Our fish are disappearing fast!

Migratory fish in massive decline!

The Missing Salmon Alliance!

I have just donated my NRW Licence Fee to the Missing Salmon Alliance and intend to do so every season from now on. If enough anglers do the same then we might get something done about the sad decline in salmon and sea trout stocks!

Missing Salmon Alliance

Stats for 2019?

75% of Welsh Rivers are classed as AT RISK!

What the fuck is the NRW going to do about it I wonder?

FUCK ALL probably like they always have!!!!!

2019 STATS

England month long shut down!

Would you fucking believe it? The Government have just announced a 1 month Covid lock down! What then I wonder? Another one in the spring or sooner! There's no end to this bloody nightmare!

Sinking Polyleaders?

Next season I'm going to try these. I think I'm limiting my chances by just always using a floating line. I've already had a couple delivered in the post yesterday ready for action! My only resistance to using them is based upon my experience a few years ago when they seemed to act like a 'hinge' at the end of my line, making it awkward to cast. Anyway I might take my rod down the park and see how they perform!

Wales shuts down again for 2 1/2 weeks!

Can someone please explain to me why shutting down and making everyone stay at home for 2 1/2 weeks will make things better? It's just 'kicking the can down the road' in my view! Why not PROTECT THE VULNERABLE PROPERLY and let everyone else get on with their lives? If everyone wore a mask and sanitized when entering and leaving shops etc it would probably help a great deal so make it compulsory? Tell the supermarkets and shops to enforce it just like Pub Landlords used to do with drunks or the underaged?

My local DIY store has a sign outside that says 'No Mask - No Entry'. And the girl on the till tells everyone to sanitise before entering. Simple but effective I think?

Goodbye Towy till April 2021 - God willing?

Well after a gorgeous 7lb Salmon and an 8lb Sea Trout the Towy has managed to keep me interested!

But as the NRW couldn't give a fuck about the river or it's fish what will the 2021 Season be like I wonder? One thing I can be certain about is that like this season I won't be buying a fucking license and I URGE YOU ALL TO DO THE SAME! Then they might just wake up and small the roses?

Tight lines everyone and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Last Day of the Season and I get a 7lb salmon?

Took a trip to the river today on the last day of the 2020 Season!

The water level was about 300mm above summer norm and falling when I looked at the guage before I left my caravan in Pembrokeshire. I wasn't sure if I would be able to cross the river to get to the best pools on the bottom of the Llangadog beat but I thought it was worth a try. On approaching the river I could see it had a fast pace to it - much faster than normal. I tried to cross in my normal place but the current was too powerful. Looking downstream I could see that the pace reduced greatly so I though I would try and wade down the middle of the river until I found a place to wade across to the other side. As a precaution I put my phone in my waterproof bag before I started. It's reasonably shallow at this place but gets deeper as you get further down on the opposite side. I waded down the middle and kept trying to cross but it was too deep. Eventually after quite a long wade I found a point where I could just about wade across to the shingle on the far side. At last I was on the other side with some lovely pools and runs to try for a salmon on my favorite beat.

After throwing a line in a number of different pools and runs I decided to go down to my favorite pool and try my luck there. With a large orange coloured Allies Shrimp Fly on a treble hook I soon had a good take just as the fly swung around near the place where only a few weeks ago I had hooked and landed an 8lb sea trout. This was definitely a salmon not a sea trout this time. Lots of head shaking going on but no acrobatics. Eventually I managed to get this powerful fish into the shallows. What a beautiful fish it was too! It was a cock fish in it's spawning colours of reds and oranges! I have never seen such a gorgeous looking salmon in all my 30 odd years of fishing! But alas - my phone was in my bag further upstream so I couldn't get a picture! Bollocks! I soon let it go and it swam off strongly!

Thank you River Towy for rewarding me on the last day of the season! You will always be my favourite river and the one I love the most!

On returning to the car a guy was mending the fence and I stopped to talk to him. He said that a couple of weeks ago a Dad took his 8 year old son fishing for the first time ever in Crewel Pool and the boy caught a 15lb salmon! The River Towy never fails to surprise!

The best catch I have ever made!

I can't even begin to tell you how much joy this young lady has brought to me!

