Feedback & Reports

2 x grayling 15 and 16.5 inches, 1 x out of season trout 8 inches. A nice brace, but I think I was quite lucky to get them. I haven't fished the Arrow (or Lugg) for months as the webcam has shown no sign of fresh water for a very long time. However, I had booked the Leen well in advance, remembering what a very productive beat this can be in October, as well as a charming place to spend the day. When I got there, however, I was taken aback by just how low the river is. Almost no flow through the pools, slime over the bottom, duckweed in the edges and pond-skaters the only insect life to be seen. A rise somewhere might have provoked a dry fly approach, but I didn't see one. The only method which seemed to work was hand-retrieving a couple of light nymphs very slowly along the bottom of a deep pool - because there was no flow to move them in the normal way. The grayling caught there looked healthy enough, but fought rather sluggishly in warm water. I left early afternoon, with the temperature in the high 20's, and concluded that the Arrow is best left alone till some proper rain actually falls on Radnorshire and N Herefordshire to cheer it up a bit, after which I am sure it will fish as well as ever.

Roving - 2 roach, 7 chub to 3lb+, 1 small 4lb+ barbel.

15.30 to 18.00hr. Wading, long-trotting and feeding maggots on 16 hook under overshoted small chubber and expected the small barbel and chub to move into swim at lower end of Wyebank, several dace to 12oz but slow going and bites ceased after sun left water.
18.00 to 20.00hr. Same swim, ledgered large halibut with heavy swim feeder solid in mid-stream. Instantly into barbel so they were there! Total of 12 barbel, 6 to 10lb 14oz, non of the recent small barbel nor any chub. As it became darker the bites became more prolonged little tugs prior to powerful runs presumably as barbel feeding on smell omly.
It seems when this shoal of large barbel moved in the small barbel and chub caught recently have possibly moved out. One barbel with scar on side was present when large barbel were caught earlier in season when water levels were similar to todays. Hopefully if autumn levels are maintained these fish will show in Octobers catches.

River the lowest I have ever seen it. A blank day. Waded the beat in chest waders. It was still a good day out. Will now await the rain before I visit again.

Return visit river low and clear as to be expected with the previous weeks weather. Barbel of 6lb second cast of day with another of similar size later in day both on pellet. 3 Chub between 3 & 4lb. Fished middle of the day with trotting gear plenty of small Dace and Chublets virtually a fish each run through, encouraging to see. Apologies got back to the car and found that print out of confirmation and beat details had fallen from back pocket, this obviously has name, address etc so if found I was not intentionally littering.

My wife and I fished the Courtfield beat on a blazing hot, bright day - not ideal. We had a few chub to about 4 lbs during the day and 1 barbel about 6lbs at dusk. I imagine the beat would fish better with cloud cover and a bit more flow and colour. However, like so much of the Wye valley, it is stunningly beautiful and peaceful. The owner came round and chatted and is a very nice guy who knows the fishery well and can advise anglers. As one no longer in the first flush of youth I found the banks a bit precarious but there are some fishable pegs and it is no different in that respect to most of the middle Wye - if you need flat canal banks don't go there. A maximum of 4 coarse rods are allowed per day so you don't have to queue up for a swim which is nice. Would we go there again? Yes, definitely.

16 chub 1lb-4lb, 28 barbel 1/2lb-9lb4oz, various baits.

11 x grayling mostly 12" but a few upto 15". 1 x trout 14". Fish taken mostly in a klinkhammer but a couple came to an olive nymph. The fish were occasionally rising and were happy to oblige so long as the dry was presented well. Some of the rise forms were very small and it is surprising how large some of the fish are when you do hook them. I often suspected a small fish had taken until I set the hook and they were fairly good grayling. Only fished from 10 til 2 and things seemed to be getting a little more active as I was leaving. Good day in all but I must get some waders that dont leak before the winter comes. Does anyone know a brand that doesn't leak? (I've never found one).

3lb chub, 4lb chub, 7lb barbel & 1lb eel, all caught on ledgered pellet over groundbait. Weather very hot/sunny for time of year, barbel only showing after sunset. Several 10lb+ salmon jumping. Fished top section, Leggs meadow.

A scorching day on this most scenic of middle Wye beats. Low, clear water meant it was never going to be a red-letter day for catches, but we did try....
JM spent a few hours trotting corn and catching a mixed bag of chublets, little roach and dace before bagging a barbel at last knockings. RH sat out the day in the top swim with just one chub for his efforts. NS was blank for the morning but changed swims and finished with four barbel. Were it not for being frequently wiped out by mid-water drifting weed, there may have been some more.