So far this season I've landed 11 Wye eels, mostly over a pound, two over two pounds to 2lb 9oz (above). When people ask 'have you caught anything?' and I mention an eel in my answer they always comment 'you don't see many of those anymore'.
Perhaps they aren't being caught as much on hair-rigs and pellet - but they are certainly still there. I like eels, and once they get over a pound they are fairly easy to unhook (photographing them is a different story) - and I'd love to see a 3lb+ eel this summer...
Perhaps the Wye barbel are finally starting to wake up - just in time for Adam's trip, oh, and James' first Wye trip of the season. Five barbel to 7lb 9oz, plus three chub and an eel. And as a bonus I spotted an upper-double pike. Let's hope they keep feeding...
This is not the new format of the blog, if and when I start catching I'll start blogging session by session again - but only one barbel again this week, still waiting for them to wake up and go on the feed!
Saturday 6th:
1 barbel / 5 chub
4 hours
Sunday 7th:
4 chub
4 hours
Thursday 11th:
1 chub
2 hours
It's got to start happening soon - hasn't it? Still it's great being back on The Wye. Although perhaps I'd have been better off shark fishing with Paulos & Roger (with a 7' 7" lemon on Tuesday, top photo).
Reminding me what they look like, 6lb 0oz.
Plenty of chub, but not the monsters I've seen drifting about.
Nature Table #4
Identify the skull No 1: Starting with an easy one...
When are the barbel going to start feeding? Had a small one on Sunday, then lost one about 8lb - then three wallies waded into my swim and that ended that! *Wallies with fishing rods, not anglers!!
Sunday 30th:
1 barbel / 3 chub
4 hours
Thursday 4 July:
3 chub
1¾ hours
Haven't put much time in this week, 2 evening were rained-off - don't mind fishing in the rain but not when the fish don't want to play... Hopefully head out later before the football - come on barbel!
Nature Table #3
Details were scarce, but back in the 1980's (possibly 90's) a monster Wye pike was caught in Lydbrook - sadly it was killed and eaten and it's head hung on a nail in a woodshed on the riverbank.
I remember the story from when I was a kid - but there's no way I could track it down - and no way it still existed. Well a bit of research, a tiny bit of B&E, and there it was, covered in sawdust and mouse sh*t.
Apparently it was 31lb, 4½ foot long, fisherman unknown. Was this the pike I dreamed of when I was a kid? I put it back on the nail. I have seen a secret video of a Wye 30 caught last year - perhaps this year..?