Feedback & Reports

Despite the Hot weather & Low Water we managed to catch 10 Barbel to 7lb & 1 Chub just under 5lb.

10 Barbel, 1 Chub

9 Barbel, 1 Chub

Very low water, very hot, no bites at all. Finished early

Hot day, river low. No salmon seen.

2 Trout

The river was low, so glad to get a couple.

2 Barbel

6 x trout 6-10 inches, Parachute Adams. Actually quite cloudy and cool this morning before the sun burned through. Another beat in need of a trim.

6 Trout

Glorious day, although the Wye is showing the bones, and the all day has been bright, sunny, and warm. Fished from 10,30 till 5,30pm. 40+ graylings and 15+ brown trouts, and landed the beauty in the picture (what a fight!!) Fished with French nymphing in the morning, and dry fly (grey parachute has worked well) in the afternoon. Seen also an otter playing in the water, amazing! How can I ask for more???

15 Trout, 40 Grayling, 1 Barbel

2 rods from 4 until 6pm. Couple of rises. Water very low. Nothing interested in our Klinkhammers. Very pretty spot.

A very pleasant evening. 2 of us fished from 5pm to avoid the lowest form of intelligent life on the river ( and I include snails and leeches in that description ), still had our fair share of paddlers but they were mostly ok.
I managed two barbel, one of 6lbish ( unhooked and rested in the net ) and a lovely 9lb 1oz which was rested before and after weighing before swimming off strongly. Also lost one to a snag - gotta love the Wye. Although I got everything back after releasing a large bow of line, except the fish!
My compadré had one barbel of around 6lb ( again rested and unhooked in the water ) and a wriggler around the 2lb mark.
Given the conditions we were more than happy with the outcome. However, 2 things put a slight downer on the evening:

Firstly, we were the only anglers booked on yet there was a party of 2 or 3 fishing below the house. While they didn't bother us, or us them, they were very loud and alternated between fishing, having a barbecue and swimming. When we left at last knockings they were turning torches on.
Guests of the owner?
Secondly, 2 dead barbel floated past. I would implore everyone who is unsure how to deal with barbel in hot weather to simply not fish for them. 8lb line and 20 minute battles have no place on the Wye, neither does the resulting 10 minutes required to get a fish to go back.
Use sensible gear, rest them as soon as they're netted, if it's a fish that's worthy of weighing get everything ready first and do it quickly, and ask yourself if you really, really need a photograph. Rest them in the net again after weighing/photography, but not in 6 inches of tepid, slow, low oxygenated water.
All our fish were landed quickly, rested, one was weighed then rested, and all were kicking strongly upon release.
Neither of the above reflect on WUF. Poachers will always poach and the dead barbel were from upstream. It was, as always, a pleasure to fish a lovely stretch of water and get a few bites in these conditions.

3 Barbel, 1 Other

Late afternoon-evening session. All caught on 2x10mm pellet and small feeders. Buzzard, cormorants, young swans in the area. We even had a crocodile in the swim at one point, of the inflatable kind, being ridden on by some well behaved youngsters who quietly passed by when they spotted us.
Enjoyable as always.

6 Barbel, 1 Chub