Feedback & Reports

4 Trout

fantastic day, fish caught on spinning

12 Trout

Only managed 2 hours this morning sadly. Lost a sizeable barbel mid morning but otherwise no bites. Water was like chocolate after heavy rains the day before so would suggest smelly baits for those fishing tomorrow..

This was the last Wye trip of the season for the four muscateers - MF, DC, MA and their faithful fishing hound, Sherlock. It is always a wonderful experience fishing the Wye. Today was no different to that - just colder, wetter, muddier and more flooded than we have been used to.

We met just after dawn with great anticipation. DC turned up looking like an advert for “the grand fishing adventure” featuring Bobby Zamora. There aren’t many carp in the Wye, DC! You’ve gotta be impressed by a man who even has a camouflaged groundbait tub?We toughed it out to get over Telly Tubby Hill and set up camp in the field below the woods. The weather gave us everything it had today - wind, cold, sleety snow and even a bit of lovely afternoon sun. But what we couldn’t get were the fish. MF and MA both drew a blank without even a bite, fishing in the bottom field.

The river rose probably 2 feet during the day and turned into what looked like liquid chocolate from Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory.
DC (aka Bobby Z) managed a modest chub of about 3lb on a chunk of meat from the first swim in the woods. Just rewards for DC who alerted the local farmer to a sheep tangled up in the barbed wire by the gate at the very end of the beat. Perhaps the owners of fownhope 5 will drop us a freebie for being good corporate citizens. We love this beat!

1 Chub

A much better day , over night rain had put some colour and water in the river. Three fish in the first hour, within the next hour the river rose by nearly a meter. Fished in all the slacks till last light with no reward. Good to see more weed growth in the river.

2 Barbel, 1 Chub

Only one angler fished. After heavy rain Thursday the level came up about 7 feet during the day. I baited six swims first thing then spent 30-45 minutes in each. Most became increasingly difficult to fish effectively or safely until I got to the last swim on the beat. Normally this area is very slack and had a good three rod length out of calmer water. Within about 30 mins of settling in the swim I had a hard fighting barbel of 7-14. I then had two more in the rest of the afternoon of 5-00 (est) and 6-08. I had to move my fishing position twice to move away from the rising water but was a pleasant afternoon.

3 Barbel

Not a very productive day and unfortunately the rising river diminished our opportunities after the river had been at a good level recently. Only 2 of us fished and a couple of Chub and a welcome Grayling saved what was a pretty slow day on this productive beat.

1 Grayling, 2 Chub, 2 Other

After three great days on other venues with lots of barbel, the river had come up a little overnight. The weather was horrendous, gale force wind and it started raining steadily after an hour or so. I tried two swims and my friend fished the salmon pool at the bottom of the beat where he lost five lots of gear in snags. By midday the conditions were too bad and it became treacherous underfoot so, for safety reasons, we both decided to pack it in. Not a touch for either of us.

Hi

2 Barbel, 8 Chub

No fish - but a lot of rain