New adventures on the river Wye

This year I decided to join a local club on the river Wye to try and maximise my time there. When I’m guiding I don’t tend to fish so I do spend little time actually fishing there.

My intention now is to guide one day and spend another day there myself trying to find some good stretches and swims. My aim for the next two days is to spend one day finding the barbel on this new stretch and locating them on another as I’m guiding 3 clients there next week.

So I contacted my mate Graham and he told me of an area to look at first. His directions were spot on.

I was leaving home at 4.30am and travelling to the stretch and arrived at about 5.30. As I walked through the field I was surprised by the amount of dew on the grass. Luckily I had bought my walking boots and they kept me reasonably dry.

The mist was just lifting from the river’s surface like a ghostly shadow.

The swim I chose had not been fished before judging by the amount of vegetation not trampled down. Now I tend to get very excited about new places to fish. I knew that some doubles had come out from here before, however after all the rain and floods of last winter the fish could be anywhere.

I baited with a swim feeder with pellet mix and a 12mm pellet on the hair. The depth was pretty uniform by the look of things so I cast out into the middle where there looked to be more flow. I wanted the aroma to wash downstream enticing the barbel upstream.

Well this certainly seemed to work as at 6.45 am I had one of 6lbs 4oz and this one opened my account for the season. Then in the next hour I had 4 chub with the largest going 4lbs 3oz. It was like an eel. It measured 21 inches from fork of the tail to it’s lips. On the H.Avon or D.Stour it would have been an upper 5lber.

Then I had  two more small barbel between 4 and 5lbs. So at least I had found them.

Then a welcomed sight of Graham arriving with a bag of sausage’s in crusty rolls did the trick for me. However while we ate them Graham struck at a couple of bites and he connected only for them to drop off soon.

We fished on until 10am then we were off to look at other stretches the club controls. Wow did we do some walking. Graham guided me around the stretches and swims expertly, here for roach there for big pike and here for coffee and ice-cream. Time drifted by we even looked at a salmon beat that is not fishable for barbel until mid October. It did look gorgeous.

The sun beat down on us all day and then at 3pm it was time for Graham to leave. A quick tea and roll saw dinner done, and we said our good-byes.

Thanks a million Graham for a great insight.

So I moved the car to another stretch and walked 3/4 mile upstream to a great looking spot. I was knackered by the time I got there.

Note to ones self travel light next time.

the same method was employed with mixed results, one barbel of just under 6lbs and a couple of chub of about 3lbs was all that came out.

I missed the best part of the day (evening) as I was too shattered and needed some sleep. So I returned to Ross got some fish and chips and bedded down for the night in the back of the car.

4am I was up and on the banks again. This time I reserved a swim for a pal who I was meeting at 7am. I moved to my stretch of river and started to catch barbel and chub straight away. Nothing large but I knew this as it’s a place where I bring novices to learn how to fish for barbel.

 

7am came and I met Martin and Mark and got them sorted out in the swim and explained where to cast and more importantly not as you will lose feeder after feeder.

I returned to my stretch and continued fishing. Well the swim must have been stacked with fish. Most in the morning to 11am were chub with a few barbel among them. Then it was barbel city for the remainder of the day.

I made just quick notes of the barbel and chub and approx weight such was the intensity of the action. One rod was being baited while the other was fishing. It was manic at times.

At times I just took the rod in and rested the swim to have a drink or sandwich.

I did briefly try trotting but with the canoes coming down it was difficult.

So at 7pm I was exhausted playing and landing all the fish.

I looked at my sheet of paper and the tally was 26 barbel and 31 chub no huge ones however I didn’t expect them here. That was it time to leave as I had enjoyed myself so much during the day I was catch just for the sake of it……..Not only that but the eel’s were starting to play. Now me and eel’s are not the best of friends when they are small ones. So that’s it a great day exploring a new stretch and reaffirming that the barbel are still in the nursery.

Happy days indeed.