Well, what a complete turn around weather wise. A week ago, huge floods and a deluge of rain last Saturday. Yet, this week, we’ve been accustomed to very cold nights here in the Cambrian Mountains, with night time temperatures dipping to minus three in the depths of the Elenydd !!!
I’ve had a few windows of opportunity with regards to fishing the wild streams. The dry fly “window”, where brown trout will rise to a well presented dry is fairly small. Gone are the days of plenty, during a balmy mid summers afternoon, lazily wading upstream, catching fish after fish, on a size twenty olive emerger, these are times of fully fed fish, a pale watery warmth in the air, and the ambience of Autumn, well and truly lingers over the secretive stream. Dry fly fishing on small wild streams becomes tricky, as debris, leaves, acorns and berries, plop and sail down pools. Was that a rising fish or a berry disturbing that trouty pool upstream ??? I wait, patiently to see if it’s a trout …. I don’t need to wait long, bang, another rise form, splashy, possibly terrestrial insects getting detached of the falling leaves. The casts away, he’s on it in a flash, perfection in the net, quickly released …… bliss !!!!
Clients have had fun in the Elan Valley over the last week, along with two chaps on the streams. I must say even with that volume of rain we had, most of the streams are now well back to summer levels. Infact, two days guiding were hard work, and winkling out a few fish demanded all of my tactical prowess and river skills. It all turned out good in the end, with clients having had a fun few hours, on a secretive stream I chose for them to fish on . Quite a few requirements need to be addressed prior to a wild stream day, as you can imagine, some beats are rough and ready, mountain streams , whereas others flow through pasture land, and are more sedate, with deep pool, long glides and some tantalisingly trouty riffles ….
So, a couple of days to go, and that wraps up, what’s been an absolutely superb river season for my clients and my own angling too. A lot of private portfolio beats have been obtained, during the hot months of summer. On many occasions, it’s just a case of knocking on landowners doors, with a motto of, it’s going to be a yes or no isn’t it !!! I offer my services with regards to vermin control, if they have, for example a rabbit problem, or maybe Charlie is getting a bit too keen at thinning out lambs early spring !!!! What I always do, without fail, is drop off a decent bottle of whiskey, at Christmas time…. A bit of politeness and gratitude costs nothing ……. As I think back on just the stream side of the guiding, it’s been a blast , lots of streams have been fished, and lots of happy clients have gone home, buzzing at catching, fast, feisty wild brown trout. That glowing feeling as it all comes together for a client, as they wade slowly to within range of a confident, rising fish. It’s going to plan so far, the rising fish is still there. The cast is away, I whisper, don’t line him !!!! The fly alights, perceptual distortion creeps in, it seems like an age passes…. You’re back in the moment, the fly gets nailed, your coiled up client strikes, it all goes to plan, and a stunning little ten inch stream fish glides to a waiting net…… Perfection !!!!!
As am writing this blog, the weak autumnal sun is streaming through the kitchen window. It won’t be long, and the sharpness of Autumn will be winning the battle, as the Cambrian Mountains succumbs to the sterile coldness of late September !!!! Its nature doing her thing, the leaves need to die, decay needs to happen, cold frosts need to grip the landscape, before new life glistens over the countryside once more. Spring sun, lambs, bright green hedge rows, birds busy nesting, that lone queen bumble bee, frantically searching a mossy river bank for a nesting sight…. And by no means least, the epitome of spring, those trout, rising to the first March Brown ….. My mind wonders…. I’m back in my home, it’s nearly seasons end, with the long cold months ahead…..
I suppose I can’t be too sad, there’s still nineteen days to fish on the big wild waters of the Elan Valley, the mountain llyns, and of course, the cracking lakes, such as Nantymoch, Bugeilyn, Claerwen, and the wild ones over towards Aberystwyth …. Choices choices hey !!!!
I’ll wrap up this blog now folks, it’s been a sensational river season, one to remember most definitely, with excellent, enthusiastic clients, great banter, superb fun, and most importantly on my side of the fence, happy clients, and in many cases, anglers that are returning again next season, to enjoy a few days on the secretive streams and the windswept llyns of this glorious land we live in …. We are truly blessed here in Rhayader, home of the lakes. Till the next blog guys and girls, enjoy your last few days on the river, and soak in that ambience, Tis a long time till next March !!!!!
