Feedback & Reports

Five days on WUF waters was something to look forward to and we were not disappointed. Day one found G and D perplexed since last year's swims at Caradoc had disappeared so we started afresh testing new ones. Late afternoon saw the first barbel in the net and then as, surprisingly, water levels began to rise eight more were netted before we retired for the day.
Rain in the mountains on Sunday had produced a flash flood and we were greeted with a rise of 7 feet of muddy weed strewn torrent at Lower Ballingham. Ever helpful WUF staff diverted us to the Lugg where the opposite was the case and this delightful small river, rather low, made finding barbel difficult. After fighting our way through a jungle of Himalayan Balsam feeling rather like the Ellawe tribe we finally emerged tousled and sweaty but fishless.
The following day we returned to Lower Ballingham and found water levels dropping fast so settled into two swims on the Lower Bridge Pool. The barbel were feeding as usual three quarters of the way across the river, - why are they always on the opposite side ? - but once we had found how to hold the bottom with our feeders we caught 10 barbel and 4 chub.
The last 2 days were on Holme Lacy 3. G took his favourite swim part way down while I went the distance and fished the last swim. We were not disappointed and for once didn't need Colin's expert guidance. G caught 10 superb barbel and 4 chub while I landed 19 hungry chub and 5 barbel. An eventful day.
The same swims on the last day were less productive as the water level was reaching normal and clearing and the fish had fed. So the tally for the day was 11 barbel and 18 chub.
An excellent 5 day break in gorgeous surroundings with each beat to ourselves.

1 x 9", 2 x 7", 1 x 6". Very rewarding day.

Water 0.6m. Fished 3 hrs for salmon with no success. Landed 3 trout to 1.25lb from woodstream between 4 and 6pm and lost another in tail above woodstream in excess of 2lb.

"5 x Troutlets to 6". I don't normally record fish under 6 inches. But so tiny is this forest brook and its fish, that I think special circumstances apply. So, on a Mini-Klinkhammer, 5 little troutlets of which the best pair just made 6 inches. Handsome little chaps, with beautiful cream-coloured leading edges to dark red lower fins.
I have a very soft spot for the Blackpool Brook, because it was here on this beat, some time in the late 1950s when we lived up the hill, that I caught my very first trout - on a Garden Fly of course. It was very beautiful and I seem to remember it as more than 6 inches. Probably the passage of time has enlarged it in my mind. Still, the ledge in a rocky pool from under which it darted is still there, although the alder tree above has gone.
I can also remember talking to an old miner round about then who reckoned that when Howbeech Colliery up the valley was pumping out into the brook, it was much larger, and he used to catch 2 pounders. But perhaps his memory was deceiving him also, or the glass of cider in his hand was improving his recollection. Howbeech Colliery closed in 1926 when the brook flooded into the galleries during the strike and it never re-opened. If you walk upstream a mile or so you can see the efforts made to keep the brook out of subterranean workings.
The nice thing is that this is still as healthy a little stream as you will find anywhere. There is no agricultural land in the catchment, only forest. While fishing today I saw damsels and a few late may-flies dawdling about. At the weekend we took our grand-children for a picnic at Wench ford, just upstream. Turning over a few stones and scooping with muslin nets they found bullheads, numerous stone clinger and agile darter nymphs, lots of shrimp, various caddis grubs and a few corixae in the calmer pools.

Despite the horizontal rain and high winds we had an excellent day. A steady hatch of small olives kept the fish interested for most of the day. Klink & dink worked consistently throughout.

SM - 8 fish 6 - 8". Lost a large fish around the 3lb mark. All returned. PH - 4 fish, 3 of which were around 1.5lb. Also lost several large fish. 1 fish taken.

Lots of rises missed also. Great sport and very glad we braved the conditions

Nil Return. One hooked but lost.

8 barbel between us to 9lb+ on pellets. Drifting weed made fishing difficult.

On arrival at the car park at the bottom of the beat we were greeted by Rudi who gave us a helpful account of what to expect from the fishery.
We spent a long time walking and looking around the beat before deciding where to fish after the worst excesses of canoeists had passed at about 4 o'clock. A nice variety of swims of varying character to choose from.
JM decided on a swim in Leggs Meadow which I had dithered over - and I chose what I thought looked like a classic barbel spot down towards the lower end.
The river was low and in need of rain to get the barbel movng throughout the river.
They didn't show up in my principal swim or the other couple of spots I tried, although I did catch 8 chub to around 4lb. There were salmon jumping regularly and I'm pretty sure I saw 3 different fish.
Meanwhile, JM back in his slower water had done what I fully expected (having rejected the swim myself) and caught a brace of barbel, losing a third. Best fish 8:02. He also spent some time watching and trying to tempt a huge chub which was harrying the fry in front of him.
We both had the pleasure of meeting Don, the fishery owner, who was helpful with advice, very interesting on all aspects of his fishery and the Wye scene in general, and clearly passionate about it all.

12.30pm to 7.30pm – 12 Barbel & 3 Chub. I fished 3 swims, all of the fish were under the 4lb but proved to be great sport nevertheless. The Island Swim is not on the beat map and has vague fishing rights described to me as “For The Local Anglers Only” but with consent of the very friendly Host or Owner you can wade out and fish a deep pool that runs under the trees on the far bank. One angler from last week had tweeted “50 Barbel between 3 of us! One of my greatest angling experiences ever!”

The Wye bank has gone straight into “My Favourites’” Unfortunately I have to mention the Canoes (lots of them). As usual they disappear about 4.30pm

Having booked the beat for two days on first arrival we walked the complete stretch and found that although large sections were not accessible the barbel, in low clear river conditions, were not hard to find. It also became clear that the one of us that had thought to bring chest waders and didn't have an illogical fear of cows was going to have the upper hand. I would say that we were expecting the fishing to be easier than it was and only through changing rigs, baits and swims did we manage to land the dozen or so barbel we had over the weekend. I would suggest traveling light to help over the styles and cover the large areas were there seems no access to the river.