Barbel fishing Wye Usk Foundation

[Ian Powell]

Hi everyone

this is my first time on a forum of any sort so here goes. I am trying to arrange a couple of days barbel & chub fishing on a section of the Wye via the Wye Usk Foundation. I don't know anything about the stretches and all the information I can get seems to be pretty standard. Can anyone recommend any area over the others and any methods. I would like to take my son and driving up from Devon on the off chance has not really worked on other rivers. We are not blessed with great coarse fishing on rivers, only really the River Culm and River Exe but if anyone fancies a go I could help

[Anthony78]

Hi everyone

this is my first time on a forum of any sort so here goes. I am trying to arrange a couple of days barbel & chub fishing on a section of the Wye via the Wye Usk Foundation. I don't know anything about the stretches and all the information I can get seems to be pretty standard. Can anyone recommend any area over the others and any methods. I would like to take my son and driving up from Devon on the off chance has not really worked on other rivers. We are not blessed with great coarse fishing on rivers, only really the River Culm and River Exe but if anyone fancies a go I could help

 

 

Hi Ian,

Wye barbel respond very well to the fishmeal groundbait and pellet approach. I tend to use the Dynamites marine halibut groundbait mixed up with some fish oil and then add some halibut pellets in various sizes.

Keep moving to. I usually give it about half an hour before moving on if you have no indications.

Regarding the best stretches your best bet would be to contact the Wye & Usk foundation and let them know that you are interested in catching barbel and they will sort you out. Dependant on time of the year you can book a whole stretch of the Wye for £20 for the day. I pulled this from their website:

 

^{1.Contact us directly - by Tel on 01982 551520 or Email on admin@wyeuskfoundation.org, (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) with details of the day(s) you want to fish, what type of fishing you want and the numbers of guests. We'll do the rest:}

^{◦Find an appropriate beat}

^{◦Make the booking for you}

^{◦Provide you with details of the beat, directions and a map.}

 

 

Failing that you could always contact Woody's tackle shop in the heart of Hereford and he will deffinately give you some pointers. I believe he runs his own stretch of the Wye too. The shop number is 01432344644

 

Hope it helps

 

Anthony

[The Flying Tench]

I went to the Caradoc beat last year and had an excellent day with 6 barbel, mostly 6-7 lbs - but I couldn't really advise on the basis of one day. You could look at the catch reports on the website.

 

Several people have said to me that the Wye is a prolific river for shoal barbel, but not so much if you want monsters.

[Ian Powell]

I went to the Caradoc beat last year and had an excellent day with 6 barbel, mostly 6-7 lbs - but I couldn't really advise on the basis of one day. You could look at the catch reports on the website.

 

Several people have said to me that the Wye is a prolific river for shoal barbel, but not so much if you want monsters.

 

Thanks for this, shoal barbel sound great to me. The Wye Usk Foundation website catch reports seem to be very vague and probably more related to Salmon. Any advice on methods on Caradoc, feeder or single baits etc?

[Ian Powell]

Hi Ian,

Wye barbel respond very well to the fishmeal groundbait and pellet approach. I tend to use the Dynamites marine halibut groundbait mixed up with some fish oil and then add some halibut pellets in various sizes.

Keep moving to. I usually give it about half an hour before moving on if you have no indications.

Regarding the best stretches your best bet would be to contact the Wye & Usk foundation and let them know that you are interested in catching barbel and they will sort you out. Dependant on time of the year you can book a whole stretch of the Wye for £20 for the day. I pulled this from their website:

 

^{1.Contact us directly - by Tel on 01982 551520 or Email on admin@wyeuskfoundation.org, (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) with details of the day(s) you want to fish, what type of fishing you want and the numbers of guests. We'll do the rest:}

^{◦Find an appropriate beat}

^{◦Make the booking for you}

^{◦Provide you with details of the beat, directions and a map.}

 

 

Failing that you could always contact Woody's tackle shop in the heart of Hereford and he will deffinately give you some pointers. I believe he runs his own stretch of the Wye too. The shop number is 01432344644

 

Hope it helps

 

Anthony

 

Hi Anthony

this is really useful and gives me a good start. I'll probably ring Woody's. The information I have got from the Wye Usk Foundation seems to be very general and is the same for each beat. Are you using heavy feeders in normal summer flow?

[Kevin Massey]

Ian one of my favorite spots on the Wye was the H&DAA run Field Farm stretch lots barbel and chub...just look for the features

 

http://www.fly-fish-guide.net/wye/river_wy..._to_caradoc.pdf

 

Shows salmon beats I know but suites the purpose

Edited June 22, 2010 by Kevin Massey

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks for this, shoal barbel sound great to me. The Wye Usk Foundation website catch reports seem to be very vague and probably more related to Salmon. Any advice on methods on Caradoc, feeder or single baits etc?

