Feedback & Reports

Last minute booking. Stunning weather. Managed 4 barbel and 4 chub on maggots. There doesn’t seem to be the usual amount of chub as previous years. Still a pleasure to be on the Wye.

1 Trout, 4 Barbel, 4 Chub

Weather was very mild for this time of year, with very little wind. We started on float and persevered until 1pm, the only bite was a trout that acrobatically threw the hook.

Then my fishing partner tried a maggot feeder with instant success, from then on it was pretty regular bites from the chub.

I did try the float over the fish again to see if I could tempt them but they, didn't seem interested in a moving bait.

The surprise barbel came just as the sun hit the horizon.

1 Barbel, 23 Chub

Half day fished , love this place

6 Barbel, 6 Chub

1 Trout

Invited by my old friend Dave Manning to try a day trotting for grayling. I hadn't tried the method for over 15 years but had recently picked up an old Bruce and Walker 12 ft float rod for a song on ebay so was keen to try it out. Most enjoyable day on the picturesque Lypole beat with the water at a lovely height and colour. Dave managed 16 grayling and 7 oos trout, with 14 grayling and 6 trout for me, trotting maggots. Grayling full spectrum size, from a 4" fingerling to about 1.5lbs. Great day. Will return with a fly rod in the trout season.

13 Trout, 30 Grayling

Perfect weather apart from the up stream wind , good day all round

7 Barbel, 3 Chub

1 small pike early in the day.
Although I found Fownhope village ok, it was not that easy to find the parking/river stretch and not easy to establish the boundaries of the permit.

1 Pike

3 Trout

Only popped out for a couple of hours to try a new rod out but to be honest, I think I could still be there and not caught anything! I’ve been out a few times since new year and to say it’s hard going is an understatement. Water very low and clear but beastly seen a fish in 4 visits to various beats, catching the odd one here and there.


Very little sign of life at the moment, let’s hope things improve for the start of the trout season

On arrival, the sun on the clear water allowed me to watch 2 pairs of barbel wallowing in the gravel, clearly very attracted to each other.
Nothing in my bait bag prompted any reaction, they were far more interested in each other than in feeding.
Fascinating to watch them. Kept me entertained for over an hour but overall, a day with no sign of action on the rod tip. An inquisitive pike of 12-15lb paid me a visit as I was leaving, again great to see.
Despite the landing net staying dry it was a restorative day on the river, good to be back after an absence of over a year. Mallards, mergansers, pheasants and wood pigeons kept me company through the day.