Feedback & Reports

We arrived early in the morning for our first visit to Wyebank and made our way down to the bottom pool to bait up. The river was clear and very low, we were a little concerned that we might struggle in the conditions. We trotted floating crust for a couple of hours starting from the shallows working our way down to the bottom pool. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Chub most obliging and of a good average size. We landed 13 Chub to 5lb 3oz (PB for me) and most fish were over 4lb. We fished the bottom pool through to about midday and landed 4 small Barbel. Canoes had started to arrive and we decided to leave and come back for an evening session.
Arrived back about 5.30, baited up and went for a pint and returned about 7.00. Fished the bottom pool where we had a fantastic evening session landing 12 Barbel. Some very small ones but also fish of 4lb 8oz, 4lb 11oz, 6lb 12oz and the last fish of the evening 9lb.
I would like to add that in the build up to fishing at Wyebank I read many of the catch reports from the beginning of the season. For the most part the fishing had been prolific. This however had not stopped a number of people moaning about SMALL BARBEL (surely this is such a positive) the PATH which yes is a little tricky but it is on a river bank which through the winter I suspect is in many places under water, this obviously makes it very difficult to maintain. CANOEISTS, they have a right to the river as well, we avoided the peak times but found those we encountered to do there best to avoid us and all were polite. It is a privilege to fish the River Wye and I would like to thank the WUF, keep up the good work.

1 Trout, 16 Barbel, 17 Chub

Sadly, my fishing partner was unable to make it with me so I had the pool to myself. Water was very coloured, but the roach seemed to like my sweetcorn even though it was offered to their larger cousins who I had seen cruising aimlessly through the shallow waters. A change to 15mm pellet in the afternoon brought a beautiful unmarked mirror carp of about 18/20 pounds to the net and my day was complete.

7 Other

Fished from 2pm to 6pm. 2 brown trout taken on wet fly, grayling on dry, just up from the downstream weir. Other takes in a couple of deeper pools around the middle of the beat, but they were too quick for me!

2 Trout, 1 Grayling

The trout were definitely on their summer holidays but the cool water from the Elan dam has kept the grayling active. Quality fishing with large fish falling to nymphs and dries. The best two of 19" and 18" took a tan Klinkhammer.

1 Trout, 20 Grayling

Lucky enough to have fished this beat many times over the past 25 years or more. Fish fed first thing in morning and then again in evening. Although river is low if you can find the snags you can still catch, but you may lose a few as I did. Need to stock up on more feeders!

12 Barbel, 4 Chub

Not sure why this fantastic beat isn't fished more. Although there wasn't much water flowing through the river there is still masses of good water in the Escley, long slow deep glides and plenty of good pools. There are also some BIG fish here. I was standing in one stretch just waiting for a particular fish to rise again, and a fish a good foot and a half long very casually swam past me. So, a great day. Took most fish on a small DHE and sedge. There wasn't much fly life about but enough fish rising to keep the day interesting.

10 Trout

Couldn't seem to get any takes even though we tried all likely spots.

Perfect conditions but not a touch all day.

Very quiet, a few very small rising - limited time on water to 3 hours due to another commitment also very early AM so not unusual to see limited action - not fish caught had 2 come to dry fly but very small fish turn away at last moment.

A great day on this stretch of river. Started 0700 hrs found fish @ 1200 hrs then caught till 1530hrs when sun came out & they stopped feeding immediately. Barbel 8lb-2oz & 8lb-7oz, Chub around 4lb-8oz. Trout was a shock on boilie! Thanks to Mr Richards who probably saved me from a coronary with the taxi ride to the river. 1 mink spotted opposite bank.

1 Trout, 2 Barbel, 3 Chub