Another week “bites the dust” as they say….. And, odd weather again, some drizzle , some mornings cold too, it really knocks the fishing about, particularly on our rivers. That said, I’ve had a couple of sublime days on Nantymoch Reservoir. We’ve had a pokey westerly wind last Monday, and in fact later in the week too, up in the Plynlimon massif, with that dull, dank, almost November feel in the air….. Perfect for pulling traditional wet flies back in a good wave !!!!
The solemn, huge Nantymoch Reservoir, has been fished quite a lot over the last two months by myself, with clients, and on my own, because my local Elan valley reservoirs are still a bit up in the air, with work continuing up at the very top dam….. Craig Goch. It has a knock on effect with all the others, and in fairness, a lot of the bankside is either thick mud, or not approachable at all. Caban Coch reservoir comes into its own at the back end of the Season, but remember folks, the season here ends on 17th of October, which is superb. I do love the feisty attitude of these Elan Valley fish at the “back end” too. Aggressive, hungry and with absolutely rod wrenching takes to wet flies zipped back in a good, cool rolling wave….. just fabulous!!!! And those colours, buttery yellow, with magnificent spots!!!!
The local rivers have been excellent fun, on the right day, from the Upper Wye, just on the fringes of Rhayader, to the tributaries and feeder streams, that abound the wilds of mid Wales. The Fishing Passport has put some “off limits” due to info passed down from the N.R.W. with the ongoing crayfish plague, which was identified in July on the River Irfon. Something to be aware of folks, favourites like the Edw, Arrow, and the Cammarch have been closed for some time now. To be fair we are spoilt for choice, and I have actually increased my own portfolio of rivers, with two more fabulous beats locally ….. A field test has been carried out, and I can report that dry fly sport was fun and pretty hectic in fairness !!!!! lol ……
It would be nice to have some consistent weather for September, particularly for the rivers. There are a couple of feeder streams up in the Elenydd, that shall remain nameless, that are alive with small aggressive brownies. I take my five foot, seven inch, zero weight, s- glass rod, made for me by the very talented Adam Rawson. Tis a joy to use on these small, lightening fast mountain brown trout. The glass rod comes alive when you have a trout on, just superb fun !!!! An eight inch fish is considered a whale….. most being six inches or so, but superb fun on a well placed dry fly !!!! In fact it’s probably my favoitite fishing if I’m honest. The smaller intimate streams are such fun, and really test your reactions against amazingly fast takes to your fly !!!!!
As I conjure up this little blog, it looks like imminent rain outside , and the met office have put out one of their serious weather warnings of looming thunderstorms !!!! We shall see, most of the time I think they edge their bets, and it’s the old umbrella syndrome, if you’ll excuse the pun !!!!! Here’s the betting that by four bells, the weather warning is cancelled !!! That said a few of these tributaries could do with a dam good flush through. The Ithon, Arrow and Cammarch particularly harbour that yucky brown dead algae at this time of year, and a good amount of rainfall does help in sweeping it all away ……
So, the first of September, and a month to go for us river anglers ….. Tis always a time of reflection, and also looking ahead. I think to myself, where didn’t I fish this season !!!! There’s a couple of mountain llyns I didn’t get up to, but on the same token, I’ve got new beats to fish, and I’ve also fished some tribs I haven’t waded up in years. They’ve been fun, and quietly surprised me, with the head of fish they hold. They’ve been secretly rolling through the steep valleys for centuries, and I feel quite honoured to be wading up such a delight, catching wee small wild fish on the dry fly. Just an absolute pleasure.
I have some more clients out on Nantymoch next week, then I’m hoping for two days on a couple of the wild streams, before turning my attention to Caban Coch reservoir, and the lumps that reside there. Remember folks, it’s club water, so permits need to be purchased before fishing, either from Hafod Hardware, or Daisy Powells Newsagents, both of which are in Rhayader town centre. And, I don’t need to tell you how to suck eggs, for those reading this that aren’t aware, an NRW rod licence is required also. Get those in the bag, and you’re all set to have a wonderful day exploring in the wilds of the Elenydd. You may even bump into one of the NRW bailiffs, so make sure your licence is on your person !!!!! They’ve been doing the rounds just lately, so enjoy your fishing legally !!!!!
I’ve become a fan of the beautifully smooth, almost velvety, Mocha drinks from the local “ Narrative Coffee” situated in the bustling market town of Rhayader. I had one the other day, and it is certainly on another level where hot drinks are concerned. I chatted to the very keen owner and designer Sam, about the fantastic interior design of the coffee bar, and how wholesome and relaxing it feels. I shall definitely be taking clients here to discuss the days itinerary, over a beautifully prepared mug of coffee, prior to the short drive up into the Elan Valley………….I’ll finish this blog, and being a Sunday, I shall make a beeline for this addictive establishment…… Have a safe, enjoyable week folks, the clocks ticking, make sure you get out on the river and naturally, the tightest of lines !!!!!
