Water arrives but it's too late!

Guess what? Yes yesterday was the last day of the season and the water level today is 2ft - 6in on the gauge!

A late salmon trip fails to connect!

Rod and I made a late trip last week for 2 days salmon fishing but neither of us managed to tempt one! The weather was perfect although bright and the water initially was perfect but fell away fast while we were there. Whilst fishing the deep end of Crewel Pool I saw a huge salmon which looked more like a dolphin! We both threw everything we had at it but to no avail! Nevertheless we both enjoyed the trip as it was good to have company on the river and in the caravan in the evenings. Can't wait till May next year now to start the process all over again!

My last sewin trip and the biggest fish of my season!

As the weather promised to be fine and the water level 9 inches and falling I decided to go down the river just for the night!

As the water was a little high I had to walk down over Heart Attack Hill. I got to the the bottom beat by about 8.30 pm and tackled up. By just after 9.00 pm I deemed it dark enough to make a start. It was warm with a full moon and so there was little need for a torch. I fished the flats first without a sniff! By 12.00ish I was getting a little bit despondent as I hadn't seen any fish and had no pulls. I thought I would give the bush and below a try as it often produces a fish. Half way down below the bush I had a silver 3lb sewin which fought like hell! Things were looking up!

After a break I walked down to my pool full of optimism! First time down nothing! Second and third time still nothing! Decided to change my fly for a snake fly about 50mm long and black and silver. In the usual spot wallop! A big sewin this time! Before I knew what was happening it ran fast to my bank very nearly ripping my fingers off on the reel handle (they're still sore now). I drove the hook home as soon as it calmed down a bit and walked it up to the bend so as not to disturb the pool. It seemed well hooked! Then it ran over the other side into the fast water and started thumping about and jumping! It must have been a double figure fish! I tried to pressure it to get it out of the fast water and to get it above me but then the hook pulled!!! The story of my life this season!

I carried on fishing till 2.30 am but to no avail. An enjoyable night but an equally disappointing one!

My latest fishing trip is the last one for sewin!

Just spent 2 nights on the river on my own! Wednesday night I was late arriving at the caravan site so by the time I had set up it was dark. I decided to give the Car Park Pool a go but found it very difficult to wade. I then fished the Railway Bridge but to no avail! Thursday night was much better as I went down the bottom however it was windy which made things a bit difficult at times. First I hooked a bright silver sewin on the flats weighing about a lb or so. Then later I went around to my pool to get out of the wind and hooked a 4lb fish equally as silver! The wind increased and then the rain came so I packed up about 1am.

Rod ventures out alone for the first time since his operation and is rewarded with a 3lb sewin and some very good offers!

Well while I was wining and dining on an enjoyable weekend break in Devon, Rod made a last minute decision to spend three nights on the Towy for the first time on his own after his operation he said to help boost his self confidence. He said Friday night was perfect and the night sky was amazing with the Milky Way clearly visible. He parked at the pump house and only just managed to wade across in the deep water to the bottom beat. He fished till after 5 am and had two good pulls and had a heavy fish on for a while before practicing long-range catch and release! He didn’t see or hear any other fish. Saturday was extremely windy with horizontal heavy drizzle so he gave it a miss. Instead he fished Crewil Sunday morning for a couple of hours, but nothing and again didn’t see or hear any fish move. He returned later for the night, as Crewil was slightly sheltered from the strong gusty wind. First run down he had a 3lb sewin, which took a lot of line and felt and fought like a much heavier fish. Didn't see or hear another fish all night and with the wind still strong packed up at about 2am. All fish were attracted to his adapted steelhead pattern flies.

Sewin galore?

Well, the sewin aren't particularly easy to find but once you locate some then sport can be very good! Rod and I spent 3 nights on the river and got 7 fish between us. The largest was one that Rod caught which was about 6 or 7lb! The weather and water were both perfect but strangely I didn't spot any fish running! Andy's pool didn't produce a single fish which is rare as I kept going back to it every hour! We fished hard all night every night from 10.30pm till 4.30am! My biggest was about 4lb and the smallest 2lb! In addition to the fish caught I lost a big fish on the 3rd cast of the first night and then Rod lost at least 2 very good fish later on! A very enjoyable trip!

