Freestone · Mixed · Mid Wales / Powys-Herefordshire

Wye

Wye fishing venue photo

One of Britain's great salmon rivers — straddles Wales and England with spring salmon (March–May, from the early-March opening), grilse (summer–autumn), and strong back-end runs to the 17 October close.

Prime · Chub
Daddy Longlegs · Hook 10–12 with knotted pheasant tail legs
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River dropping into shape after a lift. The kind of afternoon you remember — a weighted nymph through the clearing seams, the dry as it settles.
65% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.65 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp22.5°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
DL
Daddy LonglegsHook 10–12 with knotted pheasant tail legs
in season · matches water height
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.65 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp22.5°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather26°C
WindS 8 km/h
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead1.7 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Chub
Warm — slow
23°C est.ideal 14–22°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Chub
When
April–June (spring), September–November (autumn)
Where
One of Britain's great salmon rivers — straddles Wales and England with spring salmon (March–May, from the early-March opening), grilse (summer–autumn), and…
Why this works
Chub: comfort conditions look perfect. Clarity very coloured — accounted for via spook-risk.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Chub fly box

Wild-river first principles. Early-season nymphs and practical searching, then dry flies, emergers and spiders as hatches and surface activity improve.

SB
Small Black Streamer
Hook 8–10 weighted · Fly
in season · matches water height
Beats · 24 · 5 reaches

The Wye is not one fishery. Above Builth it is technical Fishing Passport fly water with named salmon pools and some of Britain's best grayling; through the middle river it splits into coarse-and-salmon beats around Hereford; below Ross it becomes prime double-bank salmon water alongside Ross-on-Wye Angling Club's mostly members-only stretches. Access is beat-by-beat — mostly the Wye & Usk Foundation's Fishing Passport, plus club water at Ross.

