Feedback & Reports

1 chub - slow going - lots of weed coming down.

Lovely stretch that I didn't do justice. Ended with bits and a couple of decent chub while Andy had 4 barbel.

Five days on WUF waters was something to look forward to and we were not disappointed. Day one found G and D perplexed since last year's swims at Caradoc had disappeared so we started afresh testing new ones. Late afternoon saw the first barbel in the net and then as, surprisingly, water levels began to rise eight more were netted before we retired for the day.
Rain in the mountains on Sunday had produced a flash flood and we were greeted with a rise of 7 feet of muddy weed strewn torrent at Lower Ballingham. Ever helpful WUF staff diverted us to the Lugg where the opposite was the case and this delightful small river, rather low, made finding barbel difficult. After fighting our way through a jungle of Himalayan Balsam feeling rather like the Ellawe tribe we finally emerged tousled and sweaty but fishless.
The following day we returned to Lower Ballingham and found water levels dropping fast so settled into two swims on the Lower Bridge Pool. The barbel were feeding as usual three quarters of the way across the river, - why are they always on the opposite side ? - but once we had found how to hold the bottom with our feeders we caught 10 barbel and 4 chub.
The last 2 days were on Holme Lacy 3. G took his favourite swim part way down while I went the distance and fished the last swim. We were not disappointed and for once didn't need Colin's expert guidance. G caught 10 superb barbel and 4 chub while I landed 19 hungry chub and 5 barbel. An eventful day.
The same swims on the last day were less productive as the water level was reaching normal and clearing and the fish had fed. So the tally for the day was 11 barbel and 18 chub.
An excellent 5 day break in gorgeous surroundings with each beat to ourselves.

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

The river was low and carrying a lot of drifting weed, which can be frustrating in many of the swims, due to the fishery being largely on the outside of a long gradual bend.
The first fish came out of the blue at nearly 5 o'clock and we finished with 5 barbel to just over 8lb. (Four from one swim and one from another).

Loose weed floating down made things a bit awkward but had 4 nice Barbel on feeder and pellett. A bright day but very pleasant and the fish were a bonus.

3 Barbel and 5 Chub

1 Barbel & 2 Chub. River rising and lots of weed.

Excuses: firstly, low clear river, blue skys and very hot. Not great conditions so we didn't arrive until 12pm. Then things got interesting to say the least!! A young lady was walking her dog as we drove to the bottom of the beat only to strip off before putting on a cossy and having a swim in the pool at the end. Thank you Wye & Usk - do we owe you any extra money for above entertainment??
p.s. fishing great considering conditions with plenty of chub plus 3 barbel as the sun dropped away. Great beat, will be back soon.

1st time on the Wye. Weather very hot and sunny and the river a little low. Hard fishing with a single chub being the only decent fish landed between 2 rods.