….. Which, as a title I feel is very apt, especially over the last week or so. Some torrential rain here in mid Wales, but alas, sometimes you’ve just gotta get suited and booted in the correct attire, and just get out there !!! As one of my Platoon Serjeants once said, ya skins waterproof, get on with it !!!! Probably mentioned, whilst we were slogging it out on a speed march up in the Brecon Beacons !!!! So, what a few days I’ve had….. You could say I’ve been thoroughly spoilt, with excellent sport in the Elan Valley, and the neighbouring Claerwen valley. With the upper Wye pretty much washed out and not really safe to wade, Tis nice that I have all these wonderful lakes and mountain llyns at my disposal…… I’m a very lucky chap indeed ….
I think my last river day on the Ithon, was at least a cracker, and with my usual tactics on the smaller streams, I did finish my river season fishing dry flies, so I can’t complain. The NRW still have quite a number of the Wye catchment and Irfon catchment streams closed, due to this crayfish plague, which was initially identified I believe on the Irfon, with numbers of our native crayfish found dead. I’m sure the old favourites, such as the Arrow, Edw, Cammarch and Irfon will be open for next season. Seems an age away doesn’t it. I still enjoy some winter grayling on the upper Wye, the Ithon and the lovely River Arrow. Tis really the only time I’ll trundle bugs …. Still doesn’t feel like fly fishing to me !!!! I liken it to rabbit shooting with a .338 Llapua sniper rifle… yes, it can be done, but still not as quiet or as pleasing, as using a lightweight accurate .22 rim fire rifle, shooting subsonic bullets !!!! A very loose comparable I know, but you kind of get the picture….. I’m really a dyed in the wool, small streams, dry fly man…. Well, I have been doing it since I was fourteen…. Tis what I do !!!!! Escaping the mainstream !!!!!!
The last couple of days here have been cracking fishing… I’ve nabbed two early morning sessions , one on Caban Coch, and yesterday on the huge Claerwen reservoir. Fortunately, a decent North Westerley wind was whipping up, on both days, creating quite a chop on the lakes, superb. Both sorties were excellent sport, and hard fighting fish slamming the wet flies in the wave !!!! Love it …. Especially at this time of year in the Elan valley, sport is phenomenal on the right day, with the right wind direction. They are up, feisty and aggressive in the wave !!! Just fabulous sport.
I did have a chat with Annie, in Daisys Newsagents,, after my gym session earlier this morning, about the great value it is , for fishing the lakes. Just twelve quid a day folks, hard to beat, especially when you look at some of the other lakes, fairly locally, excluding Nantymoch, that’s superb value too, twenty five pounds a day is generally the norm !!! Now, that works out pretty dear, especially if you want to fish three or four times in the month maybe !!!! Bearing in mind these are wild, catch and release locations, that should be affordable to everyone, including our younger generation of fly anglers…. Make the sport accessible for all I say, not just for a minority group , which generally falls into the forty plus bracket…. How many twenty year old lads and lasses do you know fly fish the Usk or the Wye ????? Not many, because they’re getting too expensive for simply just a day ticket !!!!
Lecture over with ….. back into the joys of the Elan Valley ….. Yes, as I’ll reiterate, Tis excellent value, and in fact Claerwen reservoir, all 900 acres of it, is a tenner for a days wilderness fly fishing. Just superb, and hard to beat I think !!!! I believe one of the clubs more West of Rhayader are thinking of having a cheaper day ticket for two or three of their “ wild “ lakes. A fabulous idea, makes wild brown trout fishing available to more folks. And why not, I fully support this and long may it continue. The RHAYADER AND ELAN VALLEY ANGLING ASSOC, has fab waters, with the Elan valley and Claerwen reservoir, along with a huge stretch of the Upper Wye going through Rhayader, with several tributaries joining the main river, that are great fun, catching small, super fast, beautifully coloured brownies. In fact the rivers season ticket with the R.E.V.A.A. is thirty five pounds for the Season, yes, the Season !!!!!! With cracking grayling on the Elan as well, just can’t fault it can you !!!! So winter fishing is available as well, when the brownie season finishes on the 30 September …..
The fish up at the mighty Claerwen reservoir are particularly partial to the right kind of wind. I’m one of those wild brownie anglers that loves nothing more than it blowing a “hoolie”, particularly a decent westerly …..Yesterday was a classic example, as I parked up over the dam at the windswept Claerwen, early bells, I knew straight away that it was going to be a fun couple of hours !!!! Call it a fisherman’s hunch and the fact I’ve been fishing here for nearly twenty five years on and off, you just know when things are right !!! You just have to do your bit, with regards to the flies, the retrieve, and moving , moving, moving all the time !!!!! Cast and walk, cast and walk, cast and walk ……………….
On a sour note, whilst fishing Garreg Ddu with a client, I found a big spinner, just down below the Nantgwyllt parking area, pictured above, with some one hundred metres of strong monofilament line !!!! This isn’t a legal method on any of the Elan Valley lakes, Claerwen reservoir, or the associated mountain llyns. Poaching is a rural crime, and should anyone identify anyone deploying this method of fishing, a photo is always good,of them in action, along with any more supporting photos, maybe their vehicle is close by, with fishing equipment in the back seat. The NRW can get details via a police PNC and the “ anglers “ can then be questioned about if they have a valid rod licence. With using incorrect fishing methods, chances are they haven’t got a day ticket, so therefore won’t be responsible anglers and therefore won’t have a rod licence….. kind of escalates doesn’t it…. But, you see where this is going. We all need to do our bit to protect fish, and fishing !!! Simple as that …. And lastly, if you find spinning gear, or spinners etc etc , report it to someone who will do something about it, or post details on social media. And, it goes without saying, please dispose of such items safely and correctly ….. line and spinners will entangle and ultimately kill animals and birds !!!
I think another weather warning is out on the met office app. Strewth, the punter in charge of online weather warnings must be banging out the overtime just lately !!!! seems to be either rain rain rain or ohhhh, wait a minute, there’s one here for wind as well ….. ohhhhhhh that’s new !!!!! I’m sure they just play it very very safe !!!! Oh well, whatever’s happening out there folks, enjoy your last weekend of the trout season onthe rivers, if they’re fishable that is !!! But remember, all is not lost, especially if you’re fortunate enough to have wild lakes or mountain llyns to fish …. A lot of those are open right up to the 17th October, go and give one a bash, you’ll have a ball I’m sure, with feisty beautifully marked wild brownies smashing in to your flies. I must admit I’ve had a sublime river season. Absolutely superb. I’ve loved every wild stream, and every secretive pool that I’ve cast a delicate dry on . Wading up a gorge in deepest mid Wales is the ultimate buzz . That’s my river season done !!!! Enjoyable, you bet !!!! Varied, most definately….. an adventure ????? Ohhhhhhhh yes, always , it’s what drives me on !!! Tight lines guys and girls !!!! 👋👋👋😉😉😉🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🏴