Jasmine is an exceptional person. She has special qualities that I have never seen before. She is loving, caring and has an amazing spirit. She can be horrible, lovely, annoying, troublesome, comical, caring, engaging, interesting, inspiring, joyous, intriguing .... the list goes on!

I love her and I know she loves me!

Cracked it at last! 8lb sea trout!

Rod and I spent last night on the river! It was quite windy but I managed to find a nice sheltered spot. He blanked unfortunately but I got lucky with a 1 1/2 Ib sea trout early on and then a beautiful hen fish weighing approximately 8 lb at about 1.00 am! Both were returned safely! Needless to say I'm hooked again!!!

2020 will go down as the 'Season' of 'No Seasons'!

OK not as bad as the 2001 'foot and mouth' season but still very weird!

I've only fished a handful of times this season so my catch rate is bound to be one of the lowest ever. In any case my enthusiasm for the sport has been waning of late having transferred my efforts since July to Sea Bass but I haven't even caught one of them either! So all in all I'm pretty well pissed off with fishing in general.

On my way back from Pembrokeshire on Friday I decided to call in to Llangadog for another go!

It was a fairly mild cloudy night with a slight breeze. The water was perfect. It gets dark early now so I started fishing about 8.30 I would think. There were no other anglers so I had the beat to myself. It wasn't long before I had a good but unexpected take on the dangle and I then felt the weight of a good fish but sadly it didn't stay on! Blast! I then started fishing with renewed enthusiasm, fishing down the same area. This time I was rewarded with a fine 2 lb sea trout which I safely unhooked and of course returned.

It wasn't long before the wind got up and casting became precarious. I packed up about 12.30am.

I do love his sport but ........it's really hard work these days.

Back again this forthcoming week!

3 nights and not a fish to be seen or heard!

The river seems dead! It's July - the best month of the season. Where are the fish? Over recent years every year gets worse! I've moved my caravan down to Pembrokeshire now but if the river picked up I'm only 1 hour or less from the river. On the other side of the coin I'm only 5 minutes from a potential Sea Bass!

Water Level?

It's gone over 2m which is surely good news! A good flush out will do it the world of good and hopefully encourage a run of sea trout? I will be fishing next week that's for sure God willing!

When will my first fishing trip be this season?

Coronavirus has put us all in lockdown and Wales is closed to vistors! Hoping the border might open soon? Can't wait to cast a fly!

Coronavirus?

I wonder if any of us will fish this season?

River height?

3.800 m on the gauge today!

The New Season is almost here!

Are you looking forward to the new fishing season?

Has anyone heard anything from Langadog Angling since the AGM?

Join NOW!

I've just joined the Wye Salmon Association for £10! It's a no brainer!

Enjoyable trip but no salmon!

Just returned from 3 days on the river! Knackered now - fished Crewel Pool really hard but to no avail! Really enjoyed myself strangely. When the day of reckoning comes I will really miss fishing the Towy - in fact I'm very very sad about the state of the river I love so much. It's almost like the feeling of bereavement!

The feeling of casting a line across Crewel Pool with anticipation of getting a salmon take is hard to explain for me. All the time I was fishing I really believed I would get a salmon. The water was perfect for Crewel! A hint of colour and 1.5 or 1.6 on the guage! 4 or 5 sea trout were showing over the days I was there. Kingfishers were common to see as well as a solitary Sandpiper! I saw 2 other anglers - 1 spinning down the bottom having walked over Crewel - when I shouted to him asking if he had caught anything all he did was hold his hands out about 5ft apart! The other was a guy fly fishing called Kerry who stayed for only an hour or so and said he'd caught nothing all season!

The Wye Salmon Association has declared an EMERGENCY - TIME FOR ACTION!

WE NEED TO DO THE SAME!

Hoping for a salmon?

With water levels currently around the 3m zone I'm hoping it will drop by the time I get on the river on Thursday! Except for some thundery showers tomorrow the forecast looks much more settled so fingers crossed! Looking back at the water level graphs it normally takes about 3 days to drop down to a fishable height! I can't wait to try out my new Sage X Fly Rod - it looks and feels incredible! I will keep you posted!

Saturday night was mild and calm and it almost paid off?

