Feedback & Reports

Got burnt and now raining most of the day. A long walk to the lower section, had to take most of the gear because of the rain. Plonked in the first swims.
Talked to the nice man in the youth hostel, able to park at end of camping area, saved a few hundred yards.
River still low, feeder-pellet and mag, barbel 6lbs bracket, small chub, eel and silvers.
Take care when driving down to the youth hostel, lots of deer on the way back 20+.

1 Barbel, 2 Chub, 10 Other

Very difficult fishing compared to recent visits to Home Beat. No joy in prolific swims such as Swan Crib and Island Pool, so fished the cattle drink opposite the Legg Crib on the Courtfield bank. I took four barbel from this swim between 6-8lbs 6oz in the afternoon. Will fish Courtfield on next visit to explore this section of river more as access to banks is not so limited. 3 salmon seen in Ferry Pool around 7:00pm, all doubles.

4 Barbel

After arriving at the venue half asleep at first light and promptly backing the car over both landing nets and ground bait, I had a feeling the day was not going to go well... happy to say i was wrong. Conditions were great and the barbel were ready & waiting. The constant army of canoes to be expected on a Sunday were no trouble at all, apart from 2 Sunday drivers who ran straight into our lines. To be fair they put up a great fight on light tackle so I've added them to our catch list.
The only downside to a very fine day was the limited access to the river. Having read previous reports, I was prepared for a bit of jungle warfare & not afraid to get stuck in but i'm afraid to say there was a lot more walking done than fishing here today. Undergrowth & nettles can be dealt with, but a large part of this fishery is overhanging trees & bushes that are impossible to fish through. The only really available water is mid beat along the pumping station but this seemed very slow & deep and didn't produce anything - except for one small pellet munching pike. The top section, despite having better looking fast water, was again overgrown & had several people fishing it from the far bank anyway...so we fished predominantly in the first available swim at the end of the beat upstream of the island, and after walking the whole stretch ended up back where we started to see the day out. Not surprisingly, the fish were by then a bit offended after being molested for most of the day...so 8 barbel to 9lbs and 3 chub including a real fatso of 6.25 lbs is not to be sniffed at, but it could have been a lot more and I guess this new fishery will improve over time with a bit of effort on the bank. Cheers WUF.

8 Barbel, 3 Chub, 1 Pike, 2 Other

Quite an adventure to the beat. Two barbel within short time of arrival to small hooks and long hook links. Pellet hook bait and pellet feeder. Even after examining the river with a lead I still managed to get snagged. River a little coloured and fantastic. Both fish caught at the bottom of the beat. Enjoyable fishing.

2 Barbel

We had 10-11 fish up to just under 9lb. We were roving up and down the stretch fishing the calmer water off the faster flow as it was difficult to hold bottom. Our bait choice was Barbel Bomb ground bait in feeders, fished with Blitz dumbbell hook baits wrapped in matching paste.
Simple long mono hooklengths with size 10 hooks completed the tactics.
Had a very enjoyable day and we will definitely be back soon.

11 Barbel

Weather turning with showers and gusty wind, river reasonably clear after recent rain so had potential. Fished several lower swims with no result but managed to find a shoal of barbel later in the day in some faster water who responded well to pellet and hemp in a feeder. Walk to beat and pegs better than expected after reading previous comments, parking etc good. Thanks for a good day WUF.

6 Barbel, 1 Chub

Having read peoples comments about river access we were unsurprised to find little in the way of swims. There are swims at the start and end of the beat (with one or two possible spots in between) but if anglers from the opposite bank (Courtfield or Wyebank beats) are fishing, as they were in our case, it really leaves you with very little in swim choice despite the length of the beat. Much needs to be done to make non-facing swims so you have more choice. There are too many trees and steep banks to try and make your own swims.
Only managed one fish despite our efforts and walking the full beat. Disappointing for what could be a very good part of the Wye. Tips for others would be go light, and stay on your feet and fish where you can. Failing that walk back to your car and fish a more accessible beat!

1 Barbel

River low and clear, fished feeders with hemp and halibut pellet.

1 Chub

All fish were caught early and late in the day. Fished a few swims along the beat but it was the top and bottom sections of the beat with the faster flowing water that produced all the fish. Used Hinders elips barrels with pva bags of elips pellets. Bait droppered every hour with hemp and pellets. I think that once there is a few extra feet of water this will make catches a bit more consistent throughout the beat. Would be nice if swim access from pumping station up to Shut Pool could be improved. On arriving at the Shut Pool/ Swan Pool there was a chap fishing the Bishops Wood bank which was a bit disappointing and unexpected. I have now come to realise you can acquire a day ticket for £5 ! for the Bishops Wood bank.
WUF Note: there are plenty of river Wye fisheries that offer cheaper day tickets. However, angler numbers on these beats are usually unrestricted.

14 Barbel, 1 Chub

14 of the fish caught with 1 rod in the fast flowing
At the start of the beat (waders needed). All fish
caught on halibut and feeders. This is a long walk
and don't like the fact that Courtfield is opposite.

16 Barbel