Wye bother in Winter

[Pat Armstrong]

Hello

For three seasons I have targeted the Wye, where I'm happy to pay a WUF premium because of the consistent quality of the barbel sport. Trouble is I can say that only of June-October. Come November I can't beg or buy a barbel bite, with minimal contact until the following June.

Now I can see good reasons why the Wye is a dodgy winter barbel venue - a propensity to flooding, low temps because of the headwater sources and uncertain weather patterns down to the geography. But does it really have to be THAT darned difficult?

Am I wasting time, effort and money (£15/£20 for a WUF booking, plus travel and occasional accommodation, bait and replacements for the ruinous amount of tackle the Wye devours)? Would I do better on my other river options, the Severn (good for a fish or two in any month) and Warks Avon (hard Dec-Feb, but not impossible)?

Any views welcome on ending a winter barbel famine on the Wye.

 

[Cliff Turner]

I don't see any reason why the Wye would be different to other rivers, sport will slow down and you will have blanks but you will also catch when conditions are right, i.e. rise in temps etc

 

[Rhys Perry]

fish for something else

 

[Graham Stephens]

My experience for what its worth fishing the wye is that you need to find deep calmer water , the barbel get battered and frustrated by the ever increasing flood water , lots of wuf water is fast and shallow ( not all ) , how about joining a club instead and asking the boys on the bank how they go about there winter fishing , also dont let the floods put you off , you will be suprised whats under the rod tip in flooded conditions , good luck .

 

[Mark Walters]

My experience for what its worth fishing the wye is that you need to find deep calmer water , the barbel get battered and frustrated by the ever increasing flood water , lots of wuf water is fast and shallow ( not all ) , how about joining a club instead and asking the boys on the bank how they go about there winter fishing , also dont let the floods put you off , you will be suprised whats under the rod tip in flooded conditions , good luck .

I was thinking the same as you mate about the wuf stretches, the bits I fish throughout winter fish well, saying that I'll more than likely blank on Saturday

You and Kev getting out much?

 

[Dave Burr]

There are some very good winter swims on the Wye and the chub and roach fishing can be fantastic however, barbel are very hard to catch consistently. They do feed though, when you get one it will be fit and fat but they are hard work and each one is usually the reward for great effort.

Given the maximum size of Wye fish and the low returns, I'd suggest the Severn or W Avon as alternative venues.

 

[Joe Fletcher]

Pat , Like any other river the Wye at this time of the year , You are in the
'Lap of the Gods ' as to the state of the river and to what the weather is like .
I assume if you are fishing the WUF then you are paying for the ticket in advance . So if the weather / River conditions are unfavourable then you cant cancel your ticket ?
Have you considered other day tickets stretchs on the Wye ?
For example have you considered the H&DAA water , They have loads of water to go for and day tickets can be obtained from local tackle shops .
I have all ways found them helpfull over the phone .

 

[Brian Timson]

I have managed Barbel in every month of the fishng season bar December on the Wye. It is possible but conditions do have to be favourable and I can see by fishing the WUF that can work out an expensive gamble.

As mentioned an investment in a club could reap rewadrs over winter and maybe save the WUF for the favourable months...

Having said that its what makes fishing what it is catching is only part of the fun

Brian

 

[Paul Ashton]

Hi Pat,
I'd go with Joe's advice, if the weather looks favourable give Woody a call in Hereford, see how it's fishing then buy a day ticket if things sound OK. They can be caught right through the winter, but I tend to target other species when the winter sets in. Any Barbel I have caught in December, January or February are usually only when everything is spot on, say a warm flood after along cold snap as in January 2009.
Or steady low consistent conditions, not the up then down, cold then colder we often get. But in any winter conditions they only tend to feed for a very short time in my experience. Had a couple out on November 30th but the water was 9C after a slight flood, todays 3 metre flood will be cold I guess and will make Barbel fishing difficult. I've even had one when the water was 4.7C but I was fishing for Chub and that Barbel came as a surprise.
Hope this helps,
Paul.

 

[Neil Smart]

I have managed Barbel in every month of the fishng season bar December on the Wye. It is possible but conditions do have to be favourable and I can see by fishing the WUF that can work out an expensive gamble.

As mentioned an investment in a club could reap rewadrs over winter and maybe save the WUF for the favourable months...

Having said that its what makes fishing what it is catching is only part of the fun

Brian

Always done very well on the WUF, but that has been in the warmer months, but I reckon that River would give you a better chance in the Winter than most others.