Upper Wye — Fishing Passport beats (Rhayader to Builth) · 6 beatsDay rods
Craig Llyn, Doldowlod, Gromain, The Rectory Fishery…
The 6 beats
Craig LlynDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
1 mile+ of technical upper-Wye fly water roughly 3 miles south of Rhayader, with named salmon pools alongside trout and grayling.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. C&R all species, fly only, no dogs. Good bank maintenance and access. Season and wading-difficulty detail not published for this beat — treat as technical upper-Wye water pending confirmation.
DoldowlodDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Two sub-beats (Ystrad and The Channels) on ~2 miles of double-bank Wye just upstream of Newbridge-on-Wye, river 20-30 yards wide. The Upper Wye's standout named grayling water. Grayling best late Aug-Nov, numerous fish over 2lb. Salmon need high water Apr/May/Jun, best prospects October.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. 1-fish limit trout/grayling, C&R salmon always, fly only, no dogs.
GromainDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
1.6km single bank ~8 miles downstream of Builth Wells, river ~70 yards wide over slate bedrock. Broadest species mix of the named upper-Wye beats, with an unusual coarse element for this reach. Grayling trotting permitted 18 Oct-2 Mar. Occasional barbel reported in recent years.
Fishing Passport, max 3 tickets/day. Dogs allowed under control (unlike most upper Wye beats).
The Rectory FisheryDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
One of the premier upper Wye beats: ~1.5 miles right bank plus 1 mile left bank, 6 miles upstream of Hay-on-Wye. 13 named salmon pools plus a genuine four-species mix. Mixed wading — easier at Gravel Catch/Bridge Flats, rockier and harder in the lower half.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Guiding available on request. Grayling trotting permitted from 18 Oct (per formal Rules section; body copy elsewhere says 1 Oct) to 2 Mar.
The RocksDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Just over half a mile of single left-bank water upstream of Builth Wells — spectacularly rocky, numerous pools and runs. Trout and grayling only; no salmon fishing here. Some pools are extremely deep — a genuine safety consideration, not just a difficulty note.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day (lowest of the upper Wye beats). C&R all species.
Ty MawrDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
The furthest upstream fishing on the Wye system — 1 mile+ of main-river Wye a couple of miles upstream of Llangurig. Gravel bed, relatively easy wading, and often the first part of the catchment fishable after a flood. Decent average fish size for such a small headwater beat.
Wild Stream pre-booking or Season Permit. A Winter Grayling ticket is also sold.
Wild Streams — small tributary becks (Fishing Passport) · 2 beatsDay rods
Clettwr, Duhonw
The 2 beats
ClettwrDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport — Wild Streams)
Wild-brown-trout-only tributary entering the Wye at Erwood, 7.5 miles south of Builth. Access is difficult — around a 30-minute trek with a climb. 2 fish/rod limit, sub-9in must be returned.
Wild Stream pre-booking (cutoff 6pm day before) or Wild Stream Season Permit (2026: £100 one-rod / £140 two-rod). Max 2 tickets/day. Crayfish-plague disinfection notice in force. Rod 6.5-7.5ft, 2-4wt.
DuhonwDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport — Wild Streams)
Small wild-trout stream close to Builth Wells, average fish 6-8oz with pools holding fish over 1lb. Last 500 yards above the road bridge run through a steep gorge where wading is much harder.
Wild Stream pre-booking or Season Permit. Max 2 tickets/day. Full C&R. Rod 6.5-7.5ft, 2-3wt.
Middle Wye — Builth to Hereford (Fishing Passport) · 4 beatsDay rods
Foy Bridge, Lower Carrots & Luggsmouth, White House, Whitney Court
The 4 beats
Foy BridgeDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
225 metres of double-bank Wye adjacent to Foy Bridge, near the hamlet of Hole-in-the-Wall. Coarse-focused, with salmon also present via an adjoining fly pool. Perch confirmed here specifically — not stated on the other three Middle Wye beats.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day. Half-price evening coarse tickets Jun-Sept.
Lower Carrots & LuggsmouthDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
~800 yards double-bank Wye a few miles downstream of Hereford — part of the historic "Hutton's water" middle-Wye salmon fishery. Salmon best April/May/June or late September, with a specific gauge reading of 1ft 6in-2ft on the hut gauge.
Cannot be booked online — contact the Fishing Passport Booking Office directly, subject to fishery-owner approval (~48hr response). No vehicle access to the riverbank; ~300m walk from parking. Max 2 tickets/day.
White HouseDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Single left-bank Wye, ~1 mile, between Ross and Hereford. Croys and platforms ease some pools; gravel bed elsewhere. Salmon fly and spinning; grayling caught here recently despite this being primarily a coarse/salmon beat.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Guides need prior Wye & Usk Foundation / owner permission.
Whitney CourtDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Mostly double-bank Wye across ~3 miles in six sections, a few miles downstream of Hay-on-Wye. Predominantly gravel — much easier wading than the bedrock sections above Hay. Heavy canoe traffic 10am-4pm on weekends/bank holidays in season. Salmon fishing especially good in spring; trout and grayling are fly-only.
Fishing Passport, max 6 tickets/day (the highest cap of any Wye Passport beat).
Lower Wye — Herefordshire & the Wye Valley (Fishing Passport) · 7 beatsDay rods
Courtfield, Goodrich Court, Goodrich Court — Coarse Fishery, Lower Symonds Yat…
The 7 beats
CourtfieldDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Single left-bank Wye, just under 3/4 mile, between Ross and Monmouth. Coarse-focused despite historic "salmon cribs" terrain — no salmon ticket is sold here. Reportedly produced the biggest Wye pike in recent years, plus huge barbel shoals (double-figure fish each autumn) and chub.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Shares the stretch (opposite bank) with the separately-bookable Home Fishery.
Goodrich CourtDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Just over 1 mile double-bank Wye a few miles downstream of Ross-on-Wye, reserved exclusively for salmon anglers. Historic water — Robert Pashley (10,000+ career salmon) fished here. Named pools: The V, Dog Hole, Maddox, Vanstone.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Fly only before noon, spinning permitted after. Resident ghillie Tue-Sun.
Goodrich Court — Coarse FisheryDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
The same physical water as Goodrich Court above, but bookable only outside the salmon season, coarse only. 1 mile double bank. Good head of barbel and healthy numbers of dace.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Pike explicitly not permitted here.
Lower Symonds YatDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
~2.5 miles double-bank Wye through a gorge, a couple of miles upstream of Monmouth. Dual salmon-and-coarse fishery with vehicle access along the entire left bank via an old railway line.
Fishing Passport, max 4 tickets/day. Pike fishing not permitted.
Upper BigsweirDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Single left-bank Wye, approximately 3/4 mile, a mile downstream of Redbrook and about 3 miles above Bigsweir. Salmon-only, 9 named pools including the famous Cadora Pool/Cadora Tail down to Digby's. In lower water (below 750mm on the Redbrook gauge) the top half of the beat is wadeable with care.
Fishing Passport, max 2 tickets/day. Fly only from 1 June; spinning must be single-hook only. Resident ghillie subject to availability.
WyebankDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
Single left-bank Wye, 300 yards, in the village of Lydbrook between Ross and Monmouth. The broadest species list of the lower Wye beats — salmon, wild unstocked trout, occasional autumn grayling, barbel, dace and chub to 5-6lb. Named lies: Wyebank crib, lower crib, and "boat rock" (a lie feature, not a boat-hire service). Dace particularly good here.
Fishing Passport, max 3 tickets/day. Pairs with the adjoining Courtfield beat for group bookings (booked separately).
WyeshamDay tickets
Wye & Usk Foundation (Fishing Passport)
2.5 miles double-bank Wye — the first beat downstream of Monmouth, on the England/Wales border close to the tidal limit. Prime double-bank salmon-only fishing; the Monmouth-to-Estuary section is where the majority of Wye salmon are caught.
Fishing Passport, max 1 ticket/day — the most exclusive beat on the river, priced at £110/day. Rotating sub-beats. The catchment-wide Wash-Off Policy explicitly does not apply here.
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club water · 5 beatsMixed
Lower Benhall, Sellack, Town Water, Upper Benhall…
The 5 beats
Lower BenhallMembers
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club
Club-controlled Wye stretch at Lower Benhall — the only Ross AC stretch explicitly listing sea trout.
Members only.
SellackMembers
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club
~1.5 miles club-controlled Wye at Sellack (HR9 6QP). Only accessible outside the 3 March-17 October salmon season.
Members only. Closed during the salmon season (3 Mar-17 Oct).
Town WaterDay tickets
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club
Left-bank Wye from Riverside Park to below Wilton Bridge — the club's only day-ticket water (the rest is members-only). Full species range: barbel, bream, brown trout, carp, chub, dace, eel, grayling, perch, pike, roach, salmon.
Day ticket £10, available via Badger's Bait, Fishers, or club bailiffs. Coarse season 16 Jun-14 Mar.
Upper BenhallMembers
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club
Club-controlled Wye stretch at Upper Benhall.
Members only.
Weir EndMembers
Ross-on-Wye Angling Club
Right-bank-only Wye, ~2 miles — the club's recognised salmon fishery, historically the Guy's Hospital / Robert Pashley water.
Members only, separate paid salmon permit / waiting list.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Llynfi
15 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Chub
Edw
15 km
Brown trout · Salmon
Irfon
16 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Salmon
Ithon
19 km
Brown trout · Grayling · Chub
Towy (Tywi)
28 km
Brown trout · Salmon · Sea trout
Gallery · 7
  1. Wye Valley, Buxton, UK
    Wye Valley, Buxton, UK
  2. The River Wye near Erwood, the river channel against a backdrop of Welsh upland pasture and hillside.
    River Wye near Erwood
  3. The River Wye flowing through open moorland pasture north of Erwood, the river the primary subject.
    River Wye north of Erwood
  4. Looking downstream along the River Wye at Hay-on-Wye in late spring, green tree-lined banks and the river filling the frame.
    River Wye at Hay-on-Wye
  5. The River Wye at Boughrood in summer low water, with visible gravel banks and clear water.
    River Wye, Boughrood
  6. The River Wye at Hay-on-Wye from the bank, broad open water with wooded hills behind, in summer.
    The River Wye at Hay-on-Wye
  7. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

