Feedback & Reports

River was apparently up a few inches and had a good tinge of colour to it. Flowing faster than I was expecting as well. All the action was after midday, with a lost fish after lunch (inconsiderate canoeist was partly to blame)and then nothing until 5pm. The swim (at the bottom of the section)then came alive although by this point I'd used the majority of my bait so couldn't fully take advantage. Best fish went 9lb 10oz with a 5lber soon after. Feeder fished pellet/groundbait mix with a trimmed down fishmeal boilie well soaked (i.e. for several days)in Korda Spicy Squid Goo. "Gerron the goo lad!" the guy from Korda told me. Seems he was right.

2 Barbel

Didn't catch any fish.

Well got there at 6am and had to sit in the car for 4 hours because the rain was so heavy could even get my waterproofs on to stay dry. Then got to the river at around 10.30am'ish, started fishing for 30 mins and then it started... canoe after canoe after kayak until 4.30pm. Even some locals said they had never seen so many, it was impossible to fish, so my advice is don't fish this stretch on a Saturday not worth it. Also, they have no consideration for you fishing like on other parts of the Wye I've fished. All in all I fished for 4hrs 30mins out of a whole day that's nearly £5 per hour. What made it worth it for me was the stunning barbel I caught at 8lb 9oz. Simply the best outcome I could of hoped for considering circumstances as I nearly gave up a number of times. River was still low but with some colour and apparently a extra foot on it.

1 Barbel

Not my best trip there but was my shortest! I arrived at first light fished the bottom pool and had 4 barbel, three of which were about 1lb in weight each at best and one of about 4lb. Also had two chub here. All came in about the first one and a half hours then the bites stopped. Water was very shallow, after hooking a few fish felt the pool was done, with any other barbel that were present, long gone. Needs an extra few feet of water to hold the fish in numbers and not to move them out when a few get caught. Decided to call it a day at about 9am. Walking back to the car I stopped at a couple of the deeper runs and had another 2 chub. All fish came to mixed sized pellets in PVA mesh bags with a long 5ft hook length. Moved to a deeper part of the Wye nearer to where I was visiting family in Hereford, a move that paid off with a few more barbel during the day. Still enjoyed my visit to Wyebank but with hindsight should have booked the Courtfield beat with more water to go at and more depth for the fish to be comfortable at as well. But still, reading the recent catch reports I think I'd had a good day taking all in to account.

4 Barbel, 4 Chub

I had 5 chub to around 4lbs they were all covered in argulus fish lice. Only fished to around lunch time. There was a lot of fish activity where they were crashing around as if trying to rid themselves of the fish lice but not feeding as well as one would have hoped.
The next day we were on the Lower Carrot and Luggsmouth Passport beat, where again there was a lot of fish activity, mainly barbel splashing about as if trying to rid themselves of fish lice.
With the very low water levels it seemed strange that there was a large agricultural water abstraction unit working at the point where the Lugg joins the Wye all the time we were there.
Thanks

4 Chub

River very low. Difficult to work out where we were on the beat despite Don's helpful notes. One decent chub and 5 small ones between both rods. Trotting corn and feeder fishing pellet. Retired at about 2.00 pm.

6 Chub

2 small dace on fly, both returned.

2 Other

Not much fishable water. Be aware, there are lots of canoes in this area as it is an ingress point. Not many fish. Largest chub about 2lb

4 Chub

As previous day on Courtfield the river was too low and the weather too hot, extremely difficult especially with the numbers of canoes and swimmers!! Fished the Saturday and Sunday morning for 1 chub about 3lb. It was good to meet Rudi and break the day chatting about fishing. He was very helpful, a really nice chap!!

1 Chub

A two day visit to Wyebank. Very tough going on both days, the river was very low and clear. Fished the bottom pool both evenings and the Island Pool at dawn on the second morning. The Island Pool produced nothing but the bottom pool produced some fish just as it got dark. Hard work.

3 Barbel, 1 Chub