Feedback & Reports

My second trip to the Wye and a bit of a struggle. We started off fishing what looked to be a perfect swim midway along the Wood Beat with no success. Don came along for a chat and suggested we might have more success fishing one of the Meadow beats. So, after another mug of tea, we moved up river a bit and spent the afternoon fishing a couple of the Meadow pegs with no more success. This was clearly operator error as the guy a couple of pegs above us was catching judging by the comments of some walkers on the opposite bank. For the last couple of hours we moved back to the Wood beat where P. caught the only fish of the day on meat - a sizeable barbel, not weighed, but must have been pushing 10lbs.

I haven't fished this stretch of the Wye for 25 years and my how the fishing has changed in that time! Stick float and maggot are no longer the order of the day - it's big feeders and pellets all the way now! It's still a cracking stretch of river and the surroundings are fantastic at this time of year. It was a pleasure to meet Don the owner and hear all about the recent catches. Like the Wye of old it's all about being in the right place at the right time. On this session, I had one Chub around lunch time then sat patiently until the action started at dusk. First I had another Chub (both fish were around 3lb) then two Barbel followed - 8lb 6ozs and 9lb 9ozs. They were beautiful well-conditioned fish. Meat was the successful bait, feeding Elips pellets and Hemp in a feeder packed with Hinders 'Barbel Bomb' groundbait. I fished in Legg Meadow (peg 5 on the peg guide on Lower Wye Fishing website). Many thanks to Don and Allyson at the Wye & Usk Foundation for their help. Can't wait to come back!

My wife and I fished the Courtfield beat on a blazing hot, bright day - not ideal. We had a few chub to about 4 lbs during the day and 1 barbel about 6lbs at dusk. I imagine the beat would fish better with cloud cover and a bit more flow and colour. However, like so much of the Wye valley, it is stunningly beautiful and peaceful. The owner came round and chatted and is a very nice guy who knows the fishery well and can advise anglers. As one no longer in the first flush of youth I found the banks a bit precarious but there are some fishable pegs and it is no different in that respect to most of the middle Wye - if you need flat canal banks don't go there. A maximum of 4 coarse rods are allowed per day so you don't have to queue up for a swim which is nice. Would we go there again? Yes, definitely.

3lb chub, 4lb chub, 7lb barbel & 1lb eel, all caught on ledgered pellet over groundbait. Weather very hot/sunny for time of year, barbel only showing after sunset. Several 10lb+ salmon jumping. Fished top section, Leggs meadow.

2 Rods fished today 2nd trip of the week! 2nd 10LB Barbel ( 10lb 4oz ). Total was 5 Barbel & 3 Chub to one rod. Same tactics Pellet & paste. If you want big fish this is definitely the stretch for it.

As suggested in the Wye and Usk Handbook, an ideal venue for 5 coarse rods with 3 anglers making the most of Courtfield with the other 2 ‘Old Timers’ settling for Wyebank.
Arriving late morning after travelling down from Lincolnshire on what must have been one of the warmest late September days on record, like many other previous reports we were met by the owner Don Macer-Wright. Don made us all most welcome and then spent the next hour or more, first identifying and describing the most productive Courtfield swims, after which he took the time and trouble to walk the full extent of the Wyebank beats, which apart from Holme Lacey once, has been the only bailiff we have ever seen on any WUF water after many bookings, many thanks Don.
Total fish caught from Courtfield between the 3 rods was 8 Chub to 5lb and 11 Barbel ranging from around a pound up to 9lb plus.
The 2 anglers on Wyebank shared a catch of a single Chub and 10 Barbel, again with fish from as small as a pound up to over 9lbs.
All the fish were caught on ledgered pellets, we should have taken the time to read previous reports and taken some waders and float fishing tackle to open up much more water, never the less considering the bright sunny conditions and extremely clear water for the time of year, it was a most enjoyable start to our annual 3 day holiday on the Wye, watching the many varied birds and regular leaping salmon.

Not fished this stretch before arrived on a very hot & sunny day to find a low & slow moving river. Dropped in at the top end of the stretch at some well fished pegs, however it was slow going and moved further down to the rocky faster water. Nice to see the owner on this stretch - first time I have seen an owner or Bailiff on any stretch, nice touch.
3 Rods after a tough day caught 2 Barbel & 2 Chub. The good news is my Barbel wieghed a magic 10lb & the other 9lb 4oz. Pellet & paste did the trick.

2 of us fished pellet feeders on a day that was unseasonably sunny and hot and a river that was low and clear, so less than ideal conditions.

Before stopping for lunch at 12 noon, it was relatively slow with just a single barbel gracing the net. We returned refreshed at 3.30 pm and the action became fast and furious, bringing our combined catch up to 19 barbel, including a 10.03 and five 9s. We also had chub to just over 5lb.

What a superb stretch of river this is and what a high average weight for Wye barbel. We can't wait to re-visit.

This report covers 4 rods on wyebank and courtfield on 19 Sept, 2 rods on courtfield on 20 & 21 Sept.

Sorry we did not keep exact catch records, but the party caught a fair number of barbel with at least three double figure barbel and a couple of five pound chub from the upstream swims in the meadow. The average size of barbel and chub was significantly larger than other beats, and the whole stretch was well kept and an extremely enjoyable venue. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Baits varied, hemp and pellet probably taking most fish.

The outstanding aspect of these beats, however, is the personal attention and advice from both the riparian owner and the baliff. Both were true gentlemen, and devoted hours to ensuring that all the party were in the best possible swims, using the best tactics for the conditions.

6 BARBEL TO JUST UNDER 9LBS, BRILLIANT DAY ON A STUNNING RIVER.