Feedback & Reports

Enjoyable early morning start paid off with 2 nice barbel over 5lb in the rain, water rose 2’ and made for challenging conditions

2 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

2 Barbel, 2 Chub

2 Barbel, 10 Chub

3 Barbel

Fished the peg opposite the house. Access down to the swim was pretty difficult as there had been a lot of rain this morning. I appreciate you leaving it natural but some investment could be made to making access alot safer and overall improve the angling experience. Even the addition of a rope would help.

The fishing itself was fantastic. All fish caught on cage feeder just inside the faster flowing water. All barbel in good condition and were well rested before release. Weights ranged from 4-8 pounds.

Fishing Passport Note : The Wye is an SAC and SSSI, meaning the river and its banks are highly protected under law. There are, therefore, strict limits on what can be done to improve access.

10 Barbel, 4 Chub

River level low. Fishmeal groundbait with mixed pellets and hemp in a cage feeder and halibut and robin red 8 to 12 mm pellets as hookbait. Sometimes doubled on a hair or banded.

5 Barbel, 3 Chub

A bit of a disaster for me this beat had to walk down to the beat because a notice on the gate said only 4 wheel drives allowed down until further notice so walked the length of the beat with everything but the kitchen sink found a suitable swim got my rod out but couldn't find my reel I had left it in the car it must be about a mile to where I walked so to go back to the car to get my reel then come back again was not going to happen so decided to Lugg all my gear back a mile up the hill of doom and went home.

Fishing Passport Note : There is a pop up notice altering anglers to information on the track and the need for a 4x4 prior to booking. Apologies if you missed this.

Spectacular day's fishing on this new-to us beat. River was high with good flow and brown in colour. Weather overcast and muggy most of the day. Many more fish than we've enjoyed on the Wye previously and the barbel in particular were much bigger too with a few in the 8-10+lb mark. Most in good condition although a few had one or two lice, some had the odd wound (lamprey bite?) and one with a markedly kinked spine. Most fish fell to feeder and luncheon meat but pellet and bread also successful.

'Other' comprised three eel and one bleak. Eels were in the 18-24" region. Not previously had eels before, thankfully with two of us we were able to de-hook and release each of them, which just leaves the slime to deal with!

Two slight negatives about this beat:
- access road after the seven bar gate is steep and in poor condition as others have commented. We were OK with four-wheel drive as the sign on the gate suggests but the description on Fishing Passport I feel should explicitly say access ONLY by 4x4 until the road is improved/stabilised.
- despite length or river available there are very few useable pegs so we stuck for the most part with the one not far beyond the lower parking spot, opposite the house with car port and garages (Swan Pool?), which also had the best mix of flow rates.
- and I guess I should also mention the high number of canoeists and paddle-boarders...

Fishing Passport Note : There is a pop up notice altering anglers to information about the track and the need for 4x4 prior to booking. 18 swims were strimmed at the start of the season. It is unsurprising that some will become overgrown if unused. It is a wild fishery. There is open navigation of the Wye downstream of Hay on Wye, other river users are inevitable, particularly in the summer months.

9 Barbel, 17 Chub, 4 Other

4 Chub

Bright conditions. River slightly coloured and fast flowing. All chub and most barbel falling to luncheon meat and feeder. Later barbel on pellet and feeder. 4 eels also caught on meat.
A very pleasant days fishing :)

6 Barbel, 12 Chub, 4 Other