River Wye Day 2 - 01.07.2024

Morning all.

Both John and I where off to a new stretch of the river today.

Our chosen destination was the Wye Lee stretch of the River Wye near the bridge pillers.

We arrived to find ourselves the first people there so had the pick of the pegs. John already new where he was gonna fish as did I due to short recce the night before.

John was in the the first peg next to the pillers. A bit of a boilly, washing machine peg due to all the sub-surface obstructions. It looked very "Barbely" but he may well loose some end tackle. A bonus John had was we had witnessed a barbel capture from there the night previous so at least we new the were in the vacinity.

It had been very warm the past week. I had my suspicions the barbel may still be spawning, or at least cleaning off in the fast water.

My choice of run was a double croy.

A croy is something like a jetty of rocks, man made, in this case, heading out into the river to about 40 feet. A double croy has the same jetty of rocks mirrored on the opsite side of the river. This causes a pinch point in the river, incresing the flow and oxygen and hopefully would contain a barbel or two.

John was in thd feeder fishing large halibut pellets.

I was fishing stick and pin, feeding pellet and fishing meat, using a 6g barbel stick, a float desinged exactly for this type of fishing.

John was into a fish within the first ten minutes. After a good account of its self in washing machine peg at the bridge pillers a large chub of around 4lb gave up the fight and graced Johns net.

I had just finished setting up at this point. I had been faffing around, not happy with something or other but eventually sorted out my rig so I was happy with the way it made its way down the run.

I was feeding pellet and fishing large pieces of meet on a size 6 hook.

I was into smallish chub of around 2lb to 1.5lb straight away but it was not easy by any means. I recon I had about six fish in the first two hours. Barbel and one massive cock salmon where crashing every now and again right in front of me which definately kept me interested!!!!!

I decided to have a break after a couple of hours, rest the run and visit john. I had his meal deal in my bag and thought it would a good time to get our heads together and evaluate the situation as it was not going to plan.

" All right mate. What have you had then"? I shouted from the top of the bank.

" About eight chub, biggerst 4lb 6oz, all on pellet and paste". Said John as he squinted from the blazing sun.

"Here is your dinner fat lad" I shouted as I tossed the bag down to him.

"Cheers Mike, I am gagging for a drink".

After fifteen minutes we made a few plans for the rest of the day.

I waddled over the style and shimmid down the bank.

(Not a pritty sight!!!!)

I was knackered !!!!!

(Im not getting any younger)

I had my refreshments, sat on the bank and had a snooze for ten minutes

😆😆😆😆😆😆.

Waking up revitalised a grabbed my kit a got back to it.

All my chub were caught at the the end of the run. This time my float burried not ten feet down the run. I was quite surprised!!! I hit it very quickly and felt that nervous flow of emotion when the rod hoops over and you are met with that VERY SOLID RESISTANCE of a babel on the float in fast water!!!!!!

I have said this in a previous blog but its true

"I thought I had hit the bottom.........but then the bottom moved"

https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2015/03/river-irwell-barbel-another-dream.html

Some times, intially, I don't think barbel even know they are hooked !!!! Once it did know it was hooked it was off, screaming down stream, kicking and thumping its way to freedom. I had approximately ten yards of line left on my pin when I eventually stopped and turned her. I managing to get some line back on my pin after six or seven minutes, she was tiring. I had one tricky situation to to get past which was a large, sub-surface weed bed in front of me. I needent of worried as she came throgh it without issue into the slack water on my right created by the croy. Over the landing net she came. She was mine!!!!!

😊😊😊😊😊😊

I had not shouted to John of my battle as I didn't wan to look a d#ck if I had lost her. He was quite surprised when I called him saying just four words !!!!!!!

"Barbel in the net"

Within a minutes he was scrambling down the banking looking for the fish.

"She's in the net at the top of the croy resting" I said leaning back on the banking having a rest myself.....lol.

Double croy run.

"Bloody hell shes's decent one to. What sieze do you recon Mike, 6.5lb?" Said John, genuinly happy I had caught one.

Barbel Stick:

https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2023/09/new-11g-barbel-stick.html

7lb + you cheeky bugger !!!! I replyed.....trying not to look like a cheshire cat!!!!

Johns swim.

Johns biggest chub.

A few pictures were taken and she was then rested once again and then released.

I will never tire of seeing a summer barbel swim off, upstream, pectrol fins proud, fit as a fiddle, into a crystal clear river !!!!!!

We had a further five minutes chatting then we both got back to it.

It was unfortunatly, a little uneventful after that.

We had a few hours more but no barbel.

I even had a go on maggot to try and catch a bleak, which I did, but only the one. I also had a few more small chub and dace but nothing else worthy of a picture apart from this lovely looking perch.....such beautifull colours in the evening sunlight !!!!

We were off to the pub around 19.00. We were thursty and starving. I know it's better fishing late in the evening but it was a holiday to and we never get a chance to have a pint together.