Wow, what a hectic seven days, different locations, different weather, different clients and sublime guiding days, with clients really getting to grips with the technical freestone rivers of the Upper Wye catchment ….. Variety has certainly been the name of the game this last seven to ten days. We’ve had really odd weather to contend with. I say “odd” loosely as it’s basically October weather we are having in July. The tributaries have been up and down like a yo yo !!! I can’t recall looking at the NRW river gauge levels so often ….. unheard of in July.But, alas we have some cracking big wild waters just minutes up the road, and, even though Craig Goch reservoir, in the Elan Valley is having work carried out on it , it has a knock on effect with all the other big waters, although Caban Coch is now very fishable, with plenty of rugged shoreline exposed, if you don’t mind some rock climbing, to get too fishy areas !!!! Just a short drive up the road to Ponterwyd, we have the solemn, craggy Nantymoch Reservoir, which, after you’ve purchased your permit, you have that picturesque drive across the moorland, passing Dinas reservoir before arriving at the huge, grey sheet of water, with its two vast arms splaying out from the dam . This location is excellent value for money, at fourteen quid !!!! Yes, fourteen quid, this is the kind of price I feel catch and release wild trout fisheries should be. We need to bring in young blood to our sport, not deter them away, with day tickets of thirty quid !!! What up and coming, keen young river angler can run to thirty quid for a session !!!! Four sorties on the river, that’s nearly a hundred quid !!!! Lets knock the snobbery out of wild game fishing, it’s a sport for all, let’s make it that !!!! Here I guess I’m spoilt, the season permit for the three rivers around Rhayader is thirty quid, excellent value and, I’m going to use it a lot more, especially this Winter and into next season. A day permit for the rivers is twelve quid, and a tenner to fish Claerwen reservoir, which incidentally is a nine hundred acre sheet of wild brown trout wilderness …..We have so many tributaries of the Wye here, such as the Edw, Llynfi, Arrow, Lugg, Irfon and Ithon. I can’t get round them all in a full trout season !!! I nearly do, and with the Fishing Passport, there are around sixty beats, different rivers, different beats, with a season ticket at ninety five quid, superb value for money I’d say ………. Just a case of going online and seeing what hasn’t been booked by day ticket anglers, a cracking, well oiled machine that works very efficiently indeed ………….
So, as I kind of catch up with myself today, sorting out kit and equipment for future sorties, I mull over the fab day at Nantymoch, and the sublime day on the Ithon and Afon Elan….. just cracking fishing, and happy clients leaving at the end of the day….. blissful. That said, it’s nice to catch up with them in one of the local pubs in the town, my favoured watering hole being The Crown, great real ale and ciders, which I’m partial to both !!!! Nice to discuss locations and tactics with clients should they be in accommadation the day before their guided angling session. Just nice to get a good rapport going , I take along maps and other interesting piscatorial literature in a guiding pack I carry in a laptop case….. Everything I need is in there…. First aid certificates, DBS Certificate, Angling insurance, rod licence, season permits etc etc etc ….. and more importantly, beat maps and fishy locations we’ ll be heading to the very next day !!!! There’s always an air of anticipation from my clients, it’s a fab feeling of getting them into some Welsh Gold in these glorious surroundings we call Wild Wales !!!!
The weather has had a massive effect on the rivers over the last ten days, so much so, that the reservoirs have come into play several times….. A client Steve, had a cracking if not tricky day on Caban Coch reservoir. We did start up at Claerwen, but, sport was fairly slow, and with only a couple of small fish for Steve’s sharp and enthusiastic efforts, I wanted something that would put a decent thumping bend in that old Orvis Clearwater rod he was using for the day …… Onwards to Caban Coch…… and at last, a decent hard fighting brownie smashed into the Katie Mac point fly …… success, and a happy chappy !!!! More were to follow, but it’s always a relief to net that first fish on a bright, difficult day. The levels on the tributaries don’t so much raise massively, but a lot of them become chocolate brown in no time !!!! Just not pleasant fishing, and with most of my summer tactics involving the dry fly, it puts the kibosh on sport for a few days till the rivers clear again …..
Monday we were greeted here in Rhayader with the aftermath of a hugely successful Rhayader Carnival…. Tired folks who had put masses of effort into this fantastic celebration of people, and this wonderful vibrant town called Rhaeadr Gwy ….. The week had all sorts of competitions, pub activities, sports events, hill runs, dining, drinking, socialising, live music, with the culmination of a fabulous day on the Saturday…… Floats, bands, activities, and organised with Military precision by people who not only have a huge respect for this busy market town, but are passionate about it, and the people that live here, in this Lakeland of Wales. The pubs were alive with merry folk in the evening, live music in some, drinking is carried out with plastic pint pots, till well into the small hours…. so much more practical on this effervescent day of joviality and fun …. It goes back historically , and in fact this year it celebrates 120 years of this long standing festival of hard working local folk in this beautiful town in the very middle of Wales. Visitors from all over the world come to this event, as it’s one of the longest running local carnivals in Wales…. Long may it continue !!!! Tis so much fun …..
Yesterday, another client was out with me, Rob Alp, who, interestingly has his own YOUTUBE CHANNEL, actually using his name as the title…. Take a look, as he’s just edited and completed Part one and two of his fishing adventures in mid Wales…. I’m famous at last !!!!! LOL ……. Ohhhhhhh, as all YouTubers know, don’t forget to like and subscribe !!!!! Tis a great little channel, easing watching and Rob has an air of tranquility about him ….. His day being guided by yours truly went exceedingly well, he was very attentive and picked up on reading the water, foam lines, pocket water and seams, where trout would be positioned. And, he fished well, stealth being the operative word, with us fishing a wild stream. That said, on the NRW gauge, she was actually sat at a lovely dry fly height, of 0.104m…… Perfect for the day, with just a tinge of colour….. spot on !!!! Dry fly tactics produced on that particular day, and Rob managed a dozen to the net …. He grasped the concept of pocket water well, and was astonished where tubby little trout can position themselves…. A well placed fly… bang, fish on !!!!! We finalised the day with an hour or so on the Afon Elan, tricky technical water, but, persistence paid of, and, with some guiding and advice , on how to deal with the fly line, on fast water, so that an extra two foot of drag free, fly presentation was incorporated, had Rob bring two more fish to the net, which, in the fast water I must say I was impressed….. I advised him to switch to one of his eighteen Para Adams…. One fish had been rising pretty confidently…. Always the other side of the fast stuff hey !!!! Problem solved, Rob got his fish, well earned, and in fact another one after that !!!! Both shattered, we retired from the water…. Meeting up in The Crown an hour later for a couple of well earned scoops of Inch’s Cider !!!!! Ohhhhhhhhh that was much needed !!!! A sublime guiding day and a very pleased client …… Golden days, guiding days, it’s what I love, and as Joan of Arc said, “ I was born to do this “ !!!!! Have a great week on the water folks…. Be safe, and the tightest of lines ….. Catch you soon !!!!! 😉😉🎣🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🏴