Ah, I see what you mean. When I checked the catch reports in March there was a certain amount of info on barbel catches, but I guess it's been erased at the start of a new season. Basically the catches weren't as good as I had expected - quite a few blanks, and it's clear there are no guarantees - but for what it's worth I decided to try Caradoc again.

 

One of the things that took me by surprise is that the Wye is a spate river, and even though the level was't particularly low it was obviously lower than winter. It was kind'a surprising to have the water 6 feet below the banks. Caradoc has fast and more leisurely bits - for all I know most stretches may do. I started in the fast bit with no success, then moved to a slower bit where I caught. I have to lie down late afternoon for health reasons, but for some reason during that time, 5.30-6.30pm, the barbel had an incredible feeding spree and a friend I was with had 10 barbel - but I stress that, judging from the catch reports, it's not always - or indeed usually - like that! An advantage of Caradoc is that you can drive along the banks which suits lazy anglers like me. It's also useful because the convenient swims are quite well spaced out due to trees, awkward banks etc.

 

The night before I had a crack at the town stretch in Ross-on-Wye, and found I wasn't prepared for the river. The anglers there use 2 and 3 oz feeders. I was able to buy some in the tackle shop in Ross before going up to Caradoc. You need the right feeders, particularly if the levels are up I would think. Also a reasonably long-handled landing net for many of the swims.

 

I just mean by that sufficient weight. I am not qualified to say whether the feeder approach is best, although that's what most people seem to use - small pellets, partly soaked in water in the feeder, with a bigger pellet on a hair rig.

 

I suppose there are 3 possible water conditions. Low and clear - that's when a lot of people didn't catch. Medium, which is what I had. Or up and coloured. I guess the experts would say this is the best for barbel, but for a comparative novice like me it would be quite daunting. The Wye is a big powerful river! For all I know you may have experience of this already.

Edited June 22, 2010 by The Flying Tench

[Ian Powell]

Ah, I see what you mean. When I checked the catch reports in March there was a certain amount of info on barbel catches, but I guess it's been erased at the start of a new season. Basically the catches weren't as good as I had expected - quite a few blanks, and it's clear there are no guarantees - but for what it's worth I decided to try Caradoc again.

 

One of the things that took me by surprise is that the Wye is a spate river, and even though the level was't particularly low it was obviously lower than winter. It was kind'a surprising to have the water 6 feet below the banks. Caradoc has fast and more leisurely bits - for all I know most stretches may do. I started in the fast bit with no success, then moved to a slower bit where I caught. I have to lie down late afternoon for health reasons, but for some reason during that time, 5.30-6.30pm, the barbel had an incredible feeding spree and a friend I was with had 10 barbel - but I stress that, judging from the catch reports, it's not always - or indeed usually - like that! An advantage of Caradoc is that you can drive along the banks which suits lazy anglers like me. It's also useful because the convenient swims are quite well spaced out due to trees, awkward banks etc.

 

The night before I had a crack at the town stretch in Ross-on-Wye, and found I wasn't prepared for the river. The anglers there use 2 and 3 oz feeders. I was able to buy some in the tackle shop in Ross before going up to Caradoc. You need the right feeders, particularly if the levels are up I would think. Also a reasonably long-handled landing net for many of the swims.

 

I just mean by that sufficient weight. I am not qualified to say whether the feeder approach is best, although that's what most people seem to use - small pellets, partly soaked in water in the feeder, with a bigger pellet on a hair rig.

 

I suppose there are 3 possible water conditions. Low and clear - that's when a lot of people didn't catch. Medium, which is what I had. Or up and coloured. I guess the experts would say this is the best for barbel, but for a comparative novice like me it would be quite daunting. The Wye is a big powerful river! For all I know you may have experience of this already.

 

John this is really helpful thanks very much. I hav elittle or no experience of big rives. i've had the odd abortive trio to the Hampshire Avon and Dorset Stour with little retur. Most of my barbel( only a few) have come from the Bristol Avon which is not quite the river it was. Caradoc sounds nice I might see if I can book it. If I do I'll put a post and let people know how we did. this will be in July sometime. Thanks again

[Ian Powell]

Ian one of my favorite spots on the Wye was the H&DAA run Field Farm stretch lots barbel and chub...just look for the features

 

http://www.fly-fish-guide.net/wye/river_wy..._to_caradoc.pdf

 

Shows salmon beats I know but suites the purpose

 

Thanks Kevin this is very helpful. I'll probably contact the club. If I get my couple of days out in July I'll let you kno whow I got on