Feedback & Reports

Another hot day. River low with not much flow. Barbel of 7lbs plus a decent chub and 3 small eels. A family of five mink entered the swim from the undergrowth scattering the ducks and then bold as brass trotted behind me in a long line until disappearing into some bankside vegetation. Not many swims available on this beat. Lots of anglers on opposite bank - this must be a day ticket stretch — they seemed to do better!

1 Barbel, 1 Chub, 3 Other

All fish caught on feeder using pellet on the far bank after the canoe traffic had died down. Nothing near side.

2 Barbel, 2 Chub, 1 Other

6 x trout 6-14 inches, Hair Wing Sedge. The session started well enough. I arrived late morning on a cloudy day with some rain predicted, started at the bottom end having a cast at anything seen moving and had released half a dozen, including a nice one of 14 inches, by the time the rain started. This seemed like a good time to retreat to the car for lunch. After half an hour of what seemed no more than a moderate shower of rain, the sun came out again. Back to the river full of enthusiasm to start again where I had left off, and I was horrified to find it completely muddy - less than 6 inches of visibility. The fish had switched off completely. I was very surprised as there had not been that much rain, and wondered if there had been some more dramatic weather event further up the valley. But when I trudged all the way up to the top of the beat, I found the culprit was just one field drain - the one on the left bank which marks the top boundary - and which continued to spew out liquid red mud coloring everything downstream, while the river above was running clear. I have to say, I don't think much of some of the new field drainage arrangements made by farmers in this valley who have converted from stock rearing to arable. The water stayed muddy, so I eventually went home. I did find a shy roe deer drinking at the top end, though, which made a nice surprise.

6 Trout

Nice day out, with the brilliant scenery. Good meal at The Moon afterwards. Nice healthy, good sized Chub!

5 Chub

Parking in the church car park is convenient, however the walk down the track to the river is overgrown & tricky underfoot. The bank from the track up to Foy Bridge is completely overgrown making access to the wwater difficult. Thanks to the sheep maintaining the bank downstream access is better and I would agree with other anglers that if there were 4 rods you would find space limited. Canoeists were a problem later in the day but this is common at this time of year. All fish caught on pellets using the feeder method.

4 Barbel, 2 Chub

All Barbel caught on halibut pellet/feeder tactics.Chub caught on either feeder or trotted pellet. Thanks to the WUF.

14 Barbel, 20 Chub

20lb fresh cock fish.

1 Salmon

Yet another beautiful stretch of the Wye. Access is OK although would not suit the physically less able. Weather was spot on, overcast. Fished the second swim up from the bottom of the beat. Three cracking barbel to 9lb and a 4lb chub in a short evening session, all fell to classic feeder and halibut pellet tactics. Oddly the smallest barbel put up the strongest fight.

3 Barbel, 1 Chub

Fishing GREH nymph, one Brown trout. Despite heavy down pours, river appeared not very high.

1 Trout

11 decent barbel to about 8lb and a dozen chub to 4lb 9oz on pellet and boilie fished on simple running lead rigs. As usual a great day on Courtfield. Back in a couple of weeks.

11 Barbel, 12 Chub, 1 Other