Feedback & Reports

Booked Courtfield because of the fantastic information on the beat via both the Lower Wye Fishery website and the Facebook page.
My father and I booked up for 3 days from the 19th to the 21st in search of my first barbel. 30 barbel later to the both of us and I'm more than happy! 19 of those on the last day when we struggled to keep up wth the bites! And thats not forgetting the fantastic chub sport too! All fish came from the wooded section of the beat.
Biggest barbel was 10lb 7oz which was the only double (unfortunately to the old man). Chub were caught to just under 5lb with the vast majority being around the 3-4lb mark.
Many thanks to the WUF and Don for a fantastic trip.

30 Barbel, 17 Chub

Arrived at around 7am and fished the wooded section. Caught a chub and a barbel (around 5lb) by 9:30am and then it went dead. Brother in law caught a chub mid afternoon and the father in law was a victim of eels.
It was a bit too hot to fish and to be honest the canoes are getting worse. Whilst I understand the business reasoning around making hay when the sun shines, the owners of the canoe rental firms should have more respect for other river users.
I lost tackle due to people going straight through the lines, endless noise and general messing around. Don't get me wrong I'm not a kill joy but when someone wants to get in the river to swin downstream in a swim you are fishing it's not really on.
Need to get this under control, it's a shame because it's a great place to fish, I just don't need the hastle when I take the day off to fish, to put up with this.

1 Barbel, 2 Chub, 5 Other

Like yesterday, another tough day when the barbel didn't feed with any enthusiasm. 4 barbel to 7lb 5oz ,a couple of chub and a nice eel of a couple of pounds. All fish taken on feeder and pellets.

4 Barbel, 2 Chub

Somewhat diappointed that none of the banks had been cut and access to the swims was very difficult.

Arrived early Monday morning rain fell for the first couple of hours in which the river rose slightly which aided catching our first few fish in the first couple of hours. Caught Barbel ranging from 7lb 6oz to 8lb 4oz and Chub from 2lb to 4 1/4lb all caught on pellet. Fishing dried up in the afternoon.

3 Barbel, 6 Chub

1 Chub

No Salmon caught. 6 x large Shad hooked on spinner.
Found it difficult to get a fly in the water due to the constant flow of canoeists passing by. Then to make things worse, one capsized right in front me and waded right back up the fly run at wyebank thinking the whole thing was a laugh.
I said something to him that made him get out my swim promptly.(I spoke to the Beat Owner Don at the river and he asked me to report this to the Wye and Usk Foundation and the EA). Our day was pretty well spoiled after a 200 mile round trip. I will only fish the Usk in the future.

WUF Note: Wye fisheries from Hay downstream to Monmouth can be subject to heavy canoe traffic at this time of year, especially at weekends. Our advice is to fish early and late in the day or if this isn't practical, book a beat that is outside a right of navigation.

First day Salmon fishing, many thanks to Don Macer-Wright for the excellent casting instruction and information on Wyebank and Courtfield beats, early pm at bottom of Courtfield had a take on a small orange shrimpy type of fly that put a substantial bend in my rod, unfortunatley after taking off down stream came straight back at me like an express train and I couldn't keep up so it dropped the barbless hook.

At about 20.00hrs a small but very active salmon of less than 10lbs caught on a small pink/silver flying C with one ounce extra weight 18 inches up line to hold deep. Caught 20yds below little willow and hooked midstream. Released off the single barbless hook in the water and fish swam away fast.

1 Salmon

Lost a good fish wednesday evening, 20.45hrs, at the top of the run in to the run past the willow. Tail of boat? It wasn't on long as it took right at the end of the rod in 14 inches of water and went straight upstream! I was so surprised to see it all happen I didn't tighten quick or hard enough and the hooks eventually came out after it had shot across the river. Very fresh 12-14lbs.