pics from the Wye

The two of our best of the day - dads went to over 6.5lb





Minnow on pellett and trout on trotted maggot





Heres dad returning a barbel

Back on the Wye - this time for chub

OK sometimes we let our heart rule our head - my dad has a passion for chub - a species he is least successful at catching, this was barbel but he has nailed a few now and really wants a 4lb plus chub.

So when a opportuntiy came about to go back to the Wye for a weekend he was pleading with me to take him.

Its a long way from Manchester and i really wanted the weekend but i was on dog minding duties and having family helping me out for a day is as much as you could expect.
Setting off at 3,30am for a first light start was the mission - we couldnt put the rod in the water until i got tickets at 8am but at least we could get the pegs we wanted - the Hereford DAA stretch is a good one and if i was local i would definately be a member - but it has been hammered last few years - everyone knows the marks and the fish stick to these areas - meaning a short feeding spell and 20 fish of yester year is more like 2 in a session

But with nearly 11 hours fishing i was as nervous as child on Xmas day while my heart was telling me of a 20 fish haul and new pbs my head was saying "short feeding spell, a few fish.

It was going to be a hot day" - great for the anglers tan not good for catching, - typical me, i find a good venue 2 years after its best period.
Well the session started well - glorious sunshine and within 1 hour some action for Dad, there was slight movement on his rod tip and when he hit it - fish on - a good fight led to a 2-3lber in the net - these barbel dont half fight hard.Banded pellet was always the best bait here - last time we had a big shoal of chublets to 8oz so when the action died in the sunshine we switched to maggotts to occupy ourselves,
This didnt work - i even trotted a chub float with bread, maggot and worm - 1 small trout first cast - no chublets, just millions of minnows - they were ravenous - dad had 1 on halibut pellet and when we netted fish you always caught a couple in your net.

So off i went trying different swims in a mile radious - but things felt different - it didnt feel fishy - other anglers didnt seem to have anything - while the peg we fished was a known barbel hotspot it did throw up a few good chub - i have had a 4lber there.

So on we perservered - mid to late afternoon and nothing but minnows - i know the barbs were there - i just hoped for Dads sake so were the chub,

I managed a small chublet on banded pellet - maybe this was a sign?
Then Dads rod bent over - "banded halibuit again" i said - we had to be patient but they have a taste for this bait - a good fight saw a 6,5lber in the net,
Then we both lost 1 in the snags - damn.....
Are they switching on? - i said we would wait all day until the last few hours when the sunlight faded
Then at 6pm, a slight knock- a far cry from the arm wrenching takes we expect from Barbel - the bites today were very cautious - i hit it and yesssss, i was in - it scrapped for 10mins and i finally had a 4lber, after a good rest and return i got the rod out and within 5 mins i was in again - not a big fish but a good 5 mins scrap and a 3lber was in the net - we waited and hoped for one more before dark but it didnt come,
Best tactics here in summer - night fish - so if i return i will have to do so as a member because thats the only way on the Hereford DAA ticket
The fish were there, the river majestic and the angler optimistic but alas no chub - Dad will have to try again, maybe i can talk him into the ribble before the end of the season

pics to follow