Feedback & Reports

7 Barbel, 38 Chub

All barbel caught from the wooded area on feeder fishing tactics.

6 Barbel, 60 Chub

Chub caught in the morning very slow though the day all barbel caught in last 2 hours of light lucky stones being the spot.

4 Barbel, 17 Chub

River was very low and caught most fish on meat, barbel came along as it was getting dark

3 Barbel, 22 Chub

4 Barbel, 12 Chub

Back on my favourite beat and had another great day. Despite some rain, the river is still low but at least it’s cooled off a tad.

I started very early and as I was setting up on the Lucky Stones I was greeted by a stunning rainbow. It was the clearest I’ve ever seen and prompted an impromptu burst of Judy Garlands “Somewhere over the rainbow…” which, annoyingly, then led to an earworm that lasted pretty much all day. (Apologies if you’ve now got it).

Unfortunately, there was only a pot of chub at the end of my rainbow, amounting to 40 plus through the day in many different sizes, shapes and ugliness on various methods (rolling meat, feeder with meat / pellets). The chub monotony was broken in the morning by 1 beautiful bronze barbel, an eel and a gudgeon – a rare catch for me on the Wye and reminded me of many happy days of my childhood spent on the banks of the Black Country canals before they got filled with abandoned shopping trollies, Ford Anglias and dead bodies.

The middle part of the day was very quiet bite wise, so I took a break and enjoyed the entertainment provided by the armada of canoeists who had evidently been sent downstream with the brief on how not to drown but still be an ace buffoon at the same time. They were all very friendly and apologised for any disruption caused, none more so than the grannie and grandad with two grandkids who somehow managed to do a handbrake turn mid river and smash directly into the boulders on the opposite bank, causing all four occupants to violently jerk forwards as the boat hit the rocks. If it had a been a Mini Metro there’d be a whiplash claim.

Headed back around 8.30 before the bats came out to play.

Stunning beat, total tranquility and loads of fish – what more could you want?

1 Barbel, 40 Chub, 2 Other

Fished in the woods. Arriving at 10am, the session started with a bang, 3 barbel in first 3 casts, between 6 and 9lbs. With a clonking bite a chuck, this was going to be an epic day.... Then a group of 4 canoes hoved into view. Two got stuck in the shallows and the passengers got out mid river. One vessel then drifted off on its own. Two others went to rescue. Cue lots of banging, shouting and splashing around. They caused chaos in the stretch for 30 minutes. This pretty much killed the barbel activity.

I persevered and ended up with a fair few good chub and 3 more barbel in the last hour before dark. So on balance a very pleasing day. Especially in the low water conditions.

Two things if you're fishing this area:
1. Take lots of hooks, I lost count of how many were bent on rocks or lost when snagged.
2. Leave well before dark. There are a couple of points in the woods where the "path" really is too close to the edge for a weary angler laden with gear. No-one would hear you scream from down there!

6 Barbel, 21 Chub

Overcast day with a massive temperature drop (bordering on chilly) from the weekend, although the water was still warm. Despite the rain flying around over the last few days, very little of it found its way into the river. Still hopes were highish. 2 fished either side of the lucky stone. Whilst not easy, changes through the day kept fish coming, notably switching from a blocked feeder to a very light bomb which turned the plucks into hitable bites. The barbel were 5, 5 & 1lb. The chub from chublets to 3 1/2. I continued my lucky lucky streak with all 3 barbel meaning Steve was barbless for the third trip in a row. As it was his birthday the day after I prayed for a barbel for him but despite the subsequent arrival of the Virgin Mary (see photograph) it wasn’t to be. Still a very good day.

3 Barbel, 30 Chub

Great maps and directions as usual. Arrived very early just before first light and headed off from the car park to my intended peg "The Lucky Stones" which i had been successful on a previous visit a few years ago. From the feedback although the beat had been very busy over the last few days i was still hoping to find one or two hungry mouths that would still oblige, after concurring the dreaded "heart attack" hill and settled in my nominated peg i realised that id left my specs at home which made tying hooks and threading beads that more difficult, that said somehow i managed. From the off the Chub did not disappoint, however it did go quiet mid morning and with no barbel to speak of i decided to bait the swim with Hemp, small cubes of meat & pellet and made a move slightly upstream, one or two Chub followed but it was slow, so i decided to move yet again into one of the pegs in the field, worst decision id made all day, it was dead!, so i immediately decided to make my way back to the "Lucky Stones" and boy it didn't disappoint, second cast small tap and bang i was into something really big, and school boy error "set your drag before you start fishing" not during a frenetic fight needless to say i lost it, much to my disappointment the hook length parted company, a rock or mussel who knows? It was 11am by now and with the sun high in the sky my thoughts of catching a Barbel were diminishing, how wrong i was, a few cast later i was into another heavy battling fish, this turned out to be the biggest of the trip, it tipped the scaled at 9lb 5oz, after a quick photo and a well deserved rest in the net i returned her to the river, feeling elated i settled back into my chair after the next cast, the tip nodded again and in quick succession i was into yet another hard fighting fish, after a short battle it tipped the scales at 8lb 7oz, well chuffed. Despite trying hard for another hour or so i could not tempt another Barbel only small nuisance Chub, by this time it was touching 30 degrees and decided (reluctantly) it was time to leave, and head back up "heart attack hill". All fish were caught ledgering meat and feeding hemp and small meat cubes.

The Canoe traffic arrived somewhat earlier than expected and although some were courteous some were very loud and insisted on banging their canoe as they paddled by, beyond belief !!

Anyways i had a great days fishing considering the hot conditions and low water level, thanks as always the the WUF and Land owners for allowing us some great access to a great river and lovely nature it provides.

Be back soon.!

2 Barbel, 20 Chub

5 Barbel