Well, what a week, started at Llyn Clywedog on the Sunday and ended yesterday with a sublime day at Bugeilyn ….. sort of wasn’t planned if you know what I mean, just evolved with the steady, damp, drizzly south westerly weather we have been having for a few days….. I felt it the perfect opportunity to search for Welsh gold in the hills ….. ok,ok !!!!! I know Clywedog is stocked , but wow!!!!! What a day, expertly guided by my fishing buddy Mac, having not been to this 615 acre water in what must be fifteen years or so …. He put me over some fantastic drifts, and bang !!!!!!! Some strong hard fighting rainbow trout , lovely job . ‘‘Twas actually a Rhayader and Elan angling association competition , but it’s kept light hearted, as angling should be, no stressing, no fretting , just enjoying the day as it should be !!!! We live in a world where someone always tries or thinks they’re better than someone else…. My motto folks, never put yourself on a pedestal, and that includes angling, because there’s always someone who knows something that you don’t !!!!!
So in a nutshell, I came away from Clywedog having had a fabulous day on a beautiful Llyn, having a great craic and banter in the boat ….. spot on !!!! And I managed to boat ten superb bows, three of which I kept for the table, the others slipped back in to the cold depths of Clywedog …. And of course, it’s a lovely drive there ….. I think I may even try some bank fishing here at the back end of the season …. Being a river and wild Llyn man, it’s in my blood to roam and wander on my trustee “plates of meat” !!!! Lol !!!! That said being in the boat was a refreshing change ……
Onwards, and after the dynamic day on Clywedog, I had work on the Monday which was actually a break from the mountains, dare I say it …. However, that was short lived, as I was heading out to the Teifi Pools on the Wednesday ….. again, a fantastic drive out there via Cwmystwyth …. Those quiet, peaceful lead mines …. Once a hive of activity with hard men grafting all day … now all that remains are some of the building structures, but beautifully built in stone …. They’d put todays extremely dull new builds to shame ….. mind you, let’s face it pretty cheap materials are used nowadays ….. how times have changed, and our modern method of thinking , makes you wonder hey !!!!!
Great sport there although I started on Llyn Egnant, she was low and pretty tricky, with muddy banks and that exposed weed….. I did pick up one lovely fish from here, on a slow retrieved bibio, but decided to cut my loses and move to Teifi, which I think was a good move in hindsight ….. a good wave seemed to have the brownies up and aggressive …. My god, solid pulls here, superb !!!! Really hammering my wet flies, just sub surface , and those markings ….. awesome, just can’t fault it !!! Netted a few chunky fish from this famous Llyn …. Although mid afternoon was tricky with the wind …. I did try a big bibio sedgehog on the surface, two lovely aggressive takes, both on for a few seconds then off ….. still, that’s fishing hey !!!!
And so my last venture of the week, yesterday …. An old favourite and one which , as Frank Ward states in his excellent book , The Lakes of Wales, Llyn Bugeilyn, the Shepherds pool, lies dreary and remote in a secluded valley ….. well Frank, I gotta say, I love it there, it’s long been a favourite stomping ground and I’ve fished it for many many years …. Just a sublime place … silence and an air of tranquility when you get out of your wagon after negotiating the rough track down to the boathouse …. It almost seems like closing the door on the truck is almost too loud ….. if that makes sense!!!! Kind of upsetting the ambience …
Sublime fishing again , I took Mac along , he used one of his Prince Albert tickets , which allows two days fishing here and various days on other llyns dotted around Wales… as usual, I purchased mine via the Fishing Passport … a great day for twenty three quid…. Although I can remember, not so long ago this Llyn was only twelve quid to fish it. !!!!! Fly fishing for a day seems to be creeping up …….After all, most, if not all of us practice catch and release …. Keep prices reasonable I say … we want to attract youngsters into angling, particularly wild game fishing, not deter them …. Not many sixteen year olds can run to twenty three quid for a days fishing , there, that’s my bit said !!!!! On the plus side , myself and Mac found what the fish wanted on the day and sport was manic to say the least !!!! Lovely sharp takes to my team of two …. That’s normally all I’ll fish here, as it’s generally blowing a hoolie , being 1700 feet up in the mountains …..Twas yesterday to be honest …a strong south westerly , which seemed to change to a westerly by mid afternoon …. Fabulous sport with two dozen brownies each …. Myself and Mac did agree, it was a nice change from the Elan Valley, Claerwen, and the vast amount of wild streams that surround the lovely bustling town of Rhayader….