Feedback & Reports

What a change in weather conditions from the previous few weeks. Greeted by temperatures of 6c and 14c during the day meant that the barbel were not feeding as well as perhaps they should have.
The river had dropped 6 inches from Sunday. Clients caught throughout the day and had a great time. Plenty of canoes, however it doesn't make any difference or stop fish from feeding. A great day again on this beat.

7 Barbel, 3 Chub

A great catch of 17 barbel to 9lb 5oz and 6 chub to 4lb 9oz. All fell to pellet or boilie fished on a running lead. Back in September for another go!

17 Barbel, 6 Chub

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

The river was falling from a flood. It was about 1ft above the summer level and a good colour. Had a fantastic day with a client catching throughout the day. 3 x 8lbers were about the largest and a 5lbs 6oz chub made it a day to remember.
Most of the barbel were 6lbs plus which is a great average size.

16 Barbel, 8 Chub

Barbel to 11lb. Chub to 6lb 12oz. All taken at the far bank on pellets. Over cast most of the day with odd showers.

16 Barbel, 4 Chub

6am to 8am in the morning rain, Lower Courtfield. Wye up a bit last 2 days and freshwater passing through. Spinning a small Mepps hoping for grilse moving upstream before water colours from the heavy rain. No salmonids seen or caught but 1 large chub of around 3 to 4lb and a pike around 7 or 8lb that gave a very good account of itself. Writing this at 2pm, heavy rain all morning. Wye here now coloured and up 6inches in last 3 hours, barbel prospects look excellent for coming week!

1 Chub, 1 Pike

Easy to get to swims. Fish at first peg on pellets in coloured water.

5 Barbel, 7 Chub, 6 Other

18.30 to 21.20. In lower wood area. Not a touch until 20.45 then 4 chub in 2 to 3lb size on h pellet. Very tentative bites and had to up hook size to 8 to connect as suspect pellet covering original size 10 hook. Unusual evening, no canoes, ducks, swans or other wildlife moving but did have 3 mid sized barbel swimming at my feet picking up pellets fallen from swim feeder whilst preparing to cast!!

4 Chub

Was really looking forward to the trip as there had been rain during the previous days and the water level was just starting to rise (not by much) and normally this brings the barbel onto the feed. However something must have happened as they just didn't feed. There was a oil like shimmer on the river surface which I had not seen before.
Having fished this stretch many times over the last few years this was perplexing. It was not the fishery fault as we were getting line bites from fish swimming into the line. Towards the end of the day one 7lb 10oz barbel was landed together with a small chub. Some other anglers came along from another beat and they hadn't had a bite all day! So what was supposed to be perfect conditions didn't deliver. As I say it's not the fishery but something about the river condition!

1 Barbel, 1 Chub, 2 Other

We arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed the day started well had one barbel 7lb 5ozs in the first half hour no more activity in the morning. We left the water at 11am as the canoe traffic was high. After lunch we came back to the water at 2:30pm to find that all the rain in the morning had added colour to the water also the canoe traffic was worse than the morning so did not start fishing till 4pm when things eased somewhat. (I think some canoeist are oblivious to other users of the river as some decided to share there lunch right in front of my son's swim)
I love the stretch and know what it is capable of but will make a mental note to self not to fish at the weekends during the holidays.
The barbel was caught on pellet over loose fed pellet.