Feedback & Reports

Only a short evening session and I was in two minds whether to fish the float for chub, or sit it out for a barbel. In the end the barbel won out, although only one put in an appearance. Even so, it was a nice fish of about eight pounds. Lots of chub attacking the feeder almost instantly, most around a pound, with a couple of better fish.

1 Barbel, 15 Chub

6 x trout 8-11 inches, Rusty Klinkammer and Monnow Gosling. A couple of hours on a wet and muggy afternoon, but the brook was still low. I was surprised to see a few mayfly duns coming off, late as it is. Also there were a couple of salmon parr, which is always encouraging.

6 Trout

We were both Fly Fishing and it was quite a hard days fishing, fish were about early on then just disappeared we had 3 small rainbows on olive damsels ranging from 1lb 4oz to 1lb 8oz (small fish for the price of the ticket) and 3 perch. The place is going to the dogs a bit, the road around the reservoir is shockingly bad, fish are small and no bins. No one seems to be reinvesting into the infrastructure, it just gets poorer and poorer every year!

3 Trout, 3 Other

Lovely beat. Fished a stick float off the many croys, 30+ good sized chub caught.

1 Barbel, 30 Chub

Very mixed day with spells of rain then sun, also long slow periods which were very tough but also a few mayfly hatches which gave some good fishing - caught 4 trout on dry mayfly emerger patterns, big range in size - 6, 9, 15 and a nice one just over 18" (photos below). All in superb condition - plump, fin- and scale- perfect. All returned as usual.

Had a kingfisher fly straight over my shoulder at one point, think I must have inadvertently been standing near the burrow in one of the banks! Frequently had a kingfisher within sight through the day, and of course the masters completely outclassed me for long periods! :) Also a pair of green sandpiper seen on one bankside. The river is looking a nice level now thanks to the recent rain, great to see after the drought last year. On the downside, the Japanese knotweed and Himalyan balsam is now completely blanketing the banksides at both ends of the beat, it's a real jungle now - difficult even getting through it and down the riverbank in many places. I know both these non-native invasives are hard to eradicate, but if you are looking to form a work party to attack the bloody stuff at the end of the year and at least give the natives a chance I would happily volunteer a day or two. There is so much on the banksides now that it threatens bad downstream spread too. Apart from that another lovely day though on a wonderful bit of river - thanks again to you and the owners for letting me fish it!

fished top end of beat in faster water below Foy Bridge beat. Water visibility greatly reduced from last week .
all fish came to feeder tactics with sweetcorn on the hook .

3 Barbel, 14 Chub

Brilliant days fishing on a fabulous stretch of the Wye. Great access right across the beat in your motor, well maintained pegs and loads of swim choice.

Had 7 barbel on Elips Pellets from the faster water at the top end, pulled out of 4 more due to poor angling (how do they always know when you're looking away, pouring coffee, doing Wordle...?) Also fished the deeper water after a break for lunch and lost count of the chub, chublets and dace (all on 4mm pellet).

Fast becoming my favourite stretch.

7 Barbel, 40 Chub, 10 Other

A lovely stretch of river. Combination of trees and pasture. 3 trout caught and many others missed on dry fly during an olive's hatch and spinner fall. The largest and most olives I have ever seen in my life of fly-fishing all over the world! Many were several inches long in the body and creamy coloured. www.flyfishingtheworld.blogspot.com

3 Trout

2 Barbel

Fished river taff using worm, no fish caught.