Roach on the Wye

[Troydog]

Yes I think that you are right Dave. There is no doubt that a roach hunt on the Wye, especially out of town, can be a long and painstaking exercise. Red Lion is opposite Letton as you know and I've only had the odd small fish on hemp and tare. I still get a massive buzz from finding a shoal however, as I do with perch. You know the wall by the caravan at Letton. Salmon fishers used to use it regularly because it is a known salmon pool. Five years ago I cut through years of undergrowth to be able to stand on top of the wall. I spent a couple of weeks hunting for perch on the Letton stretch and one day I saw one from the top of the wall. So I fed redworms and maggots until four or five fish appeared. Quickly assembling my pin and float rod I caught three immaculate fish - all low two's. A magic session which needless to say I have never managed to repeat!!

[Dave Burr]

It's the joy/pain of big rivers. I used to fish a stretch of the Severn that would throw up some big roach - although not to me I hasten to add. A guy hit a shoal one and had some big fish. He and his two mates fished diligently for roach for the rest of the week for nil result. Location, location, location.... then prayers and good fortune is the way to go.

[Tengisgol]

Ordinarily, apart from the winter hotspots in and around the towns, roach seem to be a total enigma on the Wye. I did catch one at the Red Lion once Dave, just a three ouncer, total perfection, but heaven knows where it's brothers, sisters and parents were...

[Dave Burr]

Ordinarily, apart from the winter hotspots in and around the towns, roach seem to be a total enigma on the Wye. I did catch one at the Red Lion once Dave, just a three ouncer, total perfection, but heaven knows where it's brothers, sisters and parents were...

A few years ago they started to show up in a few places Phil. I hoped it was the signal to a comeback but I haven't heard of many for a while now.

[Catfish.017]

Back in the 70's if the Wye was carrying around 2 to3 foot of extra water my pal and I used to fish (illicitly!) the right bank at Glasbury immediately upstream of the mouth of the Llyswen brook. There was a cattle drink there which became a classic Crabtree like eddy and was always full of fish in those conditions. Roach , perch and dace mainly and inevitably pike which would attack the end of the keep net on occasion. I had my best Wye roach here in 1979. A solitary two and a half pounder amongst a huge catch of big Wye dace. The following week on the opposite bank trotting single maggot and catching only minnows I was rewarded with three two and a half pound perch in three trots. Happy days. Sadly there is very little to fish for at Glasbury these days, tiny grayling and a chub at dusk maybe.

[Tengisgol]

Back in the 70's if the Wye was carrying around 2 to3 foot of extra water my pal and I used to fish (illicitly!) the right bank at Glasbury immediately upstream of the mouth of the Llyswen brook. There was a cattle drink there which became a classic Crabtree like eddy and was always full of fish in those conditions. Roach , perch and dace mainly and inevitably pike which would attack the end of the keep net on occasion. I had my best Wye roach here in 1979. A solitary two and a half pounder amongst a huge catch of big Wye dace. The following week on the opposite bank trotting single maggot and catching only minnows I was rewarded with three two and a half pound perch in three trots. Happy days. Sadly there is very little to fish for at Glasbury these days, tiny grayling and a chub at dusk maybe.

Why do you think that is?

[Troydog]

I think that you are right Dave. That's where I put most of my time and effort in these days although when you are out in the country and you suss a swim that produces, say 2 or 3 redfins to 1.5lb it is a great feeling.

I had some 2's on the caravan meadow at Fownhope 30 years ago. It was freezing for weeks, the water was low, crystal clear and the margins were iced up. I'd prebaited mash for the previous four days; my tiny needle mounted indicator moved one quarter of an inch for each fish,

I was running a v high temperature with some flu thing I but fished anyway. Seven days in hospital was the result. (and a divorce)

[Troydog]

Interesting stuff Catfish.017. I've fished there too for the perch but got removed by a very unpleasant B&B man who claimed to own the fishing rights. I knew that what he said was untrue but I just don't look for hassle in my fishing, I get plenty of that in my work, so I just walked away.

Tengisgol asks why it has declined and I don't know the answer but many experts feel that the upper Wye has suffered from effluent of one form or another. The Wye and Usk Foundation and the Angling Trust are working to improve the situation, but even down in Hay its slow old sport.

[Troydog]

I married my second wife 27 years ago this coming Thursday and our first nights honeymoon was camping at Hay on Wye but she was sick (pregnant) so I asked if she minded me popping back to Hereford to pick up a couple of rods. This wish was granted and so I had two days on the platforms below the bridge at Hay. Had a few chub but nothing to really get excited about......no roach anyway.

[Catfish.017]

Almost certainly acid rain has affected the upper river to a degree, maybe effluent too as the salmon fishing is but a shadow of its former self. That area at Glasbury would be absolutely littered with corpses in January back then. Trotting bread flake down the middle we would frequently hook well mended kelts toward the seasons end.