Feedback & Reports

After a late start due to car trouble, we arrived to find two other fishermen preparing to fish the same beat and reluctant to agree that they had got it wrong. Thanks to Alyson at WUF it was soon sorted and we finally started fishing. Overnight rain reversed the previous day's trend of falling water levels but conditions were good and we began to pull some barbel into our swims.
After catching 2 in midstream a move to down the near margin surprisingly produced a string of quality fish between 3lbs and 9lbs. A couple of chub managed to foil the hair rig - they just couldn't resist our baits!
The weather was good too! Kingfishers, Jack Snipe, Buzzards, Sparrow hawk ... what more can you ask for.

11 Barbel, 3 Chub

Crossing the Severn at Gloucester did not give cause for optimism as the Severn was high and coloured. Arriving at the beat the Wye was about a metre up and chocolate coloured. We braved the wet path over the hill and into the woods to fish in the rocky pools but our pellet and meat baits brought nothing. Lots of salmon were moving in the coloured water. Walking downstream into the next field we found some smooth water ideal for trotting but corn, bread and meat brought only small chub. With the water at this level much fewer swims are available and we found nothing in the bottom field. At 2pm we decided to walk back to the top meadow as the walk to the cars would be much less. So glad we did. The dropping river still covered the croys but we managed to squeeze in nearby and were rewarded with fine sport with 6 barbel between 5 and 8lb 2 oz- all good fish that fought so well. All on meat or 8mm pellet through block end or open end feeders with or without extra lead. We also had 4 nice chub to about 4 lb.
Packed up at 6.15 as we wanted food but would definitely have caught more. Fabulous scenery as usual and so nice watching a kingfisher perching and fishing a couple of yards away. Would love to go back when the water is lower and clearer to see what all the fuss about the swims in the wood is about. In wet weather the path was very slippery and sloping and we needed a rope to get in and out of some swims. Really feel privileged to be able to be on such a beautiful stretch.

6 Barbel, 4 Chub

We hoped to find the river level falling after rain. It was, but it was higher than we expected, and the Fenni Fach beat was only fishable with a fly about tea time. Perhaps we should have been spinning for salmon. Caught three trout about half a pound.

3 Trout

Between the three of us, we fished the fly, spinner, worm on a float and worm on the bottom. We caught 3 small trout and a couple of perch. The reservoir does not fish any where near as well as it did years ago. It's a real shame.

3 Trout, 2 Other

It had rained hard the night before and the river had risen a foot and was coffee coloured. If I was not a 150 miles from home I would not have fished. The one fish caught was taken on a heavy nymph as the water was flowing very quickly.
Accommodation at the Old Vicarage B&B in Erwood was very convenient, with friendly lady owner and good value for £30.

1 Trout

My first visit to Pant y Llyn. Extremely windy and hammering down for most of the day, making fishing all but impossible as I only had a float rod. Caught two chub around two pounds on a waggler fished straight into the wind. Saw four wild carp jump throughout the day. Very disappointing as this was a trip I was really looking forward to. Beaten by the weather. A wonderful place however and I am desperate to return during more favourable conditions.

2 Chub

Arrived about mid day. Perfect conditions on the river. My 1st fish on the third cast produced a barbel of 11lb 7oz far larger than anything else I have caught fishing the Wye. Shaking trying to get it weighed and back in the river I stood on my landing net pole. A quick fix with supper glue and using 12lb line as a whipping silk, I soon had a functioning landing net and landed another two barbel in the next hour. The second of these fish put paid to the landing net handle completely. So I spent the next three hours driving trying to find a replacement handle to no avail. Martin and I spent the rest of the day both trying to fish the same swim as the water levels went down.
A great day thank you.

9 Barbel, 4 Chub

River a bit out of sorts, already high and rising again through the day. Lots of weed in the main flow so finding slack water was essential. Difficult day with fish not readily feeding. Two good barbel caught 8lb and 8 1/2 lb to spicy sausage boilies.

2 Barbel

River up and chocolate coloured but at least the rain kept off!

6 Barbel, 10 Chub

River high & very coloured. Lots of weed coming through making fishing difficult. Biggest of the day 10lb exactly

12 Barbel