Feedback & Reports

What a fab looking beat this is, we spent a couple of hours walking the beat as there is just too much choice, and needed to be on the Barbel, having failed on opening day.
And found them we did, 15 between 2 rods and 30 odd Chub.
Brilliant, we have already re booked for Sept.

My son booked this beat for us so that I could try and catch my first Barbel, mission accomplished the weight 6lbs, I was over the moon. It didn't last long as my son caught one that went 8lbs 4oz. Sod's law that your son catches one bigger than you.
The day was really good because on top of the Barbel, between us we had 24 Chub up to 4lb 12oz. Caught on pellet with feeder and straight lead and also on the waggler fishing pellet. I would say this fishery is well worth a visit considering it was our first and will be looking to come again.

Three chub - 1lb, 2.5lb, 4.5lb. One Barbel 5.3lb. Lost one Barbel. Standard halibut pellets. Lovely fishery really easy to find and the pegs are well kept with excellent access.

Only fished for a few hours, plenty of chub to 4lb, all on pellet, missed a few bites.

1 roving and 2 static fishing. Between the 3 of us and throughout the length of the beat we had perhaps 30 barbel to 9lb, and a dozen chub to 4lb. Hemp in the feeder with a mixture of hookbaits had the most effect. Totally different river to lower down yesterday. Lovely stretch - well worth a visit, recommended.

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.