Lost 2 big fish again! The story of my life?

Spent Thursday and Friday nights on the river. Thursday was PERFECT. Warm and overcast but dry. Between 1.30 and 2.30 I lost 2 huge fish in my favourite pool. Don't know why but ....! Friday I lost a smaller fish around the corner in the bottom pool early on. Friday night turned out to be a washout but there you go! To add insult to injury the guy at the caravan site charged me 14 pound a night for a one man tent and no electric!!! West Sussex prices in Wales?

Last week's exploits!

I went down the river last Thursday full of expectation! Having parked the caravan up and had a chat with Derek, the new owner, I took a walk to see what the river was like. Rain a few days earlier had lifted the river level but it was still a bit cloudy. I decided to give that night a miss and went for a walk instead. The next day wasn't too bad so on the evening I made my way down to my favourite beat. On my way it started raining. The wind increased and the rain got heavier! At dark I cast a few lines and gave up because of the gusty wind and torrential rain! Rained off you could say! The rain lasted for at least 24 hours! No fishing for me then!

My first trip of 2016

Spent 3 nights on the river last week and really enjoyed it. On the Thursday night I fished alone and lost a big fish around midnight. I also saw a good fish move 3 or 4 times. Rod came down on Friday and we fished together both Friday and Saturday nights but had no sport! We were the only anglers on Llangadog water but we did see a guy on the Llandeilo water. Disappointing but still a great feeling to be out on the river again!

First trip of the season?

I'm looking forward to my first fishing trip of the 2016 season! I'm fishing from the 5th May for 3 or 4 nights (or days if its too cold). Can't wait!

The new season will soon be here!

It's been a long wet wait but winter is saying goodbye and spring is almost here together with the 2016 fishing season! With the river in spate (6 ft - 4" on the gauge yesterday) the river should be in pristine condition when the season starts on the 1st April.

Lets hope that we have a productive season and that we are all fit and well enough to enjoy it!

Tight lines!

AGM for the 2016 Season!

The AGM will be on Friday 12th February 2016. We should all attend really but it's such a long way to go for f..k all don't you think?

Happy New Year!

Well, you may notice that I didn't put up any posts on this season? It wasn't for any particular reason it was just that I couldn't be arsed! Also Rod didn't fish because of his operation so there wasn't much to report other than me and John's efforts.

My season was quite enjoyable actually! I got a 10lb sewin and a few other fish ranging from 3lb to 5lb. While I'm sat at home in the middle of winter wondering if it's ever going to stop raining then it makes me more enthusiastic about the new 2016 season than normal!

John had 3 fish I believe and disappointingly lost a salmon at the back end of the season!

I'm hoping to try fishing early this new season, subject to the weather and water levels of course. Before that mind I need to get a new pair of waders! Only 3 months to go!

The New Season is almost here!

Well the new season is almost here! I can't wait to pay a visit to the river this season - I feel that I've missed it more than ever this winter! Lets hope that we see some returning Sewin? I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Rodney Byles well with his forthcoming operation! Hope you recover quickly Rod ready for some night fishing on the Towy! Just remember Rod that while you're recuperating you can always tie me some tubes please?

Nick reveals some interesting news to be discussed at the AGM?

Nick has told me that he's had an email from Eifion prior to the AGM containing some interesting information!

'every one to pay the same fees.and we could losing the crewil pool hill side and down from were we park the cars. local Authority want to double the rent'


I have via Facebook requested that any major news like this affecting the Club should be posted on Facebook prior to the meeting but this request was declined!

The AGM is this Friday 30th January 2015

This is your chance to have your say!

The New Season is coming!

As the new season is just around the corner I thought I would try and get you all in the mood with this video clip (courtesy of My Byles)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ6RfboRHac&feature=em-hot-vrecs

Cold nights make fishing difficult if not pointless!

