Feedback & Reports

River rose 2m overnight from yesterdays successes at Middle Hill with large branches, sheds and stray boats bombing past. Consequently fishing was nigh on impossible even if you could find a swim with some slack. Should have brought a beachcaster and some grippa leads! Nothing caught except a baitrunner reel which has cleaned up nicely, shame because one of our party caught a 10lb 13oz barbel here late the previous evening as the water was beginning to rise. Other fishermen and bailiff all very approachable and helpful which was nice and all too rare these days.

Saturday washed out but returned on Sunday. River had dropped enough to fish. 6 browns caught and returned. Great day.

Eleven Barbel caught to 9lb 12oz and two small chub and a very greedy roach with a big mouth! All caught on halibut pellets from the Vanstone area. Red hot day for September but river looking perfect. Didnt see another sole apart from some, generally well behaved, canoeists. Fished from 10ish until 6 when too hungry and tired to carry on and one of our party who blanked was fed up. Stayed at Forest View in Symonds Yat East, very helpful and convenient if a little expensive for a room with no proper shower, although the view from the bedroom window would take some beating anywhere in the world. Directions were ok but didnt see the gate with the combination lock which confused us a little. All in all great service all round and my best days fishing ever so cant say fairer than that! Back asap.

My first ever day on Upper Bigsweir. Very well organised by Wye Usk Foundtion and the beat description, direction and notes were spot on. The beat was well maintained and the owner has done a great job of managing the access and bank.

Nil catch even though conditions were good.

It was disappointing to see how Himalayan Balsam has now become the bank side monoculture - a few nettles left but even these are being squeezed out. A sign of the times!

Arrived to find river fairly low and clear despite the recent rain, but this was soon to change. I decided to fish a swim in the middle section from which i had caught barbel previously. To begin with the flow was so slow that my swimfeeder feeder was barely emptying, but within three hours the flow was such that i was stuggling to hold bottom with 5oz of lead. At one point the river was rising by around a foot every 15 minutes. I did manage 1 barbel of 5lb on pellet before the river became unfishable due to the amount of suspended debris, even in the slacker water. I was not dispondent however, as i had the next 4 days booked on diffrent beats and felt conditions would then be perfect for barbel.

Unusually we all struggled today on Whitehouse. We have fished this beat lots of times before and always managed to catch barbel. The rain further up the river the day before put the fish right off the feed, even though the river didn't start rising till late afternoon we only had 1 small barbel and a few chub between our 4 rods. But it's still a pleasure to fish this wonderful river even in the harder times. Thanks W & U Foundation.

2 grayling on nymph and one on dry. All returned, size 10-12 in. I then tripped and fell in the river so fishing ceased abruptly. On the bright side - the water was lovely in!

No salmon seen or caught despite nice looking water height and clarity until late afternoon, by which time the river had come up to cover "the boards" by several inches - was at 1' 11" by the time I left around 7.00pm - and coloured. Five brown trout caught (by accident) and returned - three of them around the 1 lb mark. Big dog otter playing opposite the hut when I arrived. Water temp 58F, air temp 64F. Lots of opportunities to fall in - one of which I took.

I had one bite during our session on meat, lost it in weed. My mate landed 2 barbel at 7lb each. Lost another 2 to same weed. Enjoyed our time on the Wye. Hope the guys in the blue van did better! Many thanks to the Foundation.

2 Barbel to 6lbs, water had a slight tinge, weather warm and very wet. Swims very slippery, easy going down, not so easy coming up the bank.