Feedback & Reports

Two hours evening fishing. Fish lying at bottom end of pools and fast water, big hatch but not great rise. Adams fly.-lovely easy accessible wading. Met local farmer-was really interested in the river and fishing. Best think I have done to buy the wild stream permit-

4 Trout

I wanted to introduce my friend Adam to barbel fishing. What better river than the Wye to do this? I have fished Courtfield a number of times so knowing this stretch well decided to take him there. We weren't disappointed as this stretch once again proved how good it is. We fished the same swim in the woods as I wanted to be close at hand. Adam fished downstream of me as this is usually the best area when two people fish close together. He ended the day with 11 barbel to 8 lbs 4 ozs and one chub about 4 lbs. I spent most of the day catching chub to 4 lbs 12 ozs and had to wait until late afternoon for my first barbel but then things went very well for me, landing a total of eight barbel. The best two were 9 lbs 12 ozs and 10 lbs 6 ozs, my biggest Wye barbel. The day was overcast so we had action sporadically throughout the day but as usual the evening proved to be the best time. The biggest fish coming at last knockings. The canoes came through in numbers but all were courteous and we had no problems.

19 Barbel, 9 Chub

My first Wye salmon. 12lbs slightly coloured cock fish caught on fly, cascade from Cafn. River 10" clear.

1 Salmon

Introduced an angler to the Wye for the first time. Conditions were spot on he caught from the start.
We finished with 3 Barbel to 6lb 2oz and 20 Chub from 3lb to 4lb 2oz. All caught on feeder with pellet or meat. A large number of good barbel hooked but lost - can not work out why but that's fishing.

3 Barbel, 20 Chub

Having never fishing here before I was on a steep learning curve from the off...
I headed initially to the upper section of the fishery expecting to make it to the bait pool.
Sadly I found out that this was not accessible... So having seen the drink far swims I made attempts to reach the island.... Note... The silt bank is VERY deep! Thankfully the willow tree rescued me from a sorry and muddy escape! Phew!
I took to driving round to the lower parking and set about fishing the deeper section just up from the fast water. It looked promising with fish moving everywhere. But after 2 hrs and many methods nothing had taken up my offering.
I took a jaunt down as far as I could go along the fast water where I found a slack eddy after a fallen willow. Scattered some hemp and say back to rig up a Trefor west style loaded hook with rough meat to bump along the crease...... Success! 2nd cast in and a pristine 5lb chub stole away!.... Great news... I didn't blank!!! But it would seem that the commotion scattered any hope of finding another fish, so I moved back up to the cow field.
I lighteded up on the tackle and cut down bait size and continued to try on the middle sections. Only 1 baby barbel fell for this and after that nothing. That's not to say the fish weren't somewhere, the 2nd rod on this stretch had better results.
It was and mixed up day with disappointments, fear, anticipation and successes. The river was very low and this cut down on opportunity but all in all and enjoyable day.

1 Barbel, 1 Chub

A very difficult day indeed. Water level was very low and clear and the flow was such that glides between faster pockets were almost stationary. I considered not bothering but gave it a bash. Much of the beat is barbed wire fenced on both banks and getting in and out tricky. I wanted to walk to the bottom of the beat and work upstream but there's no path to the end so you have to get in and walk downstream first. The water gates are also difficult as there is often no way to get out and around so the only option is to prise them open and squeeze through.
I have to say that the single bank section is particularly difficult. How do you fish a left bank pool when there's no left bank access without standing on the right of the stream? It's only 15 feet wide.
There are plenty of fish in the stream. I managed three beautiful small wbt from the faster ripples at the heads but I couldn't get close enough in theses conditions to go for the bigger ones but they are in there. The day ended when I felt a take and found a minnow try to swallow my ptn even though it was a third his size! This beat will fish well in the right conditions, but is still a slog.

3 Trout, 1 Other

Perfect Trout conditions, good hatch of Olives and a few Spinners, thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Four fish caught none of any appreciable size, the largest being approx 30cm.

4 Trout

Arrived early and was fishing for first light. Fished the fast water by the cattle drink and caught two Barbel within the first hour but then bites dried up. By mid morning I decided to move down stream to the deeper water but just before I made the move I had an Eel of about 3 pound. The deeper water was far more productive with another 6 Barbel and 7 Chub caught. This is a great beat with plenty of swims to go at but as the other rod on the day has stated the wood on the upper section is inaccessible and a little bit of work clearing some swims would make this one of the best WUF beats. Many thanks to the WUF and the owners of the Sugwas beat for another great days fishing.

8 Barbel, 7 Chub, 1 Other

Fished pm in woods and had one each. Then in the evening at top of meadow, 2 each. One at a PB busting 11lbs. Weekday canoes are different again to those at weekends, or rather the people in them are. A family in 2 canoes stopped to watch us land a barbel, and gave us a round of applause when we got it in the net - so we can all enjoy the river!

6 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other

Nice beat, lower half best for trout. Low water meant very hard not to spook fish, which are very tricky to catch!

3 Trout