Feedback & Reports

My first ever trip to Whitehouse, I was very impressed with the ease of access and strimmed/marked swims. The river was very low and the weather very hot, as a result the fishing was far from easy. I did manage to extract one Barbel of about 7.5lb from under an overhanging tree in the morning, but had to settle for a dozen or so small Chub during the rest of the day.

All fish were caught on small Halibut pellets. Despite the fairly hard fishing, I had a great day in beautiful surroundings.

River was very low and weather a bit too hot and unfortunately no fish caught but what a fantastic location! A few fish moving but very shallow clear water made them exceptionally spooky.

Between 2 rods, 22 x trout, best fish around 11-12 inches. Almost no natural rises on the day, but a Bibio fished round through the ripple on a floating line brought them up, plus a few came to Williams Favourite and Blae and Black. Tremendous fun, on the kind of water more usually associated with the far north of Scotland or the west of Ireland.

Considering the conditions, I was somewhat relieved to manage one 8" trout on a GRHE and a very surprised 1 1/2lb chub on a Klink! River very low and in need of some rain. Access difficult as expected, a wading staff is good for the balsam, I shall be trying again after we have had some rain.

Brown trout x 3 fish by dry fly, Grayling x 3 fish by dry fly. Fished about 7 hours. (From 14 to 21)

Although we were fortunate that the day was overcast and not too warm it was one when Mr Crabtree would have told Peter that the conditions (water clear but low with current slow - a rhyme, what next?) were not conducive to catching fish. It was not too easy fishing off the croys just past the power poles downstream of the hut. After a slow start the ghillie, Colin Richardson (what a thoroughly pleasant man) appeared mowing the bankside path (what next!). Apparently he also polishes the stiles on Fridays and gives the hut a coat of paint every other Tuesday!!

Anyway he gave us generous directions and by obeying them we caught 10 barbel, mainly small fish to 8lbs, and 11 chub to just over 4lbs mainly on ledgered halibut pellets plus a few dace on the float using sweet corn. Swims were about a hundred yards below the stile and at the foot of the island at the end of the beat. An enjoyable day considering.

Fished for a couple of hours in the morning at the bottom end where there are small rapids in the oxygenated water and managed a Chub and a Barbel, returned around 5 pm until dark, the Chub were biting every now and again and I had about 5 or 6. Then the Barbel moved in around 8.30pm and I caught a further 5 fish including a 4 pounder, which was the hardest fighter of them all.

Good luck to everyone fishing as its the toughest I have known it on the Wye. Back in September hopefully when there is more water in the river and the conditions are more conducive to fishing rather than sunbathing.

2 Barbel 5 & 7 lb on pellets, 1 Chub on rolling meat.

This section of the river is very low at the moment and I was in two minds whether or not to fish it,anyway I am glad I did as its a lovely (albeit short) section of river full of wildlife and very peaceful. There is a huge swathe of streamer weed running right down the centre of the river with deeper snaggier swims on the left bank and much harder access whilst the right hand bank would be ideal for wading as there is a small beach near the bridge and a large tree with hundreds of chub living under it - try throwing some pellets from the bridge and watch them fight over them!

The late afternoon brought many chub to pellet, corn and meat up to around 4lb. Barbel didn't turn up until the sun went down, I fished like an idiot and lost 3 to hook pulls and one to a snag. Finally landed a hard fighting 7 pounder around 10pm and called it a day.

Polaroids are essential on this section and waders will open up a lot more of both banks.

One rainbow trout 1 1/4 lb.