WOW, what a season …… Fun, sublime, varied, hectic and tiring , with the synonymous banter, craic and guiding bliss all thrown in to the mix !!! Tis certainly time to take a breather, before my work up at Bettws Hall Sporting Club begins, along with the clearing and maintenance of the streams and tributaries of the Wye and Usk catchments. This is on controlled beats of the WYE AND USK FOUNDATION, that administer some sixty beats that they call the WILD STREAMS. Along with these, I also have my own portfolio of beats that span from North Shropshire, through to the bottom fringes of the Powys border. So, lots of water to take clients on. Secretive streams that hardly see a rod all season, apart from mine that is or a clients ….
As I’m writing this , we are in a deep low, that’s ominously dumping that annoying heavy drizzle over Rhayader. This rain would have been fabulous in early June…… Oh well, I can’t complain, it’s been an absolute belter of a season. I’ve been out five days a week, either with clients, or trialling a new stream beat on my own, before I let loose an excited client on it, who’s desperately keen to catch his or her first stream trout on a tiny dry fly. It’s a blissful experience, for both my client and me ……..
Of course we have been very spoilt this season, with sublime dry fly sport from the off in fairness. Early doors on the Builth stretch of the Wye, I had some superb afternoons in early March. You really can’t fault those first feisty brown trout hammering March Browns. It’s just the best of condensed “excited delirium,”with the whole beautiful season ahead of you . All those streams, all those mountain llyns, the huge wild reservoirs of the Elan Valley, discussing tactics with clients, laughing, the banter, the craic, that rising fish, the tight lines, and of course admiring a stunningly spotted wild brown trout in the net.
So, my bookings diary for 2026 is already filling…. Some mountain Llyn requests, and also two days fishing slightly further afield, up at Lake Vyrnwy. It’s a lake I’m very familiar with, and a retired professor wants a full day out on the boat being guided. That should be a fun day, along with my usual local stream days, and glorious days out in the Elenydd….
In all honesty, my favourite guiding days, are when clients are over in Rhayader for there or four days. It’s relaxing angling, I can take them out on the River in the cool of the evening, or we can catch the evening rise up at Claerwen reservoir, with out that pressure of needing to get my client packed up and homeward bound !!! Basically flexibility is the name of the game, I’ll take a client out in the day, and, once they’re fed and watered, out in the evening too, should they wish !!!! It’s such fun mixing up the angling…….. One day in the vast openness of the Elenydd, followed by the next two days fishing secretive wild feeder streams of the Wye and Usk. Now that’s some serious wild angling for any client !!!! Some anglers love it …. If they’ve got the energy, after a full days guided fishing, then why not !!! After all, the seasons not that long …… My motto is, enjoy it while you can …….
This winter, apart from some work up at Bettws Hall Sporting Club, and my usual stream and river maintenance, will also consist of some serious trigger time, as the guns get a dam good airing !!!!! Range time up at Mid Wales Rifle Club with the air rifles, and clay busting time up at Griffin Lloyd Shooting Grounds !!!! I do love the variety of the shooting disciplines that I do. My next venture is to become a BASC SHOTGUN COACH, with the aim of taking folks up to G.L.S.G. and getting them accustomed to the fundamentals of the shotgun, it’s safe handling , use, and of course hopefully them dusting a few clays !!! In a few seasons, I’d like to offer a sporting weekend, with shooting and fly fishing being done. Catching pretty wild fish one day, then dusting a few clays the next …. Fun, variety and for a lot of people “a first” too. These won’t be ridiculous London prices either, they’ll be competitive, and in reach of everyone’s pocket !!! My sketch on country sports is simple, it shouldn’t just be for some portly chaps, with double barrelled names, plumbs in their mouths, ill fitting tweeds, and maroon cords !!! It should be experienced by everyone, simple as that ……. Some of the best people I’ve met on my fishing and shooting journey in life, aren’t the tofts in their shiny new Landrovers, they’re the guys and girls who live and breath this environment !!!! It’s in their veins . They know it backwards, inside out, and upside down !!!! They’re the ones I gleam information from, and rely wholeheartedly on their small talk, “over the gate” on tips and tricks !!!!
I’ll wrap this blog up shortly , time is ticking on, I have a venison casserole gently bubbling away in the slow cooker. The smells are amazing, and it’s making me just a tad hungry !!! lol …..It does a sublime job on cooking game, and venison and pigeon in particular. The slow, progressive cooking just seems to do its magic on all gamey dishes. Just delicious !!!! Add a good glass of wine, or port….. Sooooooooooo tasty !!!!
Well, this rain has certainly been a mainstay of today. Nice to have a good bit to be honest, to give these rivers a dam good clean out !! Weather wise though, I know it was tricky “mid season,” but, the streams were buzzing with fly life very early on, and when things got tricky, there was always the mountain llyns and big, deep reservoirs to fall back on …. They fished particularly well even on those cooking days !!!! ……………….
Another quick cuppa, to round of this “end of season” epistle, then it’ll be time to indulge in a glorious venison hotpot, with home made creamy mashed spuds …. A classic winter warmer, much needed on a day like today. That typical Autumnal cold is in the air, coupled with the heavy drizzle… yuk !!!! But, much neeeded all the same. As I muse over guided days this season, I lob another log on the burner, its toasty and warm, an enigmatic smile creeps in…. 2025, you’ve been fantastic.
