Feedback & Reports

7 barbel plus 2 good chub between 4 anglers. Hard going to be honest, highlight seeing so many salmon jumping - great sight.

Fished it all day from 0630 to 2000hrs, saw no end of salmon coming through but none investigated my fly. I didn't know then what I later learned in the friendly Bell Inn where I stayed and dined for a few nights.

Apparently, I needed a sink tip and a small sparse fly, ie a tiny silver stoat preferably with a little blue hackle. I also needed to be fishing two hours before the tide at Chepstow.

So; Wye 1 Me 0 at the end of the first day. BUT I had the beat booked for a further two days...

The river was at a healthy level but coloured. There was some visibility in the margins and that's where we were able to pick up our fish. We had 10 trout between us that were mostly small but with one lovely wild 17 incher. All taken on nymphs.

The Usk was a good height for the fly but quite coloured.

Several trout (returned) took a Stoats Tail and there was a much more significant take just above the caravan site, which could have been a salmon but it wasn't on long enough to confirm.

This beat is well maintained and a pleasure to fish.

Our second visit to Don's beautifully presented and sensitively managed traditional mixed fishery. We knew that early season barbel can be slow on the river. Very pleased to report 26 barbel to 9lb, 16 chub 2 over 5lb over 3 days. The canoe menace reached its peak on Sunday, whilst most were polite and having a good time some were drunken yobs who did not understand the meaning of private property and it quikly became tiresome asking them to pack up there picnics and depart so we could fish. Fortunately this menace is short lived and by 4pm the river returns to normality. The fishery is absolutely stunning and it is a joy to catch scale perfect fish in such quantity using traditional methods. Thank you Don for a truely memorable few days.

Total haul of 5 trout on mayfly and 4 grayling on black gnats. Trout to 13", grayling to 8".

Water v low. Windy and showery. No fly. 12 brown trout. All under 10 inches, very pretty.

A few hours between 11am and 3pm. Lots of rises, a number of takes, 0 landed! Lovely beat!

5 shad all about 2lb. All returned safely. Saw one salmon.

First cast 7.15am a barbel of 11lbs 8oz. First fish of the day ..........and the last! At least it was a personal best. There was evidence that the barbel were still spawning. So this result may not be indicative of the quality of this beat. We tried various swims along the beat with no response. I look forward to reading the catch results over the next few weeks. The swims that have been created in the upper part of the fishery are very comfortable with good access but the rest of the fishery is still largely inaccessible. I hope the good work of clearance will continue.