Just got back from three days Barbeling on the Wye.
Went with a couple of old mates, good food, booze and banter.:w
Back to the fishing.
First day was on Courtfield, a few miles downstream from Ross. Water was fining down and quite low, apparently it had been a couple of feet up at the end of last week. Bright and sunny.
I managed a couple of sevens and a beautiful 8-8 and a half a dozen accidental chub, one of my mates had a 10-15, a very good fish for the Wye, a good start, beers all round.
Day 2, back on Courtfield again. Level down a few more inches and a bit of a grind. I managed a very respectable 9-12 as the light failed to save the Barbel blank, and another half a dozen chub.
Day 3, a change of scenery and a stretch just above Monmouth. It gutted down all day. I fancied the swim at the top of the stretch, a nice glide close in but the swim wasn’t easy to get in and out of and the rain turned it into a skating rink! Getting set up I slipped a nearly went in, the chair did! The swim wasn’t good enough to take the risk, so I moved before casting.
Found a much more sensible swim and got the brolly up and settled in for a damp few hours. The swim was in a wooded stretch, even paced water, I was drawn to a line about half way. First cast dropped short but the angle of the line was steep and the river deeper here than I expected, so I left it. We gave it best at 3 o’clock but in the few hours I had six barbel on the shorter line, nothing big but a couple of sevens in the catch. Back to the cottage to warm up and dry out.
So, ten Barbel over the three days, thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. All caught on two elips glued together, banded onto the hook with a cage swim-feeder putting down the attraction.
Stu
) and this meant waggler was out of the question, instead opting for quite a heavy 6no4 stick to plop into the clear holes the best I could. Seemed every other cast I was taking a leaf down but most times the bait was twitched off successfully. This commotion had me thinking it was going to be a disaster as it took quite a few mins for the bites to come. When they did though the action was thick and fast with three perch around 1lb and two around 2lb with the biggest 2lb 6oz which was a pb for the stretch for me, it put up a mighty scrap too on the light line cutting through the leaves like they weren't there. Amongst the perch of all sizes the usual roach, gudgeon, chublets and skimmers followed along with the obligatory solo ruffe for that stretch, the small stuff fed well after each perch was netted unsurprisingly. 
