Feedback & Reports

My first time on the beat. Not a good beat for a man who drives a Hairdresser's car - with the turning around of said car in the parking area being a spectacle deserving of a wider audience. A pleasant day on a low clear river. Like other correspondents, I can confirm the Gromain beat is full of small fish; with the faster water at the bottom of the beat producing all but a fish a cast throughout the morning. Mostly small Trout and Salmon Parr. Some of these fish were seriously small - I must have caught bigger Minnows on South Newington brook as a boy. Concentrating on the deeper water above the hut produced a some better Grayling in the afternoon. In spite of a sunny afternoon, next to nothing on the top - with everything falling to a tungsten nymph.

20 Trout, 6 Grayling, 10 Other

2 x trout 10-14 inches. A tough evening, warm and close, with a few trout smutting in very low water. A small Grey Duster accounted for a couple...and one got away. Stale salmon breaching in the Chine (as usual) and also Upper Rocks.

2 Trout

Having not seen this beat before, we were quick to discover two deeper pools on the left hand side. I decided to drop in the first run and my friend dropped in the last swim which had a big deeper slack on the inside after the rapids.
I started on a small dumpy waggler fishing down the middle with corn and feeding pellets and had the odd chub to 3.8lb then a small barbel of about 2lbs, nice on the float...
I ended up with six chub and two barbel the other being three pounds and one dace.
My friend had six chub and a welcome barbel of 8lb 12oz a PB. All caught on feeder tactics and meat.
The river was low and clear with bright sunshine so we felt we had done well. I recomend the WUF to anybody who has a passion for angling and the countryside. Look out for the kingfishers, not often you see three fishing together. We'll be back.

3 Barbel, 12 Chub, 1 Other

Low water level.

The river conditions were not ideal as it was low and clear, but with overcast conditions hopes were high. Fishing from 7am till dark on beat 4 & 3. The action kicked off straight away with a 6lb 8oz barbel first chuck for me, and a 7lb 4oz for J.P. I then followed that with a 7lb 14oz 2 hours later, when it started to brighten up as the cloud cover dispersed. A few chub were caught, the best being 4lb 12oz by S.P. The afternoon was very slow with 2 bites had but no fish. I lost a large fish about an hour before dark, and few more chub bites were had but no more fish landed. We all fished halibut and hemp though the groundbait feeder. A great day out in gorgeous surroundings. Will definitely be back.

3 Barbel, 4 Chub

River very low and clear. 4 x fish caught. 1 x 12", 3 smaller. Mostly on drys in lower pool. Nice day out!

4 Trout

The anglers on the far bank, opposite the beach, packed up after a couple of hours and that probably should have been our cue too. However, we stuck it out, but for little reward. The noisy pump is a constant reminder of how abstraction continues even when the Wye is rock bottom low.

1 Barbel, 4 Chub

With the river very low, never going to be easy but steadily caught trout and grayling to 10 inches throughout the day.

8 Trout, 12 Grayling

The second day of our trip. The two of us that caught the day before started in the same swims we ended in the previous evening. I was in the waterworks swim but couldn't get a touch so decided on a move. The same was for the two of the party who struggled on the Saturday. The fourth member of our party got of to a great start with an 11 lbs 3 ozs barbel in the woods, his second double in two days. By late morning he had caught two more barbel and decided to head home very satisfied with his 12 barbel over two days. As the other two also decided to head home early I moved into my friends swim. A good move! Steady action came through the rest of the day and I ended up a tired but happy angler after bagging ten barbel to 9 lbs 13 ozs and six chub to 4 lbs 8 ozs. The session showed what Courtfield is about. It can be hard going at times but if you get on the fish the rewards are like nowhere else. I suspect the fish will spread out a bit if we get some rain but seem very localised at the moment, making it hard for everyone to catch. The fish were all in immaculate condition. Will be back next year.

13 Barbel, 6 Chub

River very low and clear. Managed to raise one trout but either I or it missed.