Feedback & Reports

14 x trout 6-7 inches, on a Klinkhammer. An afternoon session on this forest brook, having become quite bored during the morning by standing beside a coloured Usk working away at coffee-grinding. After lunch, I figured if I have to stand out in the rain, at least I'll go where I can catch something fairly regularly! And we do seem to have had enough rain at last to bring these little forest streams back into condition a bit. It carried on raining all afternoon, the brook coloured up a bit, but pugnacious little trout seemed quite keen to nail the fly.

Did a check on the beat on Sunday evening - it was low and gin clear. Spotted lots of fish before we left and got a good feeling about the day ahead.
Arrived at 6am, what a difference. Gone was the gin to be replaced by chocolate. My heart sank as we sat up our rods. A whole tree drifted past followed by clumps of weed and branches of all sizes. We started off next to the car park as it still looked fishy, but the debris being washed down made it almost impossible to keep a bait static. Plan B - we went past the orchard to the open field and tried to find slower stretches. 2 hours in Tom (river virgin) hooked into a barbel that got off but it lifted the mood. Half an hour later a shout from Tom - I helped him net his first ever barbel at 6 1/2lb, he was well chuffed. I found a gap between 2 overhanging trees and found chub and dace providing good sport. The largest chub was about 4lb and in good nick. It went dead about 3pm so we went back to the swim we tried in the morning and eventually Darren got a fish - a lovely chub of about 3 1/2lb but he was still mad about missing a brilliant bite that nearly pulled his rod in.
It was about 7.30 and on my last cast I hooked into a barbel. I called it a day after netting an 8 1/2lb fish which fought like mad in the fast water. Could have fished on but had a 4 hour drive back and we thought we'd finish on a high and build up the antisipation for next visit.
Great stretch of river. Will be back and Tom is now no longer a muddy puddle man - it's rivers all the way. Thanks WUF.

1st day of a weeks fishing on the Wye. River quite low and clear but managed 20 Barbel between 3 rods. Best fish around 7lb

3 brown trout, best 12 inches in length. Two caught on a grey mayfly on the point and 1 to a PTN dropper. Wet day and some difficult fishing conditions: terribly overgrown and I had decided not to return until access was improved but glad I went.

Started fishing at 8am (after watching wales beat samoa) with a sinking line and a heavy tube fly. Immediately into a fresh fish of around 8lb which was lost at the net after about 10mins fight in the rock pool. Many fish showing but all went quiet at around 10am. Had to wait until 5pm until the next contact. A good hen fish (returned) taken with a flying condom. A great day on good stretch of river. Thanks Gerry Evans for all the advice. It saved a lot of time and proved productive. I'll certainly fish this beat again

A scant dozen Grayling - mostly small fish but with a few better samples - from a very low and very clear river. The trick was to find the fish - and, with such clear water, they were easy to spot - and then find a fly that would get down to them.

Approx 22 fish between 2 rods mostly barbel to 8lb 4ozs.
The bulk were caught in the early part of the day but odd fish caught off and on all day including as the canoes passed. Canoe traffic lighter now and mostly well behaved with only the odd out of control one causing lines to be hastily retrieved.

What a delightful place to fish. Even the car parking spot would make a grand place for a picnic. Splendid scenery, atmospheric and interesting stretch of river.
River quite low again but still holding a tinge of colour. Drifting weed a nuisance in a couple of swims. Fished four good looking swims without a bite until finding fish in the fifth, and caught 8 barbel in final 2 hours. Best fish was a new pb for the Wye at 9:10 - a lovely deep-bodied specimen.
I dunno which books the Wye barbel read, but the swims they sometimes inhabit don't always conform to expectation!

1 x 15lb Salmon Cock fish coloured safely released. Caught on Ally Shrimp size 10 on little run.
Excellent service from the Foundation, first time on the Wye!

Bright sun shine & a low river meant it was going to be a hard day. Morning - 2 rods fishing top meadow on the island, one on the feeder one on the float. The feeder rod had a nil catch, with plenty of dace and chub on the float. Third rod went roving middle meadow.
1pm - 5pm, 3 rods in middle meadow, one small barbel and 3 chub on pellet for one rod. Lots of small dace, chublets and roach on maggots for the other two rods.
5pm walk back to top meadow, 3 rods in one swim for a chat and coffee thinking of going due to no sign of fish and poor river condisions. 6pm and at last some cloud cover - what a difference. Finished fishing at 8pm with 3 rods casting all over the river taking a total of 20 barbel and 4 chub.

What an end to the day. My best fishing experience ever. Sugwas is a lovely beat - we didnt see a soul all day. Can't wait until How Caple Court next weekend.