A strangely hectic month for me. I’ve had gents out on the streams and the big wild waters of mid Wales. It’s been mainly dry over the last two or so weeks, with just some rain today. The bank holiday bustle is just ramping up here in Rhayader. However, it’s been a very different story, for our local Rhayader fire crews, who have been working tirelessly up in the moors between Claerwen reservoir and Craig Goch…A huge moorland fire was identified on the 25 th of April, and, the fire fighters have been in attendance up there, since then. NRW have instigated the use of a helicopter and bowser for efficient water dumping …I do wonder why an action plan isn’t put in place for such disasters, as this happened last year too !!! The Rhayader fire crews have been on the go non stop, and I’m just surprised NRW didn’t act promptly on that Saturday, by ploughing in all resources, to swiftly put out this raging fire …. With the rapidly spreading blaze, encroaching over towards the Teifi pools. I’m hoping today’s rain has dampened the surrounding “ untouched “ moorland, so the fire simply cannot carry on its destructive motion !!!! A huge thankyou to the team from Rhayader fire station….. stalwart work I must say ….. A simple thankyou to all !!
Guiding has been dynamic and varied over the last three weeks. I’ve had gents out on the wild streams, and the big wild waters of the Elan Valley, and Nantymoch reservoir. Overall, the angling has been fun. The streams are one arena which clients love. It’s the diminutive environment which encapsulates there angling acuteness….. Slow wading, gentle casting, and spotting that cheeky little, early season excitable rise, by a ten inch, hungry brown trout !!!!! Just totally immersing….
On the flip side of the coin, the big wild, open reservoirs offer their own amphitheatre of calm ….. On the right day, the angling has been hectic and for one total novice in particular, a full on piscatorial adventure of fun …. Joe from Nantmel is now totally hooked !!!! He mastered the mechanics of the false cast very very well, and took on board all that we discussed whilst mastering this new skill. On top of that, last week, at Craig Goch, he hooked and successfully brought to the net two stunning wild brownies. Further more, yesterday, whilst on another guiding sortie, on a different water of the Cwm Elan, he caught and released four absolutely cracking wild brown trout ….. Great angling Joe !!!! It just doesn’t get any better than that !!!!
I’ve been lucky with the weather, and getting clients out, on either a stream or a big wild Stillwater. In essence, two different weather styles are needed to really enjoy the day on these two, polar opposite, fly fishing venues !!! A balmy warm, still day is the ideal on the wild streams, whereas on the reservoirs and mountain llyns, an overcast day, with a decent south westerly ripple is really nice to have. Fish become confident in the wave then, and takes can be explosive, and down right savage too ….. Just fantastic sport, and to a client that hasn’t experienced a savage take, from a fit, athletic, Elan Valley trout, it’s quite an experience for them !!! …………….
Some of the streams are already looking pretty low in fairness, and it’s only just turned into the month of May. This morning, as I mentioned before , we had a couple of hours of rain. Just enough to refresh the garden, that’s about it !!! More would be most grateful . That said, the ones I’ve mooched up personally, and with clients, have been fun, and , much like the small window of opportunity on the River Usk, during March Brown time, the feeding window on the surface has been very similar, and dry fly sport limited between midday and half one …. Hit it right, and surface sport has been fairly fast and furious ….
The activity on the streams this season with regards to insect life has been prolific …. A plethora of grannom and olives have on many days been present. Great to see, and a super indicator of a healthy stream …. Also, on stone turning on some of these streams, as well as the abundance of baetis nymphs, and mayfly nymphs, there have been a good few bullheads spotted. They’re funny little fish, either they stay totally motionless, or do a crazy darting motion, for the nearest, large flat slab of a stone, to bomb burst under !!! Some are very well fed and grow to quite a size . I’m really not sure how old a Millers Thumb can get too …….. They must get to old timers, skulking under, and in between, the stones of a babbling Radnorshire stream !!!
So, it’s the bank holiday on Monday, that’ll mean camper vans, caravans and bikes converging on Rhayader, and the surrounding Elenydd….. Please be sensible folks, no fires or B.B.Q.s up in the Elan Valley, and in fact any of the Elenydd. Save them till you get home please !!!!! Here endeth the lesson …… I get out of town on a busy bank holiday, and if I’m with a client, I’ve a portfolio of quiet, secretive locations, either on a mountain Llyn, or a babbling stream. No noise, no people, just birdsong, bleeting sheep, the shrill pitch of the kingfisher, and that splashy sound of a trout coming to an eager net …..
Well, that just about wraps this little blog up folks, stay safe this long weekend, and enjoy time with family and friends. If you’re out on the river, or exploring one of the wild waters of the vast Elenydd, be safe, and enjoy the adventure……I have a busy couple of days with my good lady, socialising, and basically enjoying life, and then it’s back to guiding, with a gent up from London, for two river days, followed by a chappy more local, booked in for a day on Nantymoch Reservoir….. Busy, busy, busy, but, it’s how I roll ….. I wouldn’t want it any other way !!!! Enjoy all of what May brings folks …… Cheerio for now !!!! 🎣🎣🐟🏴
