Wye Challenges 2024/25

Wye Pike: Target 20 - Total: 13 (65%)
Didn't go exactly to plan, there are far fewer pike here than I thought. Hundreds of hours for thirteen pike (including 6 doubles to 19lb 10oz & 19lb 4oz), but each photo represents a fantastic day!
Breakdown: Lure: 6, Livebait: 5, Deadbait: 2


Wye Barbel: Target 200 - Total: 60 (30%)
Couldn't find The Wye barbel in numbers either, but a lot of chub and even a few eels in the mix, it was great to be back wandering about on the river. And I'm still searching for that Wye double - I'll be back!
Best: 9lb 4oz, 9lb 1oz & 5x eights

Felina-Ten-Ten

James joined me on the Small River for an end of season fish-off. Most barbel wins a pint. And there were no extra points for breaking into the others swim and poaching out a fish - but we did it anyway!


To be honest there was quite a bit of faffing about, clearing swims and a bit of litter picking but when we got going I took an early lead - the first three barbel were mine - including a 6lb 9oz & 7lb 0oz barbel.


But James wasn't going to be beaten on his home-river, especially by someone new who had only been fishing the river for fifteen years! And soon started bagging - including a 7lb 2oz barbel.


Action was hectic - and included four double hook-ups - we were going to get a photo of us both with a barbel, so I left one in the net - James took too long to land his, so I had another while waiting!


And then we forgot to take the photo - but does explain the top photo - none of those fish were kept in the net for more than a couple of minutes. First time either of us has had a three barbel photo.


A cracking afternoon and the final scores on the doors: James: 10x barbel to 7lb 2oz, Brian: 10x barbel to 7lb 0oz. Ten each - which was the perfect way to end up. Can't beat a twenty barbel afternoon!


And as a bonus we found a couple of stag beetle grubs where someone had broken a fence post. We put them out of the way and built them a little log pile - hopefully see them again buzzing along the riverbank.

Friday 14 March (6 hours)
Barbel: 6lb 7oz, 3lb, 7lb 0oz, 5lb, 5½lb, 5lb, 5lb, 6½lb, 3½lb, 6lb (10)

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So just 9 short missions on the Small River this season, with 57 barbel added, taking my total up to a nice round 1,700. Need another 7+ though - I'll be back next season...

Season	No	5+	7+	10+	Best
2010/11	27	1	0	0	6lb 6oz
2011/12	44	14	8	0	9lb 12oz
2012/13	56	34	20	6	12lb 4oz
2013/14	8	5	4	0	7lb 13oz
2014/15	71	33	16	1	10lb 1oz
2015/16	127	45	15	0	9lb 4oz
2016/17	70	31	15	2	11lb 15oz
2017/18	132	56	23	2	10lb 9oz
2018/19	101	36	13	1	10lb 3oz
2019/20	164	69	28	5	12lb 1oz
2020/21	250	77	20	6	14lb 2oz
2021/22	180	34	8	2	11lb 1oz
2022/23	228	47	8	1	10lb 9oz
2023/24	185	59	16	4	10lb 14oz
2024/25	57	22	5	0	7lb 6oz
Total:	1,700	563	199	30	Breakdown

Hailstorm

Hailstorms and freezing cold weather - but I went anyway!

Thursday 13 March (4 hours)
Barbel: 4lb, 2lb, 2lb, 3½lb, 4lb, 4lb, 5lb (7)
Chub: 3lb, 3lb (2)

One Hundred?

I haven't had a great season - but I was on 94 barbel so far. And as I was in London anyway I might as well pop down the Small River and see if I could hit 100. Bit of wandering about in the sunshine flicking a cube of meat about - and the six barbel I needed. One hundred!!

Wednesday 12 March (3 hours)
Barbel: 6lb 7oz, 3lb, 2½lb, 4lb, 4lb, 3lb (6)

Walking The Dog

Last weekend on The Wye this season, I just needed 8 pike and 141 barbel to crack this season's challenges. Best get an early start then...


Morning: A wander about chucking the bulldog about - and after a lot of miles, finally a pike hit the lure - rare fish this season!


Afternoon: I abandoned the lure gear and ledgered luncheon meat (I needed a sit down). And a barbel & four nice chub to round it off.

Victory Paint

Just one more Wye pike, one more before the season ends - I'm not going to hit my target of 20, but eleven feels a bit uneven. And as the photo above suggests; a float-ledgered herring deadbait did the trick!


At 16lb 6oz my 6th double of the season - brilliant! And Roger, fishing about a mile upstream, had 3 nice chub including a 5lb 5oz brute (although the photo gives his secret spot away). Top day all round!!

Right, off out again now. Perhaps one more...

Grind

A long time without a blog post - and it has been a real grind on The Wye. Mostly double dipping; one rod with a deadbait, one with a maggot feeder & worm hookbait for perch - no pike or perch, just a couple of chub for my efforts! And it was cold, cold fishing!!

So with a sunny afternoon and a rise in water temperature I thought I'd see if I could find a flood water barbel. Nothing special, just a cube of luncheon meat in likely looking areas. And two barbel (to 8lb 1oz), a chub & a surprise eel reminded me of what catching fish felt like!

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James has had far more luck, adding another barbel to his 40 River Double Challenge. Number 28 - and it was a whopper!

Better Than Jack

Long cold day fishing for perch - blank! Glad I chucked a lure about on the way home - got to love a jack blank-saver. A pike added to the challenge - but the target of 20 might be slipping away...

Snow Melt

Not ideal conditions, fishing in the snow-melt - but at least it wasn't freezing cold! And a herring deadbait lowered into a little slack soon brought a run - convinced I was attached to a twenty - but at 19lb 10oz I'm not complaining! Glad I'm not counting the hours-per-pike though.

Records: 1.3 (falling), 3° (cold/bright), float-ledgered herring.

Double Dip

The pike fishing is slow - did I mention that before? So thought I'd chuck out a cube of meat as well - see if I can get something to pull the line while I'm waiting! Two barbel and 2 chub, and of course no pike!


Better than a blank - far, far better! Think it might be the way forward this season (when not traveling ultra-light with the lure gear). And while I'm on about lures - a Wye sea trout with eyes bigger than her belly!