I have spent 5 days and 4 nights at Llangadog last week and I enjoyed every moment! The weather was lovely and warm during the day so I spent most afternoons in my hide with a camera. Despite every effort on my part I failed to get any decent wildlife shots! There were a couple of kingfishers about but none of them wanted to play ball with my perches! I did however get a good shot of 'the cat' to my great surprise and excitement! I need to process these images so I'll wait until I've got something that's worth posting! Unless we get serious rain I can't see it being worth daytime fishing and the prospects of that happening don't look all that good in the near future!

My last trip of the season beckons!

I'm going down on Monday for a few days as it's the only chance I'll get before the end of the season because of personal commitments! I may fish or I may not but one thing is for certain I'll get some peace! Having had my son and his wife staying with us for 4 days with their daughter Riya I'm ready to escape! With a dustbin full of nappies and a house that's been turned upside down I need space. By the way Riya is no trouble at all poor thing!!

I think she's hooked?

40 fish in 2 evenings! Beat that lads!

Sandy's report!

Managed to get hold of Sandy tonight. As you will know he hasn't been well. Anyway you will be pleased to know that he is feeling much better and his doctor is pleased with his progress too! He's talking about going fishing again soon!

One thing of particular interest that he told me about regarding his recent fishing trip is that on the last couple of nights he discovered the effectiveness of the Jambo! He got more offers and pulls on this than any other method - and some big fish too! So maybe he was fishing too deep even with a floating line? Interesting!

Tim's latest report

Tim Wilkinson has been fishing and sent me this report!

I had 2 nights this week - Wed on Crewil. I saw a few fish early doors, but nothing apart from a parr. One of the lads (Miguel's mate) had a 5 lb-er. Dai had one on, but lost it. Thurs I went down the bottom, but the strength of the wind was a problem. I had a take and fish on, then thrash at surface and fish off. This was in the pool above Andy's pool in the small slack on the opposite bank. I didn't see or hear any fish at all. Well the rain has come and hopefully, with the nets off and fresh water coming in, the sewin will start to run. Typical though, I'm off the Scotland tomorrow morning for a few days (not fishing unfortunately) so it'll have to wait until I come back. Maybe I'll see you down there before the end of the season. Please pass on my best wishes to Sandy, when you see him.

We need some decent rain I think. If we get some then I might venture out the week after next but without rain I think the prospects are poor!

Difficult fishing conditions?

This week I spent 3 nights on the river with Sandy and latterly John. I managed to get a fish on Tuesday and Wednesday but failed on Thursday! I had a 2 1/2 lb sewin on Tuesday and a 3 lb fish on Wednesday both of which were bars of silver and both were returned! Temperatures were generally high but the water levels extremely low with dam water fluctuations of 3 inches or more for no apparent reason. There were few anglers out but I must admit I enjoyed my fishing, expecting to get a monster at any moment. Daytime temperatures were very high so sleeping in the caravan in the morning was sometimes a little uncomfortable. Sandy failed to connect in Crewel on a number of occasions however he is fishing as I write this post so watch this space!

Same place, same time!

Well Rod left on Friday morning and I decided to have another night's fishing as the river was falling and clearing after a very wet 24 hours. Well it paid off! In the same pool and at about the same time I hooked a lovely 7 lb sewin. It was a hen fish and as fit as a butchers dog! Amazingly the river was desolate - not a single angler in sight! I gave up at 3pm as the thunderstorms began to fester. It was warm - in fact it was so hot to the extent that I walked the 2 1/2 miles back to the caravan in just a teeshirt! Before I started fishing mind you I spotted a monster fish heading and tailing in the fast water - it looked huge from quite a distance so I think it's fair to say that there are some big fish about!

Rod gets lucky with bar of silver!

Tuesday night Rod hit a cracking sewin at 11.20 pm! At 10 lb + it was to many a fish of a life time but to Rod it was just another nights fishing!!! Actually he caught it in a rare moment when he wasn't asleep!

Any news from the river?

