Feedback & Reports

As is normal for this beat, if Courtfield is booked then Don who owns Wyebank also lets you fish his beat so long as it is available. Fished Wyebank early morning and late evening. No salmon to report but good sport fishing the fast water under the far bank with a double hander catching quite a few Brownies (best approx 1lb, Chub and a couple of Shad (best approx 2lb). Almost got knocked over twice by canoes (girls who had no idea of how to steer) where I had to turn round and push the canoe out of the way. Fortunately I wasn't in too deep at the time.
Fished Courtfield in the afternoon but nothing doing. Heard quite a few loud splashes (between the house and Leg Meadow crib) which I suspect were salmon but in each case I was too late to see the actual fish.

Needed to get out and fish, so tried Courtfield as Wyebank was unavailable. Had to abandon the fly rod due to a lack of flow, and tried a flying C. Salmon showing so was hopeful, but settled for a 2lb chub! Left once the canoes arrived at 9.

Three barbel from four to seven pounds. Four chub, largest was around four and a half pounds. All caught on a single hair rigged elipse pellet fished in conjunction with a small pva bag of crushed pellets and hemp.

Four anglers caught 10 barbel, best 9lb 7oz. The middle section produced well. We all enjoyed the day which was the
first visit to this stretch. You need to decide which section to fish as access to the various parts are distinct. Day spoilt by dreadful prolonged and heavy rain later in the day. All anglers caught barbel so good sign.

Me and the boy arrived late morning caught 3 chub. Had a good chat with Don the owner - put us some fish, 6 more decent chub and two barbel all on feeder fished pellets.

Parked up at outside the Severn Trent complex at around 7:00 am. The river was high with a lot of debris, we knew this might be the case given the weather.
I opted to fish really close in on what they call the "New Swim". I used Elips pellets with an open feeder. In total I had 6 Barbel between 9lb and 12lb plus a 3lb Chub, most of the fish were caught before 15:00, so we left at around 19:00.
The other two rods caught 3 Barbel between 9lb and 11lb plus to around 5 Eels.
All in all a great days fishing, really enjoyed it and will return when the river is a little lower and slower running.
During the day we saw a number of very large Pike, 20lb plus laying up in the shallows, another thing to bear in mind for next time.
Hopefully I will be back very soon, thanks for all your help, very efficient.
Finally, very big thanks to Don, he helped a lot, took time to give me updates on the river levels before the day, nothing was too much trouble for him.

5 chub to 4lb. No sign of barbel though.

8lb fresh small summer salmon caught Legg Meadow crib 2030 hrs Friday. Coarse fisherman saw 2 salmon showing throughout the day, one below Legg meadow crib the other above the crib off the weedbank. I caught the fish below the crib spinning small black flying c.

My son booked this beat for us so that I could try and catch my first Barbel, mission accomplished the weight 6lbs, I was over the moon. It didn't last long as my son caught one that went 8lbs 4oz. Sod's law that your son catches one bigger than you.
The day was really good because on top of the Barbel, between us we had 24 Chub up to 4lb 12oz. Caught on pellet with feeder and straight lead and also on the waggler fishing pellet. I would say this fishery is well worth a visit considering it was our first and will be looking to come again.

I booked both this beat and Wyebank which I fished in the evening with a fly rod. First time here but I know the river here, but my advice to other anglers is fish it early, say 7am til 10am and late, say after 5pm and be content with a break from fishing whilst the circus comes to town in the form of the canoe armada. Plenty of entertainment to be had sitting having lunch in the Lower Lydbrook car park as I did, watching them turn over, fall in, etc. I would not thought it was possible to gather together so many fools in one place.

Back to the fishing, clearly plenty of salmon in the beat I saw them early in the morning on Legg Meadow Crib and just below the Wood Crib in front of the house. Spinning I hooked something large at 0830 and lost it a minute of so later before it had time to declare itself a salmon. Caught and hooked and lost loads of shad and a large Chub during the late afternoon weighing perhaps 4lb. I will fish it again but I'll make sure it is not during school holidays. Going when I did was surely my schoolboy mistake.
Finally a suggestion, would it be possible to cut back the overhanging bankside trees below wood crib so anglers would find it easier to wade the edge of the deep water channel and fish down towards the house?