Feedback & Reports

river very very low, did not see touch or hear a fish all day!

Photos on the description of this beat suggest easy access, however with some very steep wet banks to contend with there weren't that many swims to choose from. With the river low we tried spots at the top and bottom of the beat but to no avail. Swims that looked like possible holding spots for barbel produced no results, with virtually no interest shown throughout the day. Beautiful stretch of the Wye but disappointing on the fishing front.

15 Barbel, 5 Chub

First of two days and once again Courtfield spoiled us. We fished in the woods area (which I have always found more productive when the river is low). The morning was slow with only a barbel to SE and a chub to me to show for our early start. The day was bright and sunny and as a result was unproductive so we concentrated on keeping our two swims fed in preparation for the evening. As we have found so often, as soon as the shadows moved over the river in the late afternoon the fish started to feed. It was never hectic but a steady run of bites up to dusk produced another eight barbel to SE (including two super fish of 10 lbs 1 oz and 11 lbs 14 ozs) and five barbel to 7 lbs 7 ozs and one chub of 4 lbs 10 ozs to me. The only down side for me was my swim was quite rocky on the bottom and I got cut off a couple of times on hooked barbel. All fish were taken on feeder and pellet tactics. Same old tactics but it works!

14 Barbel, 2 Chub

Only had very limited time to fish it mid day. Had one chub from the fast shallow end, nothing from the Orchard side.

1 Chub

It was casting practice more than fishing, water level was low anyway so not expecting anything. The resident Otter did not take kindly to having his mid morning bath disturbed, incidentally the fatest Otter I have ever seen. Trout were rising on occasion and some nice specimens could be seen in the shallows. Better luck next time.

River was fishing low and clear even after the heavy rain the night before. As it has already been said in previous reports the opposite side of the bank up from the bridge for about 2/3rds of the remaining stretch was busy with anglers making most of the river unfishable, not wanting to ruin there fishing opposite.
Three of us booked the stretch and we found the available options on where to fish quite limited because of the opposite bank pressure.
Having said that the river is quite stunning in its beauty and we were quite happy with spending most of our time fishing the end section below the bridge. We started catching Chub in the fast water and eventually one rod found a place the Barbel where holding up. All three of us were very happy with our catches and enjoyed our time on the river. We had Barbel to over 9Lb and Chub to over 4Lb.

15 Barbel, 19 Chub

Great day, 3 rods fishing as one. Plenty of fish caught downstream of the rapids in the faster water. Grayling to about 2lb and some nice trout too. Olive jig nymphs and GRHEs worked well.

5 Trout, 12 Grayling

I have fished this excellent stretch of the Wye several times before albeit quite a few years ago. The parking is fine, actually getting to the river can be a challenge fighting the undergrowth, but once in the river the wading is easy and shallow and there are some excellent wide stretches.
The weather was bright and sunny about 15 degrees but there was a strong cold wind blowing upstream.
Grayling were the intended target, but all did not go to plan, started at 1400hrs with spider patterns fished across and down but did not move a fish (except a couple of Salmon parr) for three hours.
I resorted to plan "b" and fished nymphs in the slower water and had nine Grayling all around the 1lb mark, all were in good condition and returned to fight another day. All took a gold headed nymph size 14 fished along the river bed. By the time I finished around 1900 hrs my hands were very cold.

9 Grayling, 2 Other

All fish caught on popup with worm.

3 Trout