...For what reason?
I first fished the Wye in 1991...Living close by in the Forest of Dean, the river was my local.
Shrouded in mystery, stories of fishing and catches that I had yet to experience.
I had been fishing on and off for ten years at this time, mainly on the Upper Thames around Radcot, Kelmscott and Lechlade.
In the early 80's as a young teenager, I would pedal my bike a few miles with my little seven foot fibreglass rod tied to my cross bar and a bag over my shoulder with a box of basic bits and bobs...probably poached out of my Dads fishing box!...my bait, Maggots 50p worth from our local sports shop.
The Wye for me was a baptism of fire...the size, the flow, the spate, the rocks...I could go on!
Luckily for me I met a bunch of roughly organised characters at my temporary work place in Mitcheldean.
These guys fished at Ross on Wye on the Ross Angling club book.
In fairly short order I was invited to fish for Pike with the motley crew...Seconded by one to join the Ross AC, a date and trip was set.
I had caught pike on the Thames before but only up to eight pounds on spinners.
Bait fishing was the order of the day...They knew their stuff, bait, rigs, fish handling and care.
No miracles for me...the newbie!...However, I saw my first twenty pounder on the bank...
And that was it...for the next seven years I was on the Wye almost every week.
To be continued...
