With the season now well and truly finished on the rivers, for our lovely wild brown trout, it just leaves the big wild waters of the Elan Valley, and Claerwen reservoir open, with their season carrying on till October 17th. I’ve been lucky the last two sessions on the first big reservoir, Caban Coch, in that the weather has been perfect for wild brown trout …. Squally, wet , windy and generally rough conditions, but perfect for the better brownies to be up in the wave…….
The two mornings sport were fantastic….. solid hits to either my Clan Chief variant, or the Katie Mac….They just hit it like a bus! And the quality of the brownies over the last two sessions, just gorgeous fish …. I’d kept to fishing the open areas, just in case some keen, early starters with regards to spawning, had started their journey into the bays where the feeder streams are….
The scramble along the wooded bank from the sawmills, up to the Nantgwllt church was precarious, but so worth the effort…. Three good fish along that bank, along with two smaller feisty brownies …. Still great fun to catch on this wild, almost solemn reservoir. Lots of folks pass this sheet of water by, and beeline up to Craig Goch…. Yes it’s easier fishing, being open moorland, and more accessible banks, but here, there lurks big brownies, and that is what I sometimes like, about the challenge of possibly hooking into a cracker, from a wild wind swept water ….. BANG ‼️ this happened on the second morning on this reservoir, the fish hit my point fly like a Mail train ….. strewth I thought , this is a feisty old boy , and it sure was a fantastic wild brownie, once I’d got him to the net, after a tussle and him boring deep in this cavernous water ….. A specimen fish for here, and a wild brownie of possibly eighteen inches, a cracker, I was well chuffed…….
So, two marvellous days mooching the rough banks of this interesting and varied sheet of water…. It could tell lots of stories of days gone by , with the superb remains of the buildings visible during the hotter months,, when the water level is really low, hard working men would have grafted on the land here …. And now, their beloved home is part of this massive sheet of cold peaty water …… certainly not forgotten, the history of the area is a proud, often spoken about subject, and long may it continue . So thats nearly it , another week or so left then it’s chasing the ladies on the upper Wye …. That’s still good fun, nothing like hitting into some solid grayling and enjoying some fast and furious sport if you happen to locate a really decent pod !!!! Anyway, perhaps a couple more sessions to be had on Claerwen reservoir, and of course Caban Coch, if it doesn’t fill toooooo high, which prevents fishing then, as you’re in the real rough stuff if the level is at winter height …. Other than that, it’s shooting season, and I get the rifles out and give them a check zero ….. also a fun time to get up to Mid Wales Rifle club, and give my vast air rifle collection a dam good airing …. Now that is fun …. Especially testing new ammo through the barrels, and getting just the best accuracy out of each gun, cracking fun !!!!! And of course being an ex Rifleman, in the Green Jackets, it’s a must that all groups take out the bullseye, and are as tight as the proverbial gnats chuff !!!! Well, be rude not to hey …….. enjoy the last few days folks, if your fishing any of the bigger wild waters. Here’s hoping for some more dull, overcast days, with a pokey South Westerly wind…. That’s it, for another blog……Ahhh almost forgot , it’s Friday, poets day, Crunchie day, and the start to the weekend, enjoy it folks …..and finally, if your getting out, stay safe, and tight lines !!!!! 🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟😜😜
