Feedback & Reports

Did not fish. Rivers closed the next day and due to conditions and abuse of others fishing in the heat on social media we decided not to travel up from Torquay.

Shame

Blank

I thought I'd fish the afternoon into the evening given how sunny and hot it was. I also read others reports of substantial rises occurring late evening, but alas, this did not happen. Plenty of fly life and a fair few rises for around an hour or two in the afternoon, but many of them were chub milling around in the shallows. Managed a small trout from a fast riffle and a good chub on the dry that was rising for flies on the far bank! Lost a few others. Wasn't fishing at my best if I'm honest with myself. Fished this stretch numerous times and never had an issue with access to the river like others have reported, but this time was different. Crops planted and at their highest right up to the field edge. Real jungle warfare all along the beat. Any efforts earlier in the year to clear access points are in vain... Can barely see the marker posts indicating access points. Note to self.... Avoid July in the future. Will be better post harvest I guess.

Enjoyable afternoon nonetheless, slightly overshadowed by some swimmers in on of the most productive pools.

1 Trout, 1 Chub

3 Trout

10 Chub

7 Trout, 3 Grayling

dry fly

4 Trout

2 Barbel, 6 Chub, 1 Other

Cracking day on this beat again. Very hot day and Wye was rock bottom and clear so the only sensible tactic was trotting.
We fished til 12pm (sharing a swim), catching a few barbel and chub, and then lounged in the sun (mostly in the shade tbh) occupying ourselves by feeding the cruising chub on cubes of meat until 6pm when we recommenced fishing. Sport picked up markedly at 7pm and several more big chub and barbel graced the landing net. None were removed from the water as we were wading and all unhooked in the landing net and rested before returning.
We fished until the float was no longer visible in the gloom. Fortunately it was cooler by then for the ascent of "Cardiac Hill" back to the cars.

6 Barbel, 10 Chub

A mighty warm one when I parked up at quarter to six , reading 24 in my truck !!!!!!! had some drink on board , got waders on tackled up , and walked down the road to the start of the beat …. Getting immediately hammered by horseflies , but the good old jungle formula seemed to do the trick … I’m sure they get attracted to movement first ….. nasty little sods !!!!

Anyway , started with a thermometer dip , which was sitting at sixteen degrees , I’m sure that’ll climb up by Tuesday or Wednesday , so be aware folks when fishing ethically , when its hovering around twenty it’s time to give the fishing a miss , and bash some balsam instead !!!!!

Tonight though , fished between six and ten to nine , first three , good fish slipped the hook , never mind , but stuck with an eighteen para Adams all evening , oh there were quite a few mayfly about , and right up to nine bells too , still getting hammered by the Arrow trout …. I managed six to the net , always gorgeous fish here , nothing huge , between seven and ten inches , but certainly beats the garbage that’s on TV these days …….

It’s quite a concern when that smelly algae is thick in places , and disappointing that this year there isn’t that buffer zone between the crops and the river bank , the corn is right up to the bank , quite literally …. Still , tough times for everyone I guess …. In the faster water gravels were clean , could still do with a week of good rain , stealth is absolutely key here for success , and those two glides hold plenty of fish , just taking your time is key …. Still a lovely three hours , albeit a tad sweaty !!!!!

Oh and to top it off , ordered a curry which I picked up on the way through Leominster , a great start to the weekend ……. Happy days …….

6 Trout