What a complete topsy turvy world we live in !!!! The weather has been the strangest in years …. I’ve never known a March like it . Warm days, up to seventeen degrees, with that yucky easterly wind too. And, everyday seems like Groundhog Day, with regards to the weather, certainly here in deepest mid Wales !!!
One thing it has done, and that’s brought the streams to life way earlier than normal. The Wye and Usk are easy this time of year, just get the hatches right, the dinner gong chimes, and dry fly action is good, for a short time. We have nice easy wading above Rhayader too when she’s carrying a bit of water. For the local Rhayader angling water, you really can’t beat £35 for the season. That’s a fair old section of water too , and the River Elan, oh, and not forgetting the little Afon Marteg in the Gilfach nature reserve, now that is fun, fishing tiny dries, which tests your skill and watercraft too, on very technical water in places …..
At the moment, as I’m writing this on a busy Saturday in Rhayader, it’s pretty warm, in fact you could almost say hot, where the east wind doesn’t catch you . This has definately got the trout on the local wild streams looking up. Hatches of large dark olives, large brook duns and I’ve seen the smaller variety of sedges too on the upper Edw. Tis just blissful fishing the diminutive six foot, one weight rod, after a few weeks out on the big wild reservoirs…. Sport, very early season has been sublime in the Elan Valley, with some superb specimen fish to my net . Those lovely aggressive solid pulls on the traditional wet flies ….. love it !!!!! But, I think my true love is, and always will be, the small wild streams. It’s just cause I’ve been doing it so long, some 39 years now, before it started getting trendy, and people found it fun to wade up a stream, catching stunning brownies on tiny dries !!!!!
So, the rain gods, we need rain, big time !!!! Some of these rivers now need a good flush through. I guess we’re pretty fortunate, at least we have some outflow rivers, locally. Namely the Afon Claerwen, Elan, and just up the road the Rheidol, so all is not lost, if anglers insist on being in moving water ….. Times we live in a guess, water will be a precious commodity, and reservoirs will be monitored very closely for sure ….. Tis years since we’ve had a hot end to March like this, and, I can’t remember catching brownies in the small streams in March, on the dry fly !!!!!!!!!! Yes, we all know fish in the Usk particularly, look up early, to feast on their early protein fix of March browns, but the little tributaries, take a good few weeks after that generally to get going, and for the resident fish to be looking up !!!!
I think well into next week is similar weather, with clear cold nights, dipping just below zero for a few nights …… We’re not out of the woods yet so it seems … Tis so critical with early season success, keeping a close eye on the weather, to see if a good day will be had on one of the big wild waters of the Cwm Elan, or it’s worth venturing out, to slowly wade up a Lilliputian stream in a secretive valley in the middle of knowwhere ……. Tis choices, but fun choices !!!!……
Really, if I’m honest, its been a delightful couple of weeks. I’ve managed to fish several wild streams already, and a few of the big wild stillwaters. Sublime days have been had on Nantymoch, the Elan Valley, and in fact two days on the small brooks have been awesome, with trout looking up, pretty much all afternoon. One word, fantastic !!!!
So, clients through the door next week and into the following week. Personally, I’d like to see some south westerly winds coming in, it may be all change in a few days, who knows !!!! For the wild reservoirs, a dull day with a good wave is most productive, and brings the fish up. Sport can be really fun on the big Claerwen, and the Elan Valley. Last season on Nantymoch Reservoir, early morning sessions on dull breezy days were just sublime. Crazy sport with two or three dozen to the net, some better fish showing later in the day too . Wild Wales at its best …………
Well, out in the wilds of the glorious Welsh wilderness tommorrow. Most likely a small stream, somewhere with a bit of water would be good !!!!! I see a good few anglers are wanting to fish the mountain llyns this season with myself. They’re fun, but again, the right weather really really helps to get the fish on !!!! A glassy surface is hard work, and just doesn’t keep the fish up . In fact the only time it doesn’t seem to affect the quality of the fishing is when the cochybonddu hatch is on …. Then, when the hap hazard crazy little beetles land on the surface, it’s like feeding time at the zoo !!!! Great sport ……….
On the subject of insects, nice to see a mix of large dark olives, March browns, large brook duns and sedges on the move, so early, on our streams and rivers. Kick samples whilst I’ve been wading has also revealed a healthy mix of invertebrates, on several of the small streams. One in particular, masses of baetis, and caddis….. ohhh, and on careful stone turning, small bullheads, lots of them too . Cheeky little chaps, always nice to see these and stone loach in our streams and rivers ……….
Really , that leaves me to say, have a cracking weekend, and if you’re getting out, enjoy your dry fly sport. I should imagine it’ll be fantastic today and looks like the same for tommorrow too. May be a bit longer for the action to crank up with it being a cooler night, but I’m sure mid afternoon, sport will be fun, wherever you are. Make the most of it while there’s still water in these rivers folks. You never know, we may be in for lean times ……… A river on its bones in May isn’t what we all want !!!!! Tight lines guys and gals, stay safe, and have a sublime weekend…….. Cheerio for now !!!!!!! 😉😉🎣🎣🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🏴
