WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH , easy on the brakes !!!! What a few days. Firstly I’d like to give a huge thankyou to James and his gang of elite, yes I use that word elite, as it defines the team that organise and put together a week of activities and joviality that is the Rhayader Carnival 2025 ….. It culminated yesterday in the “Carnival Day”…. What can I say, the photos say it all. The floats, the costumes, the people and the craic, just the best. And, it pulls in folks far and wide…. Why you ask yourself ???? I’ll tell you why, spirit, heart, and a soul that goes back a long time ; In this land of rock, heather, harsh weather, and dedicated farming practices that have gone on for years and years . The Carnivals origins trace back to the Royal openings of the Elan Valley dams on July 21st 1904… So, in all those years, a lot of sore, thick heads have stumbled around Rhayader, on the Sunday morning !!!! Collateral damage……. Nooooooooooooh, just folks having a dam good time !!!!!
Yesterday certainly was a sociable day. As well as catching up with an old angling buddy from just out of Rhayader, I kind of went on my own social patrol, and had a good natter with a lot of the towns folk, and also bumped into people I knew from Hereford, Leominster and Shrewsbury ….. Amazing really !!!! The Carnival has quite a name for itself, thankfully, as I mentioned before, perfected with military precision, by a band of dedicated, passionate people….. Just superb !!!!!
The week has been another busy one for me, somewhat annoying, as the rain didn’t really materialise. That effortless drizzle, again . Strewth, we are blighted by this light, fine rain, that barely penetrates half an inch into the soil. The ground is so dry, and the rivers and streams are low and clear. I took a chappy John, on a Radnorshire stream. He learnt loads, which is the whole idea of a guided day. It isn’t about catching reams of fish, it’s a learning process, hoisting on board the skills I can pass on to an angler, ever since I’ve been mooching up these little streams, since the ripe old age of fourteen !!!!!………..
Today is kind of a “foggy” day. I didn’t sink too many scoops yesterday, and in fact, I was fairly “bright eyed and bushy tailed” at eight bells this morning ….. Coffee was certainly the first priority of the day though !!!! Followed by another one …. Then another …………………
So, this week, another gent is up. Travelling, as I write this blog from London. When he touches bass in Rhayader, we’ll have a couple of scoops, and discuss the programme of guided days, that I have in store for him ……
Tis always a little difficult getting the river and Stillwater days in the right order, and making use of wind, sun and of course getting the most out of all the venues. Rob has been on guided days with myself last season, and, he had some belting “red letter days”. So, no pressure then !!!!!! Ha ha …… I generally get things bang on the nail, as, the weather with these fickle, wild trout is everything, particularly on the desolate, serene waters of the Elenydd ……….
One particular stream last week really “blind sided” me ……. Wow, so low !!!!! The life in her seemed to run in “slow motion”…. We definitely need a few good days of that heavy “pukka” rain . You know the sort of stuff that was always in the Hammer Horror movies ….. Heavy persistent rain , coupled with the dynamic lightening !!!! But wait, as I’m writing this, the rain gods have heard my dulcet tones !!! Is this rain going to continue for some time ??? We shall see …… I couldn’t have fished more light the other day…… In fact I was fishing with my five foot seven, zero weight rod, kindly made for me by the very talented Adam Rawson. It’s an absolute delight; fishing tiny size twenty dries on these small diminutive streams . Fun, fun, fun !!! A ten inch fish makes the s-glass rod come alive. Just fabulous stuff . I managed a few fish to my net, and actually was fun watching the kingfishers go about their business. I often wonder if they too struggle in low water. Or, does it make life easier for them ????Minnows concentrating in numbers in the deeper, cooler pools. I guess it’s a double edged sword hey !!! some you win, some you loose. Always on enjoyable experience on the river. Ten to my net on that occasion. Difficult angling, but, in the conditions, I was pleased with that performance …….River time is always a good time.
I’ll wrap this blog up now, and await the call from Mr. Alp saying he’s arrived in Rhayader. Then, give him a bit of time to chill, before catching up, a nice cold pint at the bar, and start discussing matters of the piscatorial kind !!!! I do love these client days, and organising the blissful escapism into the wilds of the Cambrian Mountains and beyond …. Right folks, that’s me, be good, and if you can’t be good, don’t get caught !!!!! Till next time, tatty bye ………. 🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🎣🎣🐟🐟🐟🏴🏴🏴
