Summer Fishing 2024

Quick look back at the summer - written monthly as I went along. And a quick tally: 80 barbel, 238 chub, 19 eels, a carp & a cracking pike - a total of 190 hours fished over the short summer season. It was tough going on The Wye - not what I was expecting at all - but great to be back stomping this riverbank again...

June: Very slow start on The Wye, the fish were behind this season due to the wet, cold start to the year. There were still shad in the river (loads of them, good to see) and the barbel were still spawing. There was very little to report. Only four barbel landed and no pike spotted since the season opened. Onward and upward - hopefully...

July: The River Wye still hadn't come to life - I could see barbel but I struggled to catch them! Only 13 barbel landed all month, plus a few chub - for a lot of effort. And the perch fishing was even worse - not one landed yet! A couple of 2lb+ eels seemed to be the highlight of the month - let's hope there's more to report in August...

August: The highlight of the month was three afternoons on the Small River - great to be back - and 27 barbel, 2 chub & a small carp landed - I have missed it! Still stuggling on The Wye, lots of short sessions added fourteen barbel to 9lb 1oz - plus plenty of chub. The summer is turning into autumn - perhaps my season will turn around now?

September: Started with an afternoon fishing a private stretch of The Wye with James - both landing 6 barbel. Part of a total 22 barbel to 9lb 4oz over the month. The highlight of the month, and really the only noteworthy fish of the summer, was a 19lb 4oz pike - caught while fishing for perch! More of those please!!

Now it's time for wooly hats, wellies and hopefully pike. Lets see what the Winter Wye has planned... Hopefully not perpetual flood...