One of Britain's great salmon rivers — straddles Wales and England with spring salmon (March–May, from the early-March opening), grilse (summer–autumn), and strong back-end runs to the 17 October close. Major river with long response (12 hours) — plan ahead, wait for suitable conditions. The Wye at Builth Wells and Hay-on-Wye is superb. World-class grayling fishing in the middle reaches (winter fishing October–March). Fish salmon with sinking-tip line and medium tubes in spring, smaller doubles through summer. A river teaching patience and the long view. Atlantic salmon are under serious conservation pressure — Natural Resources Wales mandates catch-and-release for salmon on all rivers, so all fish must be returned.

Sea trout here

Summer-autumn runs (June–September), primarily nocturnal

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

EA (England) · UKGB109055036950

The full read · show the working · for Chub · confidence 65%
Perfect · warmwater comfort — temperature and clarity led
Water temperatureWater temp 22.5°C — comfortable.
FlowStable flow — predictable holding lies.
SeasonPrime month for this species.
Water clarityClarity very coloured — accounted for via spook-risk.
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 3 March → 17 October
  • Trout 3 March → 30 September
  • Grayling 16 June → 14 March

    Wye & Usk Foundation Fishing Passport lists grayling 16 June – 14 March inclusive. Methods vary: fly only during the trout season on Foundation water; some beats allow trotting with maggot from October to March. Check the specific beat and Foundation rules before choosing tackle.

    Method rules vary by beat — check before fishing.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Sea trout: Variable seasonal (2026) — NRW At Risk classification applies to the Welsh sections. Sea trout are present and taken through the Wye system but the river is primarily salmon-focused; sea trout are a secondary quarry. Condition-sensitive across both Welsh and English beats.

Salmon: Negligible (2026) — NRW / EA 2024 Salmon Stocks Assessment classifies this Welsh principal salmon river 'at risk' — egg deposition below Conservation Limit. All Wales byelaws (in force 2020-2030) make catch & release mandatory. Conservation priority; not a salmon fishing destination. The Wye salmon collapse is among the most severe in Europe; conservation-critical.

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