I started fishing at about 8pm just as it was beginning to get dark! Immediately I saw and heard a good fish move in front of me! Full of anticipation I cast a line to where it showed but nothing. I continued on down the pool but had no offers! The evening was warm with a hint of rain. Time for a cup of tea! After some re sustenance I started again aiming for the place where the fish showed. I went past the place where I thought the fish was lying and then suddenly I had the take! It was solid and strong! A fish I guess of at least 8lb maybe more! The fish ran a number of times stripping line off the reel. I could not stop it - my rod was holding the fish but was bent almost double! Then the fish started swimming upstream on the far bank to a point opposite where I was wading. I was in solid contact. I let the fish run when it wanted to but kept a good tension on it. It seemed well and truly hooked at this point about 3 minutes into the fight but no! The hook let go and I stood there in disbelief!

Another couple of nights fishing for those illusive sea trout?

With the promise of 11 degrees tonight and 15 degrees on Saturday night I've decided to have another go for some sea trout! Watch this blog!

Crewel Pool video!

Fishing Crewel Pool for a salmon!

Llangadog Lower Beat Video - Part 1

Lower Beat Video - Part 1

3 nights fishing but no fish landed!

Spent a few days down in Llangadog but only had 1 night that was was perfect for fishing. Sunday night was mild and warm with a gentle breeze. Very soon after starting fishing about 8.45pm I hooked a good fish but it didn't hold on! Really disappointing! Stef was also on the river with his mate Charlie and he told me that he too had lost a good fish. I didn't get any more offers and I packed up at about 3.00am! I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed my fishing this night and it was a pleasure to spend time out on the water. If the weather forecast holds up then I will be fishing Saturday night this week and then again for a few days in October either for salmon during the day or sea trout at night but in October that is unlikely to be the case. Of course I also have the option of sea bass along the coast!

4 nights on the river - 2 sea trout!

I went down last Wednesday and fished Wednesday night alone and then Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Rod!

Wednesday night ended abruptly at about 11.00 pm with thick fog or mist! I just about found my way back to the car it was so bad!

Thursday night wasn't too bad but a bit blustery. I hooked and landed a 5lb sea trout which, after I had removed the hook whilst still in the water, shot off like a rocket! I think Rod had a few pulls and lost a fish too!

Friday night was windy but I managed a small sea trout of about 1lb or so! Again I think Rod had a pull or two.

Saturday night was calm but went very cold quite quickly after dark! No offers!

My tally for this season so far is 4 sea trout!

Martin loses a salmon!

Martin is down the river as I write this report and told me that yesterday the river rose a couple of inches and that he hooked a good fish but it didn't hold! I think he's fishing again today so lets hope he gets lucky! Looks like it's going to be up to me and Rod to turn some fish in next week?

Water Level?

1.121 m at 9.00am! Perfect!

Water perfect for salmon?

Today the water height looks perfect for salmon fishing! Sadly I can't be there but I do intend to visit next week sometime for probably my last few nights sea trout fishing for this season!

I think it's fair to say that the collapse in sea trout runs on the Towy is probably going to result very soon if not already in most anglers giving up! It's sad that it's come to this but unfortunately the Welsh Government dont give a toss! Sadly, my Blog, which I have been writing now for many years will also come to an end!

My biggest regret this season is buying a Licence - more fool me!

IF I bother fishing next season I WILL DEFINATELY NOT BE BUYING A LICENCE!!!

Fishing poor everywhere?

Whilst I was fishing at Tenby on Thursday my sole came off my wading boot (again)! On my way back home I called into Sportfish to get a new pair of waders and boots (could have done without the expense having just forked out £1000 on a new motor mover for the caravan)! Anyway Steve in the shop was telling me that the fishing this year is pretty poor everywhere including Scotland. The Wye is crap too apparantly? The Severn is reasonable so he said. He wasn't optomistic for the future of Sportfish as they can't survive on the handful of people who are tackling up to go off to exotic fishing destinations! Many people seem to have packed up fishing altogether! There was only 2 staff in the shop on a Friday afternoon! I remember when there were loads of staff there.

Fair play to Steve though he said he would send them off to Vision and see if he could get them replaced! Can't remember how long I've had them but probably over 12 months. Interestingly he said that salt water fishing is very bad for wader boots!