Feedback & Reports

All 4 of us decided to fish the top end of the fishery near to the Waterworks for 3 reasons:
1. We were carrying quite a lot of equipment( Big mistake)!! The problems of transporting it through quite wild overgrown tracks and over a fence with a style into the wood was simply not an option on a very warm day.
2. One of our party had recently had knee replacements.
3. The second parking option at the big tree midway along the main road verge is simply that, a verge "very tight for our transit van" and extremely exposed to passing traffic we didn't feel comfortable leaving our vehicle there all day (Security concern).
Don the owner was very helpful and full of information spending a lot of time explaining the swims to each of us individually and a wealth of knowledge he has too, so a Big Thank you to Don. Unfortunately the fish weren't interested and the fishing didn't live up to expectation. Bright sun and no colour in the river didn't help.
I fished the bay swim and it looked great. Started off targeting the far bank and mid river feeding 4mm halibut pellets through an open ended feeder and 8mm pellet on a hair in various combinations of short and long hairs, tails, hooks and size of pellet. I only had 2 bites all day, both were savage takes and almost certainly Barbel. They both took me into abrasive rocks on the bottom which instantly broke my 15lb braided hook lengths.
I then went on to lose 4 more feeders in a snag about 30 yards down stream 1/3 of the way across. I had no more bites and ended up with a blank. My mate A fished the new swim next to me upstream. He managed to catch 2 Barbel around 8lb and 3 Chub about 4lb. D fished the first swim and didn't get a bite all day.
T I believe fished the Single Alder swim and managed a Barbel in excess of 8lb and 3 Chub. All four of us were very disappointed in the lack of bites but did enjoy the location and scenery. On a different day things may have been completely different. I personally would not fish the Bay peg again, (I couldn't afford to)! We all feel we should have travelled light and fished the wood beat pegs. We shall put this trip down to experience and learn from it.

Arrived at 7am on a cold clear morning. Fished Legg Meadow until midday without success and on the move when we bumped into Don. Incredibly helpful 15 minutes with Don sent us into the Wood stretch. Over a 4 hour period between 2pm and 6pm we had 8 chub to 5lb and 5 barbel to 9.5lb. What a session, all taken on pellet. Already making plans for 2013!

Barbel 6lbs and 7.11lbs in Legg Meadow. Lost small Chub by having line frayed by last barbel in rocks. Many thanks to Don for all his advice over our 4 days fishing. As two OAP's over 70 we found the going and the swims difficult but the Barbel fishing is superb.

C S - 1 inch minnow. Lost 2 barbel by being broken off in rocks Legg Meadow
R S - Barbel 5.2lbs lost another in rocks in Legg Meadow.
Don most helpful.

Had a lovely day caught 9 barbel and 2 chub. Caught on feeder tactics, baits used were pellets and boilies. We stayed at relatives in Ross, the fishing spot was beautiful and bailiff was so nice to us.

Late report, have been on holiday with no internet access. The fishery as beautiful as ever and Don friendly and informative as always. The fishing was a bit slow, weather not ideal as it was a bit too bright. However, about midday my wife caught her first ever barbel, a beauty of 9lbs 2oz and followed it with one of 5lbs about 2.00pm so one delighted lady. I had to wait until 5.00pm for my first bite but the wait was worth it as I landed fish of 8lbs 8oz, 10lbs 4oz and 8lbs 12oz between then and 6.30pm. Groundbait / pellet feeder and boilies wrapped in paste did the trick. All in all, another superb day on this fine beat. And hardly any canoeists, saints be praised.

Fishing the bottom pool after speaking to Don I caught my 1st babel within minutes of casting and caught 8 more all on pellet, biggest was 5lb and we had chub up to 3lb.

CMS - Barbel 8.6lbs and 11.8lbs caught on pellet in Legg Meadow
RS - Barbel 10.3lbs caught on boilies in Legg Meadow
Don most helpful again.

6 barbel to 8lbs 3oz, all very good condition with no mouth damage. Legg Meadow swims with river at normal Summer level, fished into evening. Found several snags where before I found none.

CMS - Barbel 8.10lbs, 7.11lbs and 7.3lbs caught on pellet from Legg Meadow swims.
Stay at Inn on the Wye from 9th - 14th Sept - excellent
accommodation.