Download river wye report july 2008-08-02

RIVER WYE REPORT JULY 2008-08-02
A variety of conditions were experienced on Wye during July with one good spate
which for a while shifted the emphasis of catches from the lower to the upper river.
At the start of the month although conditions were good for the lower beats catches
started to fall off somewhat although the odd fish were being caught here and there.
However around the 6th July there was the start of a considerable spate which was
quickly followed by another one which kept the river unfishable for a few days.
Around the 13th however the upper river started to become fishable and most beats
from Builth Wells to Glasbury started to catch reasonable numbers of fish, probably
around 60 or so in all. Several were taken at Newbridge, Builth Wells, Glanwye and
the Nyth but beats around Erwood probably did best, beats such as Gromaine,
Llanstephan, |Rectory and Spreadeagle. These were all classes of fish from well into
double figures, best around 17lbs, but mostly 8/12 together with the odd grilse.
However catches soon fell away and the expected bonanza predicted by some failed
to materialise and with levels falling as well there were very few back up runners to
fill the beats. During this time beats above Erwood were surprisingly quiet which
considering the good water was somewhat disappointing and again the grilse failed to
put in much of an appearance. As usual at this time of year the middle beats were
disappointingly slow with the odd fish coming from around the Hereford area but
very little elsewhere.
Towards the end of the month catches really fell away as air and river temperatures
soared for a few days making things very difficult in all areas. Right towards the end
of the month the river was freshened up by some small rises, often dirty, which did
little good for anyone though a couple of fish were taken upriver at Glanwye and
Spreadeagle and the lower Monmouth beats too started to pick up a fish or two again.
As I write this just into August there is another much more substantial spate affecting
the upper river and this reasonable flush may well perk up things somewhat.
Hopefully there will be a few more grilse around; lets just hope they are late this year,
for at the moment they are not in evidence in any numbers.
There are some problems now becoming evident in the barbel versus salmon anglers
situation, mostly but not entirely, on those beats being promoted by the WyeUsk
Foundation. Beat are being marketed as dual coarse fishing and salmon beats as an
extra stream of income for fishery owners who have found difficulty in letting their
salmon beats in recent years. However it transpires that some of the ‘better’ salmon
beats on the Passport scheme are those that also fish well for barbel who like similar
habitat to the salmon.
The problem then is that a salmon angler booking up a day on a beat finds a couple of
barbel anglers there as well, often occupying the main salmon pool or runs. Result –a
problem!
It’s impossible to determine when booking online whether others booked
on the same beat that day are coarse or game anglers. It seems one fishery owner has
already stopped barbel angling for August on his beat, though one would have thought
this was probably the worst month for salmon, whilst another beat has been made
barbel anglers this week, salmon anglers next.
It’s a ridiculous situation, driven as it is by the relentless marketing going on at
present which does no one any good, except the finances of the fishery owner and
WUF though I suppose that was the whole object. The anomaly is that the stated
purpose of opening these once famous salmon beats to all was to get them fished by
salmon anglers and it’s being threatened by being too greedy and cramming in barbel
anglers as well. The problem was well known and not just the situation forementioned
but also, if you are a one bank fishery then you can also be severely affected by barbel
anglers on the opposite bank too, just ask those anglers around Moccas. Surely it must
be one or the other as the two methods can seldom mix. Perhaps we should have a
Wye Barbel Owners Fishery Association as well? Coarse fishing ‘guides’ are also
starting to appear at pretty fancy prices and this once famous river looks in danger of
loosing its salmon oriented identity which would be tragic to say the least.
PROSPECTS.
With a spate to start the month there could be some sport in all areas. Some of the
earlier fish will be well coloured up by now but there is still time for grilse to put in a
substantial appearance and as long as temperatures remain reasonable together with
river heights then there could be some extra fish almost anywhere.