Feedback & Reports

As we'd had 4 mild nights in a row I decided to give the Wye a go. I as greeted with a positively balmy (barmy?) 6 degrees on arrival (rising to 9), dry and with no wind, making the banks of the Wye a very pleasant to be. The Ross gauge level was 1.4 and the water coloured but not dirty, looking good. The problem was always going to be water temperature not knowing how long it would take for the snow water to run through. My fears were realised when I was looking back at a 5.8 degree reading. 2 small chub from the top swim prevented the blank but one hook pull was the only return from 2 swims at the bottom end. I tried groundbait and maggot feeders and a range of hookbaits. Still a day on the Wye.....

2 Chub

1 Chub

Freezing cold conditions, river low and clear. Hardly surprising we struggled. Complete blank for the pike but a few chub came out to play.

2 Chub

Blank for both anglers but a good day out as always.

Cold day, river still rushing though. Fished the first field, for the first time. Met the bailiff for the first time as well, nice to see someone putting in some hard work in to making more swims. After all it's not cheap. Lost a few chub today, down to using too long a hair I think. Fishing for Barbel. Did enjoy it, even if the banks are still more than a bit slippery. Caught all three chub on luncheon meat. The first two were about 3lb. But at about 3.30 pm, I had my biggest Wye chub. 5lb 3oz. Really pleased. Ps I wish there was more parking available.

3 Chub

5 Chub

River very high again so limited options. The first spot I tried at the top was very snaggy and moved after losing all my gear twice. The best Chub was around 4lb+ and the Barbel a good 8 but didn't bother with the scales after a pretty hard fight in heavy flow. All fish on my secret marinated meat ;-)

1 Barbel, 3 Chub

Fished 5 swims between us which we've caught from on the last 2 trips this month without a bite between us despite trying our standard feeder tactics for coloured water and multiple hook baits. River at 2m plus of minus all day, with good slacks, flow and colour, everything looked spot on for a few barbel. However the big influx of water the day before must have been very cold as the water temperature was 3 degrees down from last week and the report from Saturday. This is the only explanation I can think of for the blank day, my first on the Wye this year and first ever on MHC.

2 Chub

6 Barbel, 3 Chub