Feedback & Reports

Most fish of the fish fell to double hair-rigged sweet corn (even the eel!)

Water was low and it was impossible to get into the water from the banks. If you want to actually get in the water to trot baits in the shallow part of the stretch this is not possible.

It’s also very difficult to safely return Barbel to the water given the steep banks, you have to rest them in the landing net and try to keep them in the flow which as we all know is quite difficult.

That said - this is a beautiful river and we thoroughly enjoyed the fishing and scenery. Weather was hot but we still caught Barbel during the day, we found the fast water on the inside in the upper reaches of the beat.

6 Barbel, 3 Chub, 1 Other

Always enjoy this beat thanks Wye and Usk

3 Barbel, 4 Chub

7 barbel, 5 chub.

All fish caught using feeder and pellet. River condition was spot on, great day had by all. Biggest barbel went 8lb 15oz, one of us even had an eel!

9 Barbel, 11 Chub, 1 Other

Always a good venue. Tried a few swims to the left and right of the tree line. Barbel always there in the faster flow.

3 Barbel, 7 Chub

9 Barbel

Many swims to pick from on this venue and easy access made for a pleasurable days fishing.
Barbel were caught on pellet on the deeper water on the inside. The river was quite low.

2 Barbel

wonderful day river low moved about for best results

6 Barbel, 10 Chub

River seemed low clear and slow. Fished one of the swims at the bottom of the tree line, having navigated the heavily rutted entrance to the field to park.
Taps and trembles throughout the day on meat, corn and cheese, but no 3 foot twitches. Not a sniff on halibut pellet. Ended up with 3 chub, 2 on garlic meat at 1lb and 3lb and another 3lber on cheese.
Tried anything/everything to convert more taps into fish on the bank, but it wasn't to be.
Number of new swims looked promising but couldn't fish them due to anglers on far bank fishing across. Still plenty to have a go at though.

3 Chub

Didn't get to the beat until about 2.30, made for swims I'm familiar with in the middle by the tree line. The other angler booked on obviously had similar ideas, we had a quick chat - fishing seemed quiet - and I set up downstream of him in a swim my mate had always done well from on previous visits. However, after a couple of hours with only one real enquiry to show for (which I think was likely an eel plucking my luncheon meat) I started to get the impression that there maybe wasn't enough flow in front of me. Previous visits to this beat were always made in relatively high water conditions, whereas this day was low and slow. A quick recce downstream showed a couple of swims with interesting areas on the near bank, where the flow was concentrated. I decided to fish three of these in rotation, first one I lost a small chub (then it went quiet). Second one nothing. By now it was gone 6 and both my fellow angler on my side and the three on the far bank had had enough and packed up. At around 6.30, the river suddenly switched on, and in five consecutive casts in the third downstream swim I caught a small chub, then an eel, then three barbel, one after another. The barbel all between 6 and 8 pounds. This spell came about during a kind of false dusk - it had got really dark and cloudy, also very windy. However, after an hour or so of action, it brightened up again, the wind died down, the sun came out - and the bites slowed right up. Ignoring the unsuccessful swim in the middle, I moved back up to the swim I'd lost a chub in previously and just as the light really did start to fade at around 8.30 I had another barbel (and one more foul-hooked, which I don't count!) I'm sure there could have been another couple of fish in the session if I'd really sat it out, but the thought of the warm welcome waiting at the Green Man in Fownhope (never mind a pint or two of HPA) had me packing up around 9. All in all a very rewarding day, interesting to see how the barbel really do feed in short spells during these low conditions. Tomorrow would be spent at Fownhope 5... unlike How Caple Court, a beat I'd never visited before.

4 Barbel, 1 Chub, 1 Other