Strewth, as I sit here in a cosy front room, with my log burner just ticking over, and a very large mug of Baileys coffee, I’ve been pondering on the last eight or nine days…. It’s certainly been a case of dodging very intense showers, but on the plus side, we’ve had some lovely overcast “choppy” days, that are just perfect for the Elan valley and the mountain llyns …. The rivers at the moment are well and truly blown out, with rain on and off yesterday, and an amber Met Office warning for later today …. My god, they play it safe don’t they these days, after the Michael Fish debarcle of days gone by !!!! I suppose it’s the big umbrella up, if you’ll excuse the pun !!!! Safety first, and edging their bets !!!!! ………………
I did manage two brief sessions on the lovely River Ithon, this time last week, I think the Sunday and the Monday …. I tend to loose track if it’s been a hectic week, which, quite frequently it is !!!! Dry fly sport was fun, on two occasions, with over a dozen to an eagerly waiting net ….. After studying the online NRW river gauge, she was sitting at the perfect height for dries, on both my recent visits. Ive become something of an expert at what height, on various rivers, is perfect for the most effective use of the dry fly, my favourite tactic !!!! In places, the beautiful Ithon reminds me of the River Morda up on the outskirts of Oswestry. I used to thin out rabbits there with my trustee .22 Weihrauch in days gone by, then after an eye wateringly early hunting sortie, place the rifle in its slip, get kitted up for the river, and enjoy some early morning, summer dry fly sport on the babbling river I used to love. It kind of grew up with me you know. From my really young, carefree days, when I’d ever so carefully catch bullheads in a jar. I’d marvel at them for a few minutes, hypnotised by their beauty, then release them. Watching them merge into the cobbles and find a cosy slab of a stone to retreat under. Fantastic times, and I learnt so much from inspecting small river life in a jar. Stone clingers, baetis nymphs, mayfly nymphs, they intrigued me…. But in those days, they were just wiggly little small insects that lived underwater… I needed to find out more about this mysterious life. This underwater world !!!! And of course the magnetic attraction is still there to this day. The magical child within me lives on !!!!!!!
So, yesterday’s guiding was a day on the stillwaters…. A nice change, having had the two good sessions on the Ithon early in the week, followed by a cracking morning on Caban Coch reservoir, mid week. I met up with Kier and his partner Hannah early bells at Ty Morgan’s in Rhayader, for a quick mug of coffee, a chat about the day, then we were off….
A tricky start up at Claerwen, with a North Easterly wind and the occasional heavy shower…. Ringing the changes, we had an early lunch by the dam and dropped down to the Nantgwyllt Church car park…. Garreg Ddu was the focus for all afternoon. And, she didn’t disappoint, a new “team of two” tied on my clients leader, and we were off, and back in the action !!!! Thumping wild brownies keeping my client entertained all afternoon….. In fact, some of the fish were absolute clonkers for here. Beautiful, buttery yellow wild trout, with huge bright red spots, just fantastic. Feisty and strong too, putting a lovely bend in the rod, just the best of wild trout fishing !!!!!
In fact , there was a window where, trout activity was really good, between two and four…. Some gorgeous fish to the net. We wrapped the day up at about half five I think it was, had a chin wag in the car park and said our good byes, till their next visit to Rhayader. Kier and Hannah are big lovers of the Lakeland of Wales, and enjoy everything about it, from the wilds of the Elenydd to the cosy welcoming atmosphere of this bustling , vibrant market town in the middle of the Cambrian Mountains.
…… so, the week ahead , well, Tis my birthday soon, so a nice meal out is planned with Daisy May, and I’m guessing a couple of cheeky ciders will be in order. And the weather ?????? Well, it looks bleak over the next few days…. I’ll hopefully give Nantymoch reservoir a bash and possibly Llyn Bugeilyn on a better day. It is two thousand feet up, so obviously you need to be aware of the forthcoming weather, especially at that height !!!!! Lovely to get into a few of the resident black finned brown trout though … Salmo Nigrippinis to be precise !!!! A bit of an eye opener, I saw a report on the Fishing Passport, very recently and an angler, who was most annoyed, as wild swimmers were down there…. Now I’d be livid, it costs enough for a days angling on some of these locations as it is…. Along with the drive there. I’m hoping the WUF have relayed this info to the landowner and the relevant action taken care of ……. Actually, a good friend tabbed all the way up to Fynnon Lloer, a good few years back. This is a secluded mountain Llyn, well up above Llyn Ogwen , only to be greeted by ten students having a whale of a time in the lake !!!! Be aware of this folks, I’m not being a stick in the mud, but if you’ve paid ya money, you takes ya choice !!!! We’ve all enjoyed a dip, on a hot day, but surely they could have had a dip in any of the millions of water holding areas in Eryri ??????? There, Victor Meldrew moment over with !!!! Just be shrewd when you’re booking these way out places… don’t do it when university and school holiday breaks are on !!!!!!
Ohhhhhh I nearly forgot to say, as I always do, enjoy your angling this coming week. Get out on a windswept mountain Llyn and marvel at the beauty of those finned jewels in the middle of nowhere …… You can’t beat a solid thumping fish, from one of the Elan Valley lakes… Feisty, strong and with rod wrenching takes…. Fantastic !!!! Professional rain dodging is definately required this week folks, but if you do get out, stay safe, and as usual tight lines. I shall catch up with all you piscatorial people of the Angle very very soon……. Bye for now !!!! 😉😉🎣🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🐟🏴