Feedback & Reports

An overcast but not cold day we had planned to fish float and maggot until midday and ledger with big baits until dusk. We caught eight chub between us in the morning and six trout. The largest chub were close to 5 lbs. At about 12.30 debris started to come downstream. At first we thought this was clearance from an upstream bridge but it got worse. Huge islands over ten foot across with so much small debris in between that even float fishing became impossible. Ledgering was out of the question. It looked like a farmer upstream was clearing his fields of floodwater flotsam. We sat and waited until 4.00 and things had not improved so we packed up early and went home.

Luck varied between us from a blank to quite a few chub to 3lb, trotting maggots. Static baits on the bottom didn't produce this time.

Fantastic day's fishing on the Afon Llwyd. Saw several rises to sporadic hatches of a very light coloured up-winged fly (around size 14 i'd say) Tried to match but without success. Caught 2 x brown trout, 7inch and 5inch. Plus a bonus sea trout of 9inch (all carefully returned and waiting for your visit!) All fell to a gold head GRHE in size 14. Highly recommended!

Abbey Dore beat - one grayling about 8ins - virtually impossible to fish - coppicing regrowing with 6 stems in place of the original one, and barbed wire so close to river that there's no good alternative to wading, even where too deep for chest waders.

1 x 15 inch trout, on Waterhen Bloa short-lined upstream. A grey, warm morning with a very short, sparse hatch of olives. No confident takes; a lot of fish missed or pricked!

Nil return.

Whatever life throws at you, there is no better cure than a day by the river. Fished with my brother on what has to be our favourite WUF stretch of the Wye. Very clear conditions and the most beautiful blue sky; Buzzards wheelng overhead and Curlews calling in the fields opposite. Between us we had 12 Barbel between us and 4 Chub, all on the pellet feeder combo. The best fish of the day (8:11) came around five o'clock. Thanks once again to the WUF - efficient booking and everything working smoothly.

Started well, catching a lovely 6:10 Barbel after 40 minutes or so, then the sun came out and the river seemed to switch off for the rest of the day, although I did catch the largest minnow I've ever seen. Therefore not a particularly productive day but good to be on the riverbank nonetheless.

One question: I'm an antisocial so-and-so and I don't really like fishing directly opposite other anglers. On the blurb sent when I booked the beat it says that a club has access to the opposite bank on the downstream end of this beat only. Yesterday there were three other anglers on the opposite bank at the upstream end of the beat (near power cables), which meant I couldn't really fish the best Barbel swims. Were they there illegally or does the literature need updating?
WUF Note: As far as we understand it, the club has access to the opposite bank on the lower part of the fishery. We will check with the owner to ensure that this is still the case. These could have been non club members with permission from the owner of the opposite bank of course, or they could have been fishing illegally. If you wish to guarentee nobody on the opposite bank, however, our advice is to book a double bank fishery.

One small roach and broken by a barbel was the total of the fishing action for the day. In glorious weather catching fish would have just been a bonus on such a beautiful location. Highlight of the day was the otter that swam past me less than ten feet away! A wonderful service from the Foundation. Will be back in the new season.

16 Barbel, 13 Chub on Meat and Pellet.