker fish missed on barbless size 8 bann shrimp. Saw a large salmon in high teens head and tail about 30 yards below the beat far bank in the run and another straight across from the lower crib. Several shad including 5 pounder. The first salmon was about 8lb caught at the tail of Wyebank run below crib at 8.30pm and 10lb fish caught in bottom pool about 9.10pm.
I saw a small salmon at midday lying on the gravel bar, tail of the run, possibly the fish I caught and another much larger fish lying where the flow angles to the left bank and thought it an opportunity too good to miss with the hectic weekend coming up.
7 salmon seen today and caught two makes it one of my best days sightings on Wyebank for many a year. Bloom not too bad today just a tint and visbility good for both fish and fisherman. The last two days have not been too bad for canoes so it may be jammed over the weekend!

Very hot and sunny Sunday afternoon and the world and his wife were on the river, but it is amazing how quickly everyone disappeared! By about five when the river started to look good again I had it back to myself. Wyebank is a lovely bit of fly water and a joy to fish even with my limited casting ability. No fish seen but did have a good put towards the bottom of the beat. Saw the biggest hatch of olives I've ever seen!

Fly fishing midday Thursday 21st with size 8 barbless double cascade I hooked a 12lb fish in the wharf pool and played it into the wyebank pool before releasing. I was casting from towards the tail of Wyebank run and extending line to fish back into holding lie of wharf pool immediately below the gravel and stone shoal, tail of wyebank run. This lie has now produced around 50 percent of the fish from wyebank since 2004. The river was a trifle high at 1ft2" but fishing brilliantly with the cribs fishing like weirs. Fantastic conditions, lots of mayfly hatching.

High water but running good colour. No fish caught or seen. Heavy canoe traffic in my defense. Thank you WUF.

What can I say, beautiful weather, beautiful part of the World and beautiful River Wye. Having said all that I didn't get much in the way of Fishing done. It's completely my fault, I have experience on Still-Waters and my local Brook here in the Cotswolds but I didn't expect such a Huge River. I was totally out of my comfort zone and literally my depth! My only excuse is there was an awfully large amount of water in there, some of it know doubt running-off my sodden fields at home at home! Met and spoke to "Don", the owner, on the previous day and he was most kind, helpful and pleasant. The outcome was, nothing caught but a fantastic experience gained. If anybody finds two boxes of Flies/Lures on a rock would they please leave them in the Hotel opposite the River, (I think it's called "The Courtfield Hotel"), and I'll pick them up, next time when I return, this time with more preparation and with my Fellow Rod. Many thanks to everybody concerned.

Sadly we cut our visit short as the river ,although falling, was too high !! However it did fall back over our 3 day trip and one can see how wonderful the area is and how much has been done to regenerate the stocks.
I had 3 big tugs but sadly not actually on the line.
Constant canoe trips did not deter our fishing although one or two were a complete pain.
Stories abound in the pubs of the one that got away ...and you should have seen the one caught last week !!!

15lb salmon caught on size 8 double Tosh at approx 0915hrs from bottom pool Wyebank - I was certain there would be fish in the bottom pool, despite it being fished a few times with no takers, and was well rewarded. I waded the wharf pool to find that after owning this water for over 18 years my work to enhance the wharf pool in 1994 was finally showing fruit with a 10 yard slab of yellow limestone bedrock having been cleaned of gravel and stone in last winter's flood, to make a wonderful lie and nearly a foot deeper. As I waded towards the top end of the pool with 4ft of water at 4" plus below summer level, a big 20 plus salmon turned out of the lie and swam slowly away downstream past me. An awesome sight.

Many of the beats booked up, so I defaulted to an as low down the river beat as I could book, and so booked Wyebank. Not fished this beat before and probably wouldn't again on a warm Saturday, with the World and his wife on the water.
River very low, although there is some good fly water on this short beat, the constant flow of canoes over any fish that were present, I think contributed to keeping the fish either very low or in deeper water. Saying that spent nearly all the time on the fly and had two reasonable pulls, but inexplicably I failed to connect with either.
Did 'land' one 6 inch salmon parr which took a liking to my tube fly.

Glorious relaxing day - with usefully cold water (still) but weather, locals, anglers and moving salmon all showing a sunny disposition. None to the (tube) fly, however, but an utterly invaluable time thanks to Don's generous and sympathetic advice. Also, with my being temporarily disabled, this was such an easy, accessible beat, with a continuous run of beautiful streamy fly water. Thanks Seth for the introduction.