kingfisher lands an 8 lb sewin and gets stung by a badger?

Spent Thursday night on the river on my own! There was no one to be seen anywhere from what I could see! The night was lovely. Warm and still but with the odd rumble of thunder and lightning flash. I started fishing quite early - about 9.30 ish I think. At about 10.30 I noticed evidence of fish running. The odd splash and funny unexplainable noises in the fast water. Soon after I had a savage take in a place that rarely produces a fish which tuned out to be a solid, plump sewin of about 8 lb I think. It fought like stink and took me quite some distance down stream before I managed to beach it. A quick photo and I got it back in the water as soon as I could. It was a really strong fish, wrestling with me all the time I was trying to remove the hook. I am glad now that I stopped off at Sportfish on my way down to get some new flies of this patern as the ones I had all had blunt hooks! Must get Rodders to tie some for next season?

I started walking back to the car at about 1.00am. As I got to Crewel Pool I chose to walk the small detour path through the Himalayan Balsam to avoid a small area of bank erosion. After just a few yards I saw a badger on the path before me with it's head in a wasps nest! Brock was just 3 or 4 yards in front of me and was very excited with his new find although he was shaking his head and leaping about every now trying to shake off the inhabitants from around his nose! I could see everything very clearly of course despite it being a very dark night because I had a powerful hand torch and a head torch both switched on. Fascinated by the spectacle I soon noticed that whilst Brock was tucking in I became the focus of the wasps whose nest he was destroying! In no time at all I had hundreds of wasps swarming around me. I seemed to be getting the blame for his pillaging! 'Turn off the bloody light Andrew' - I said to myself. So I turned off the hand torch. Still I was being attacked but Brock was having a feast! Then it dawned on me that I could still see what was going on! Shit - my head torch - 'turn it off you pratt' I thought! The wasps by this time were getting extremely nasty and one bit me on my hand. There were hundreds of them and I hated it! I tried to fiddle around to find the button to switch it off but there were wasps everywhere all over me. Eventually I pressed the button and held it down to turn it off. Those few seconds needed to get that bloody head torch to switch off seemed like bloody hours! 'Switch off your bast..d' I kept saying to myself! Eventually the light went out thank God! I turned around and made a hasty retreat and left the Badger to finish his tasty meal! I took the other path once I had regained my composure and soothed the bite! Some funny things can happen to you on the river in the early hours of the morning!!!

1 more fish to my credit!

Spent 3 nights on the river this week! I managed a 1 1/2 lb sewin which I returned but I lost 2 very big fish in the tail of my favourite pool in the early hours!

Another fish to my credit!

I went out on Wednesday and Thursday night and caught a lovely 2 lb sewin which I returned. That takes my total for this season to 4 fish so far. I saw quite a few fish early on both nights but as soon as temperatures dropped that was it! One thing I have noticed this year is quite a few lampreys around! Hoping for more settled weather next week and warmer nights which would definitely improve prospects I think. July is the best month according to my records so I am just hoping for some settled weather.

My first fish of the season!

Fished Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week and got some success on Friday night. Caught 3 fish - 1lb, 2lb and 6lb. All were fresh run and fought well. The river height was just about perfect and the air temperature was not too bad at about 9 degrees unlike the two previous nights when temperatures plunged quite dramatically after dark. I hope that we will get a steady stream of fish from now on and that we get some good sport! Unfortunately John blanked but I am sure his luck will change soon!

Fishing trip Friday 24th June 2011 - abandoned!

Went down the river today hoping to get some fishing in for a couple of days but rain stopped play! From about 4.00pm it chucked it down big time. I left at 8.00pm and it was still pounding away! Should do the river good for next week though!

Fishing trip Thursday 2nd June 2011

Went down the river Thursday morning so that I could fish Thursday and Friday nights. Both nights were pretty good weather wise and ideal for sewin if they are about! Saw or heard the odd fish but that's all! No pulls or takes! Looks as though it's going to be a slow start!

Very few fish appear to be about!

Having spent 2 days on the river I can confirm that there are few fish around at the moment! The river is very low but clear. Other anglers have had little success so far but are hoping for a decent flood to bring fish into the river for June.

The river looks in great shape after the winter floods!

Went down to the river yesterday on what was a glorious day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and everything looked pretty good down there. Naturally I had my camera in my hand at all times so I came back with some half decent shots considering the drabness of the fauna at this time of year.

During my walk I saw Dipper, Gooseander, Chaffinch, Buzzard, Red Kite, Greylag Goose, Green Sandpiper and on the drive back home I spotted a Merlin! I walked from the Car Park Pool down river, over BP Hill and right down to the end of our beat. The river height was such that there were 2 rivers down the bottom, the second only just a stream and I did manage to get across it eventually without getting too wet as I only had my walking boots on! I sat and ate my lunch on the log and it was lovely, so was my lunch!

I do feel just a little bit guilty though about something that I did without thinking about the possible consequences. Whilst I was sat on the log a flock of very woolly sheep appeared in the field opposite on the other side of the river. Inquisitively they all came across the field to see what I was up to. As they were lining up to see what I was doing I thought that there was a potential picture there so I got my camera out and moved closer to the river to get a better shot. The problem was that they weren't all looking at me so I foolishly called them so they would look. The nearest sheep took my beckoning much more seriously than I had expected and literally launched himself off the bank straight into the river! The current took him or her downstream despite his attempts to swim back to his pals and we all know how thick sheep are don't we so you can guess that he finished up down near the rock face below the end of our beat. I saw him get out of the river, soaking wet, cold but still alive. He started eating the grass pretty much immediately he had got out. I felt terrible about it but at least he survived!

Other than for the sheep episode I thoroughly enjoyed the day!

KIngfisher meets SRF!

What an occasion? Last Thursday night I was privelidged to meet Sir Ranulph Fiennes and get a book signing too! It all happened thanks to my sister-in-law Marina here who fixed everything up for me during the Midland Excellence Award's night in Birmingham. To shake hands with such an amazing guy was unbelieveable and something I will remember for ever!

Why not join me on Facebook?

I have started a group on Facebook if you are interested in taking part and contributing to the discussion? The Group is called:

Night fly fishing for sea-trout or sewin (Wales)