Hi all

I'm thinking of going down for a few days near the end of the month and I wondered if anyone had heard of any catches? I'll be going down regardless anyway because I'll be heading over to Skomer for at least 1 day but it would be nice to know of any catches or fish seen.

The river has changed again this year!

Hi all, I spent 3 nights on the river last week and really enjoyed myself. The weather was lovely and the temperatures held up quite well. I got a 2lb sewin and I saw a couple of fish move but that was all. I didn't really expect to get anything so the fish I got was a bonus. I saw only 2 anglers on the river! One of them evaded me by shooting off quickly as i approached Crewel Pool and the other was Andrew from Merthyr. He said that he'd had a 9lb sewin on the Llandeilo water a couple of weeks ago.

I took a few pictures so that you could see what the river is like now. The big changes are down the bottom, especially my pool and below it too.

The concrete dump remains!

Looking upstream to Crewel Pool

A tree stuck just above the Cattle Drink on the lower beat

More concrete dumping!

What seems like a potential new pool for us just below Andy's Pool

The new pool?

Andy's Pool - better or worse than before? The jury's out on that one!

My first trip of the 2014 season looks as though it's about to start!

All being well I'm off to the Towy tomorrow for a few days. I know its early and I know there ain't much chance of catching anything but...........................! Its got to be done!

Our annual pilgrimage to the River Torridge ends fishless!

Rod and I have just returned from the Torridge very disappointed! The water was perfect, the weather was perfect and we cast our socks off for 4 whole days without so much as a pull or a knock! The Half Moon Inn have apparently only had 1 salmon so far this spring which is pretty unusual. I think we both still enjoyed the break despite not getting a fish however its very disappointing when you both work really hard for nothing! The HMI itself is sadly looking very tired but I guess that's the way many things have gone over the past few years. Needless to say most of the pictures I took are not of me! In fact Rod was developing a new casting technique so I have taken quite a few videos of him casting which might help him see how its coming along.

You will notice a picture of a certain creature which of course we love watching but I wonder if he had anything to do with our failure to catch?

The new season beckons!

Well its that time again when we need to start thinking about the new season, our tackle and our tactics.

I'm thinking about spending a few days on the Torridge again in the spring in the hope of picking up a hard fighting Spring Salmon. Having looked on the Half Moon Inn website I see that it hasn't been updated since July of last year so I'm not sure what's going on there as I know it was up for sale. No doubt Charles will still be around no matter what happens and I just hope that the pub has retained its excellent beats on the river, especially Beam! The Torridge is a magical place in the spring with lots of wildlife to admire when you are fishing, including that big dog Otter that loves to fish at Beam in broad daylight. Also the bird song is phenomenal! What I love best of all is chatting at breakfast and the excitement and anticipation of getting a hard fighting salmon that day. Often the sun shines in Devon in early April as the climate is much milder there than here in Worcestershire and with the wild flowers just starting to appear, especially the wild garlic which is everywhere on the river bank and gives off a delightful aroma as you walk under the trees alongside the river, crushing their stems with your boots. Often the kingfishers are busy building their nests and there is always a Heron or two to keep you company on the river. There is nothing lovelier on a sunny warm spring day on the Torridge to sit down on the bench at Beam and have lunch, some nice sandwiches and a cold beer - brilliant and hopefully with some good company too.

As far as the Towy is concerned then I guess my first trip won't be until the end of April or early May but nevertheless I'm looking forward to it immensely. It will be good to catch up with my fishing mates John, Rod and Sandy at some point. I know Sandy has been poorly of late so I wish him a speedy recovery and I'm looking forward to sitting with him at his bench in Crewel and sharing a story or two and having a good laugh! I've put a few pictures in just to get myself inspired for the new season so I hope you like them. Get well soon Sandy!

John eagerly casting across Beam

The Half Moon Inn, Sheepwash

A fine Spring Salmon to take home!

Rod with a belter of a Spring Salmon

Taking a break at Beam

The Weir Pool at Beam - the best pool on the river

A fine Sewin from the Towy

The Towy - looking up stream towards Crewel

A fine Sewin from the Towy quite a few years ago