Feedback & Reports

River still high, fast & murky with a lot of flotsam and it took a while to find a fishable spot. A quieter stretch of water yielded 3 grayling and 1 small trout - all taken on a nymph and all returned. This is an attractive beat which I would like to revisit in less dramatic conditions.

This return covers 3 days fishing between 6-8 Oct 2010 by 2 anglers. 18 barbel caught to 10.02 plus 4 chub. River was high limiting swims available and flow meant that only near bank fishing was possible.

Day 2 and Jeff joined me. For Wye novices we winkled out a few decent chub to 4lb and Jeff had a barbel at around 5lb. With the river up, limited to the swims but we did quite well on the bend furthest from the car park. Luncheon meat and a spicey pellet.

A wild & windy day that became increasingly wet. 5 barbel inc 2 over 8lbs left me quite happy, not a great day but a pretty good one, given the changes in the previously-settled weather.

Really just a quick looksee before my fishing buddy joined me later in the week. River up quite a bit (and a lot bigger than my local river!) and needing 3oz lead to hold bottom. A 2lb eel, a few decent chub and a 7lb barbel quite a good start to the week. Luncheon meat did the trick. Nice location, quite a walk if you don't want to risk the car in a wet field (and if you are on your own you might not want to).

Sunday morning's rain had arrived at Caradoc! We arrived to find the river about a foot from the top of the bank. So the choice was to go home, go to the pub or go fishing. As the pub was not yet open, we decided to go for a walk, during the course of which we spotted 3 swims which we thought fishable should we be able to resist the call of the ale.
As the pub was still not yet open, we drove to the chosen spots (very convenient for the ageing angler) and unloaded. R H had chosen the swim Mr. Crabtree would have fished - a nice slow eddy with a good crease on the outside.
J M and I settled into a double swim with a relatively smooth glide down the near bank. 20 minutes later I had a barbel - so our decision to fish started to look less mad. The river level started to recede at lunchtime and dropped nearly 3 feet during the afternoon. I finished up with 7 barbel to 8:06 and a couple lost. J M got 5 and also hooked a couple which fell off during the fight.
Our own Mr Crabtree had failed to interest a fish in his eddy and tried a couple more swims just above the bridge, also without troubling the fish.
We had a very enjoyable day and our confidence in fishing the high river has been boosted. What's more, the sun shone and the procession downriver of footballs, trees and what appeared to be the contents of several pigsties, just added to the entertainment. Lovely.

2 barbel and 2 chub, caught on halibut pellets.

The river was still a few feet up from Friday's rain, but dropping slowly. R H and I chose the best looking area given the conditions - a relatively smooth flow through the inside of a bend. I caught 8 barbel and R H finished the day with 5. Our biggest went 8:09.
I did wander around a few swims with the chub gear, but didn't get a bite. Maybe the chub don't like the dirty water? Or maybe they were hiding where I wasn't fishing.
The other member of our party fished Lower Carrots and Luggsmouth and despite fishing a perfect-looking swim, blanked.

1 Rainbow Trout 1lb 6oz, taken on Mepps Aglia spinner. First time on Usk reservoir. First Rainbow trout! Lost a bigger Rainbow earlier in the day which shipped spinner just at the point of landing.

2 barbel, 2 chub.