Feedback & Reports

"5 x Troutlets to 6". I don't normally record fish under 6 inches. But so tiny is this forest brook and its fish, that I think special circumstances apply. So, on a Mini-Klinkhammer, 5 little troutlets of which the best pair just made 6 inches. Handsome little chaps, with beautiful cream-coloured leading edges to dark red lower fins.
I have a very soft spot for the Blackpool Brook, because it was here on this beat, some time in the late 1950s when we lived up the hill, that I caught my very first trout - on a Garden Fly of course. It was very beautiful and I seem to remember it as more than 6 inches. Probably the passage of time has enlarged it in my mind. Still, the ledge in a rocky pool from under which it darted is still there, although the alder tree above has gone.
I can also remember talking to an old miner round about then who reckoned that when Howbeech Colliery up the valley was pumping out into the brook, it was much larger, and he used to catch 2 pounders. But perhaps his memory was deceiving him also, or the glass of cider in his hand was improving his recollection. Howbeech Colliery closed in 1926 when the brook flooded into the galleries during the strike and it never re-opened. If you walk upstream a mile or so you can see the efforts made to keep the brook out of subterranean workings.
The nice thing is that this is still as healthy a little stream as you will find anywhere. There is no agricultural land in the catchment, only forest. While fishing today I saw damsels and a few late may-flies dawdling about. At the weekend we took our grand-children for a picnic at Wench ford, just upstream. Turning over a few stones and scooping with muslin nets they found bullheads, numerous stone clinger and agile darter nymphs, lots of shrimp, various caddis grubs and a few corixae in the calmer pools.

Despite the horizontal rain and high winds we had an excellent day. A steady hatch of small olives kept the fish interested for most of the day. Klink & dink worked consistently throughout.

SM - 8 fish 6 - 8". Lost a large fish around the 3lb mark. All returned. PH - 4 fish, 3 of which were around 1.5lb. Also lost several large fish. 1 fish taken.

Lots of rises missed also. Great sport and very glad we braved the conditions

Nil Return. One hooked but lost.

8 barbel between us to 9lb+ on pellets. Drifting weed made fishing difficult.

On arrival at the car park at the bottom of the beat we were greeted by Rudi who gave us a helpful account of what to expect from the fishery.
We spent a long time walking and looking around the beat before deciding where to fish after the worst excesses of canoeists had passed at about 4 o'clock. A nice variety of swims of varying character to choose from.
JM decided on a swim in Leggs Meadow which I had dithered over - and I chose what I thought looked like a classic barbel spot down towards the lower end.
The river was low and in need of rain to get the barbel movng throughout the river.
They didn't show up in my principal swim or the other couple of spots I tried, although I did catch 8 chub to around 4lb. There were salmon jumping regularly and I'm pretty sure I saw 3 different fish.
Meanwhile, JM back in his slower water had done what I fully expected (having rejected the swim myself) and caught a brace of barbel, losing a third. Best fish 8:02. He also spent some time watching and trying to tempt a huge chub which was harrying the fry in front of him.
We both had the pleasure of meeting Don, the fishery owner, who was helpful with advice, very interesting on all aspects of his fishery and the Wye scene in general, and clearly passionate about it all.

12.30pm to 7.30pm – 12 Barbel & 3 Chub. I fished 3 swims, all of the fish were under the 4lb but proved to be great sport nevertheless. The Island Swim is not on the beat map and has vague fishing rights described to me as “For The Local Anglers Only” but with consent of the very friendly Host or Owner you can wade out and fish a deep pool that runs under the trees on the far bank. One angler from last week had tweeted “50 Barbel between 3 of us! One of my greatest angling experiences ever!”

The Wye bank has gone straight into “My Favourites’” Unfortunately I have to mention the Canoes (lots of them). As usual they disappear about 4.30pm

Having booked the beat for two days on first arrival we walked the complete stretch and found that although large sections were not accessible the barbel, in low clear river conditions, were not hard to find. It also became clear that the one of us that had thought to bring chest waders and didn't have an illogical fear of cows was going to have the upper hand. I would say that we were expecting the fishing to be easier than it was and only through changing rigs, baits and swims did we manage to land the dozen or so barbel we had over the weekend. I would suggest traveling light to help over the styles and cover the large areas were there seems no access to the river.

Fished between 15:00 and 18:30 in sunshine following heavy rain. Caught single brown trout, 12" length, nicely coloured. Returned.

A rainy morning gave way to a windy but dry afternoon and the river was up less than a foot with some colour. A slowish start with no chub showing to trotted bread led to the inevitable ledgered pellet with amazing results. Nine barbel and a small chub for me and five barbel for my father in law (I allowed him into my swim to maintain cordial relations!). He had the largest barbel at a smidge under seven pounds with only a couple of them under five. At one point we were both playing large fish at the same time in an inspired extreme fishing type moment! A fantastic day on our first visit to this stretch - we didn't want to go home. Thank you Wye and Usk.

Fished the top area of the beat, amongst kingfishers, ducks and squirrels all day.
Very enjoyable, despite the autumnal conditions.
Had to contend with extremely strong gusts of wind, (white-water waves blowing up-stream for most of the day - I was sure the calendar said July, not November!).
Very grateful for the tree-cover during the worst of the rain, but still got very wet landing three barbel before mid-day.

No sign of fish followed between mid-day and 6:30pm, coinciding with the usual mix of canoeists, some courteous, some less so.
Then hooked five fish between 6:30 and 8:00pm, three of which sped like steam trains into the weed – immense power that I could do nothing about.

So managed to winkle out 5 barbel in total, all caught on pellet –
7lb 1oz, 3lb 6oz, 5lb 4oz, 7lb 12oz and 7lb 4oz
All in good condition, except for a small number of Argulus Foliaceu (freshwater fish lice) on some fish (extra nurturing needed prior to release).

Stopped to watch a deer as I drove back to the main road – the last wildlife encounter of the day. Great to see.

Many thanks to everyone at the WUF - for the clearance work to create the swims, Alyson’s advice on the telephone, and the excellent directions.
1st class as usual.