The Wye season open quietly on 3rd March with nothing caught for the first few days. Conditions were on the high side with seemingly the upper river favourite for an early fish especially after a winter of continued high water.
The first fish came on the 9th March from Llangoed pool between Erwood and Boughrood. Caught by Stephen Marsh Smith the fish was caught from a boat on a flying C and measured at 47” with a 27” girth. We shall never know it’s true weight of course as it was not weighed but at that length was obviously a very big fish. A photograph was produced that has been the subject of much internet speculation as to the weight and credentials of the fish which had pretty obviously been in the river for many weeks. Suffice to say it was not what you might expect an early Wye fish to look like.
Aramstone beat then produced two fish in successive days, a 15lb fish to Andrew Cuthbert and another of 20lbs to Stan turner, both spinning. Then came a 25lb fish from Holme lacy to Colin Richardson, 15lbs from Lower Ballingham to Ian Hone and at Courtfield a 20lb fish to Don Macer Wright, all spinning. The first fly caught fish came to Nathan Jubb from Caemawr at 12or so followed by another fly caught fish of 10lb the following day to owner Wayne Tyler. An 18lb fish was reported from Symonds Yat, 15lbs for Jason Newton from the Ross AC water and 13lbs for Roy Cartwright from Sheepwash. Both fly caught fish. Later in the month Matt Taylor had a 17lb fish from Sheepwash too on F/C. Brian Skinner had a 16lb fish from Pwll-y-Faeda on a spinner and followed it up later in the month with a 14pounder.
As levels continued to fall Wyesham got off the mark with a Japanese visitor Mr Washiya taking a 15lb fish on a Monkey tube fly. Other beats caught their first fish too with a 15lb fish from Luggs Mouth to Eddie Jefferson, Red lion 12lb to Rich Williams and the Rectory with a 15lb fish to Adam Tobin. Ross AC had another at 15lbs to Jonathon Daniels and another of 14lbs to Ray Morris. All these spinning as was a 20lb fish from Legg meadow to Ross James where a few days later he took another around 20lbs on fly.
Ingeston also caught their first fish with Keith Gabrial taking a fly caught 14llber. On the same day young 10 year old Henry Sayer, spinning with a Toby took a fresh 8 pounder, Congratulations to him and let’s hope it’s the first of many for him in the future. Shortly afterwards Nick Brett took an 18lb fish spinning from the same beat.
Ross AC scored again with Jon Daniels taking two fish 8 1/2lbs on spinner and a 20lb fish on fly and Colin Richardson had another from Holme Lacy at 18lbs, Carrots had their first fish at 14lbs to dave Roberts at 14 lb and he also had another smaller fish of 9lbs later in the month spinning. Wyesham scored again with fish of 17lbs to Mike Timmis and 18lbs to Richard Godsall. Another middle Wye beat produced a 40” fish to Ian Hepworth Smith on fly and another Courtfield fish to Jason Conlon on spinner. Ingeston scored again with a 15lb sea licer to Coventry’s Peter Dent and a 12lb fish to Andre Sobczac on a stoats Tail plus a 13lb fish to Saul Roberts and another on the 4th March 20lbs to David Slade.
The Tunnel beat produced a 17 1/2lb fish to Andy Mills and Mr Daniels had another of 12lbs from Ross on a spinner. Whitney Court got in on the act with a 36” fish to Joe Sinclair on spinner and some days later Stuart Smith weighed in with a 12lb fish on a Willie Gunn.
Wyeside reported it first fish to Mr Coleman with a fish of 25lbs and Glanwye recorded its first of the season with an 18lb fish from Duhonw pool on fly to Christopher Morley. Nothing reported on the upper river above Glanwye so far which is disappointing given the good water we have had all winter and spring.
Disappointing too that for all of March conditions were too high and coloured for the lowest beats and last year’s high scorer Bigsweir has yet to get in on the act. It’s still high enough down there as I write this in early April but I suspect they will soon come into their own soon.
Apart from the first fish the quality and average size of the early Wye springers were such as the river is well known for and although not many fish are actually weighed these days average weights were high at around an estimated 16lbs with quite a few sea liced. and an average weight matched only in the UK by the Hampshire Avon so far this year. Numbers were not great with a total of 42 fish for March, somewhat less than the five year average at 58. Picture of many of the fish can be seen on the rwga.co.uk website. Including the ‘big one’
With the river still in great condition for most beats and likely to settle downriver at some stage , April, although starting off slowly with barely more than a fish per day off the whole river, should almost certainly be a better month than March and with the quality of fish hopefully much the same bring a smile to a few more anglers faces as nothing beats an early Wye fish.
