Well, what an end to a sublime season. Varied, fun, hectic and beautiful, all rolled into one !!! I’ve had new and returning clients and I can honestly say each and every one of them has been fantastic. It’s quite funny, when you’re guiding someone in the deepest parts of the Elenydd, it’s really interesting on the conversations that crop up, other than that of angling ….. I’ve learnt new things from highly skilled people, and I’ve found subjects to be both fascinating and informative …..
As there’s more rain today, and the tail end of yet another named storm, I’ve been up early bells, with a quick gym session to kick start a Sunday morning. Again, it’s horrid weather out there. Strong buffeting winds and yes, you’ve guessed it, more rain !!!!! Wow, we’ve had an incredible amount the last few days. Major flooding has occurred over Herefordshire way, with huge amounts of water out on the Lugg Flats. Tenbury Wells, Leintwardine and the Leominster area have all been hit hard by severe rainfall. So depressing to see and, very upsetting for people too, who have their homes enveloped in that dirty water.
The rivers are all raging, and the power of the Upper Wye behind my cottage is immense. Let’s hope we do get a lull in the Battle, and just a bit of respite from the continuous precipitation !!!! Climate change ???? Most definately. A lot of the wild streams I fish, such as the Edw, Cammarch, Lugg and Arrow will be totally transformed by spring. Then of course they are different beats !!!! Timid, well behaved and displaying the deep scars of the winter flooding regime !!!!
All the trouty fishing locations this season have just been totally fun, from the highest most remote mountain Llyn, to the secretive babbling brook down in the lowlands of Herefordshire. If I think back, it’s been so varied, and when I’ve taken clients out, there have been red letter days and tricky days, but, with ringing the changes, I’ve managed to get them into stunning wild brown trout. Happy clients makes for a happy Joe…… and there is no nice a feeling, driving back from a wild stream, or one of the big reservoirs of the Elan Valley, knowing your client has had a fantastic days angling !!!!
So my last day of my season was last Thursday. The Seventeenth of October is always the last day of the wild trout season on the big wild still waters …. Claerwen reservoir, what better place to go !!! She’s been fun and also at times tricky this season. Things have been different from other seasons, with work getting done on the Craig Goch dam, Welsh Water have held back releasing it as normal up at Claerwen. It was therefore full for most of the season. Only now, is the top reservoir of the Elan Valley filling. I believe work has been completed on Craig Goch dam, so hopefully she’ll be good to go, come March 20th next season. The trout will have become dispersed enough by then and provide some well earned early season sport …. We shall see. Not long to wait, honest !!!!
She was fun , sport was good for the morning, and a lovely southerly ripple kissed the huge sheet of water. Sun too…. wow, we were really spoilt !!! It definately shines down on the Righteous !!!! To top off a lovely morning, which kind of ate slowly into the afternoon, I was joined by Tony and Rob. Two excellent anglers, who, like me, enjoy the wilder more remote places, searching for Welsh Gold. Both are very accomplished fishermen in their own right, and all round fly anglers, enjoying the smaller streams, along with the joys of the Upper Wye and the Usk ……. A laugh and great craic was had, mainly chatting about the season, locations, possible new beats, wild streams, and the winter season ahead !!!! Actually, it’s great news for the anglers that don’t want to wade treacherous bed rock or tab miles across the moors to fish , the RHAYADER AND ELAN VALLEY ANGLING ASSOC. flagship, LLYN GWYN is back up and running, after some niggling problems over the summer season with the blue/ green algae blooms. Things are back to normal at this beautiful lake. A lot of extra work has been done here, by a superb committee of very keen, dedicated individuals. Enjoy a day here guys and gals, permits are available from Hafod Hardware, or Daisy Powells newsagents in Rhayader……..
SO, that’s my season all wrapped up, some winter grayling will be done, but as I mentioned in my last blog, shooting is my focus in winter to be honest. I shall have some fun days trotting a float on the Builth stretch of the Wye, and no doubt in between river maintenance for the Wye and Usk Foundation, I shall have a go for the grayling on stretches of the Arrow and the Ithon. That’s always fun, and in some of these wild streams, there are some lumps lurking !!!! It’s just leaves me to thank all those gorgeous locations I’ve have the privilege to fish. You’ve been kind to me and my clients, and we’ve come away content and with enigmatic grins !!! My clients have been spectacular, varied, fun and determined. They have taken my piscatorial advice soundly, and each and every one I’ve got into feisty wild fish !!!! We’ve trekked across hill and dale, netted stunning spotties, laughed, casted, waded and enjoyed the crafty behaviour of our sometimes impossible quarry !!!! And of course last but by no means least, our prize, the wild brown trout, Salmo Trutta……… You’ve been just magical. From the bronzy metallic fish of Claerwen reservoir, to the feisty, beautifully spotted trout of the Edw , all are an absolute joy to behold in the net. Of course the best bit is gently slipping them back into their watery domain ……… Thankyou 2024 !!!!!!!
