Feedback & Reports

Fished from 12pm - 3:45pm
As others have commented this beat is particularly overgrown but it is the slow-pools with tree cover only a few feet above the water that made it so challenging. Towards the top of the beat it opens out and fishing was easier. Some of the pools were deep enough to reach the top of my chest waders (6ft 1")
The Stream was very clear in contrast to the Wye tribs I have fished over the past couple of days.
This session was really of two halves:
From 12pm to 1:30pm I only saw 3 fish, two of which were no more than 4 inches, the third was skulking in the shadows and far from in feeding mode. My thoughts were that the only time I have seen this before was when someone has fished a stream through just before me!
At about 1:15pm I finally found a group of feeding fish half way up the beat. With good cover from foliage I could sight fish which was nice. The first fish came quickly to a GRHE, a nice grayling of about 11 inches.
As nothing else was doing I thought I'd stay and experiment. 6 flies and three more fish later I moved on. Two trout fell to induced takes and a nice grayling of exactly 12 inches, all to a size 12 barbless PTN.
Second half. Moving up the beat and sure enough I could see signs that someone had fished it through just before I got there, with fresh footprints in the margins and flattened nettles where they had entered the water.
However with time to settle down the river was alive again with fish visibly feeding all over the place.
Takes were now regular although the fish were still obviously a bit edgy and the rest of the session was a real pleasure.
All apart from the first grayling came to the PTN and all were returned. The largest trout was 9 inches. I'm sure there are larger fish there but they seem to take longer to recover after being disturbed.

11 Trout, 5 Grayling

18.00 to 21.10 Sharing rod with grand-daughters, one first time fishing. Luncheon meat touch-free-lined with one swan shot and 8 hook with spring to screw bait onto, cast into current from end of bottom crib and let settle just as. Any more weight constant snagging up. All 18 chub could have been clones. I photoed a 1st time angler with her first fish. Weighed just that one and it was 3lb 14oz so all around this weight and in good condition and fought well in current. The other fish was an eel 1lb ish.

Thought we had used a lot of bait only to be later told by grand-daughter that a big black rat has its head in the bait> it was a juvenile mink and the chase along the bank with landing net in hand resembled Laurel and Hardy film with more colourful language!! Despite a limp in its rear RH leg it went under a rock and into river. Never known one come so close, I hope anglers are not feeding them ?!!! or perhaps the limp leg gives the clue to its hunger?.

I have a problem now that both grand-daughters want to go fishing again, never worked so hard without actually hooking a fish myself but happy smiles all round.

The river is now in excellent condition since the short flush through and fish are on the feed, surprised no barbel but perhaps chub were beating them to the bait and pellet and feeder would have caught barbel. Thank you Don and WUF.

18 Chub, 1 Other

River at normal summer level with a touch of colour from weekend rain. Fish fed throughout day and all fish caught on feeder fished pellet. All 11 barbel were in the 6 to 8lb bracket.
Very enjoyable fishing, great scenery. The only slight downside is that the road is so close and there is quite a lot of noise from passing traffic.

11 Barbel, 1 Chub

2 Trout

Nil return.

Lovely days fishing on a fantastic piece of river. Only thing that spoilt the day was the amount of angling litter left on the banks it was terrible, I filled 3 carrier bags with meat tins, hemp tins and empty pellet/ground bait bags. The people who have left the place in such a state should be ashamed to call themselves anglers.

6 Barbel, 4 Chub

Beautiful river to fish. Typical August fishing, warm sunny day and nothing much happening until the evening. One nice brownie of about 10", the rest were in the 4-6" range. Some great glides and pools and another time of the year, this would be a fabulous fishery to be sure.

4 Trout, 1 Grayling

Early start, 2 barbel, biggest 8lbs 4ozs. 5 chub, all on pellet.

2 Barbel, 5 Chub

A lovely stretch of the Wye in breathtaking setting. Arrived at 3pm and mostly fished the section by the Islands and persevered with trotting for a few hours to yield one chub. Then settled into fishing the pellet feeder for a few hours and had 4 barbel to just under 9lbs. Had a really nice chat with Charlie Lodge the beat owner. A very pleasant man. Only saw 3 or 4 canoes and the water was slightly tinged and up a little. Nice afternoon and evening.

4 Barbel

Low and clear. Ledgering.

9 Grayling, 9 Barbel, 5 Chub