Fish caught!

Went out last night with Rod on the river. It was a very mild still night and I fished till 1.00am in a tee shirt! At about 12.30am I hooked and landed a 5lb sea trout. During the evening we saw a couple of other fish jump. There appears to be a trickle of fish moving from pool to pool during the night which is refreshing!

Another disappointing nights fishing?

Last night was, for the most part, very windy.  There was a spell around 12.30am to say 1.30am when the wind subsided and casting became a pleasure again! I struggled to find somewhere where I could cast and kept moving from one pool to another in the hope of getting some shelter. It was dark and cloudy most of the time but annoyingly there was a farmer on the hillside the other side of the A40 who was cutting grass I assume and his tractor lights were frequently illuminating the river and casting my shadow across the pools.

Light rain the day before had made the river level lift an inch or two but the water was running clear. In almost 5 hours of fishing I saw 1 fish jump just below the hedge. Amazingly there was another angler on the river for awhile - Lee Graham, the son of John Graham. Lee told me that he had only had 2 fish this season (the same as me).

So - my next trip will be in 2 weeks time, hopefully with Rod so I guess 2 rods will maybe double our chances of catching fuck all?

Tightlines!

A wet day!

I was hoping to fish Wednesday night but it rained all day and evening (light rain) so that put me off. Instead I went into Carmarthen and found a record shop above a real ale bar! What a find! It's called CWRW (the bar) and the record shop is called Tangled Parrot! I bought a few records so I'm looking forward to getting them home for a play!

As far as tonight is concerned I'm not sure if the river will be clear so I will have to go and take a look. Watch this space!

Smidge comes to the rescue!

Some fish running!

I came down on Monday to fish but the river was too coloured. I spent the afternoon fishing and droning in lovely light. I was unable to park at the Pumping Station because of Welsh Water vehicles so I asked Terry who lives in the cottage if I could park on his land and he kindly gave me permission to. We had a long chat and I found out that he is not well.

Yesterday (Tues) the river had cleared so I was hopeful of some sport. I started fishing at about 10.15. The night was still and warm with cloud cover. I met Dan and had a chat with him for awhile before making my way downstream. At about 10.45 I got a solid take in a pool I seldom fish these days. Sadly it didn’t hold! The fish turned on the surface and I could tell it was big! Another one that got away! I carried on fishing various pools without a touch and then at about 1.00am I returned to the pool where I lost the fish. I started fishing and very soon heard and saw another good fish splash at the entrance to the pool. I carried on fishing till 2.00am in the hope of intercepting it on its journey but it didn’t happen! I packed up as the mist came down over the river and got back to the caravan at about 3.00am. It was an enjoyable nights fishing and I was always hopeful of a fish but sadly my luck was not in. Maybe tonight will be my lucky night?

Fished Monday night with no success!

Interestingly I heard a good fish move downstream and so concentrated even harder in the hope that it would come to me. After half an hour or so I sat down with a cup of tea and a sandwich. As I was tucking in a big fish jumped in front of me and then proceeded to run through the shallow water upstream! I can't explain the sound but I knew what it was straightaway! So possibly that cup of tea and a sandie may have cost me another double figure sea trout?

Saw one other angler - Andrew from Merthyr Tydfil. He fishes a lot and hadn't had a fish yet! Some big brownies but no sea trout!

Fished for 3 nights with Rod but no success!

Rod and I fished really hard over 3 nights but to no avail!

We covered all our water except the Railway Bridge and the Road Bridge beats. Crewel Pool had barely any flow in it although a few small fish were showing there. No pulls and very few fish showing! Very very disappointing!

Some running fish about?

Fished again Wednesday and Thursday night and although I didn't connect with a fish I did see a number of good sized fish splashing in different places. With lots of slimey weed now taking over we will very soon need rain in order to fish anywhere.

10 lb and the hardest fighting fish of my career!

 Almost 12 pm and I get a savage take! What a fight! Nearly ripped my fingers off as the reel screamed! Quite a few fish moving up. - great to see at last. I had opportunities to catch other showing fish but it just didn’t happen! A most enjoyable evening I must say!

The odd big fish about!

 Had a couple of big fish in recent weeks! Great to see them back!

The Towy at Halfway!

 An amazing sunset at Halfway! This water is Cross Hands!

Crewel Pool after the Winter floods!

Spent a lovely afternoon on Crewel Pool yesterday. The water was about 1.500m but still ok for the fly! I didn't have any luck but I enjoyed fishing in the sunshine and having a chat with an old friend! The pool looks better than ever I would say so I can't wait to have a go at night this season. Video LINK below!

Crewel Pool

The Top Section of our Lower Beat!

 Top Section of Lower Beat

Water at last?

Having fished a few times early this season I noticed a great deal of 'slimey' weed on the river bed. This is particularly annoying when wading in the shallows as it sometimes hooks itself around your line below your feet. With about a 1m rise in river level yesterday I'm hoping some if not all of that will have been washed away ready for my next fishing trip?

New Videos of our river?

 The Towy from Midges' perspective?

and

The Towy from Smidges' perspective?

Rain forecast?

According to the forecasts rain should be heavy on Monday 3rd May and Saturday 8th May? Lets hope it raises the river a foot or two?

Fished another night on the 29th April but with no luck!

The night was cloudy and relatively warm (about 8 or 10 deg I guess). The river is so different this season so I fished many different spots, some I was familiar with , others not. Our beat is more interesting this season I think. Lots of gravel movement has created new pools and different runs. I really like it. Sadly no fish appeared other than a brown trout of about 1.5lb and another much smaller. I fished till midnight at which point it was starting to get really cold. The river needs water so with rain forecast next Monday I'm hoping that the river will be good and free from weed in a weeks time when I return!

First sea trout of the 2021 Season!

At about 12.15am on 27th April 2021 I caught my first sea trout of the 2021 Season! The fish was about 3lb in weight and fought like buggery!

The river has changed so much over the winter, far more than I have ever seen before. There has been lots of gravel shifting. The overall effect I would say is positive. As soon as I get a suitable day I will put a drone over the river and load it up here.

So I’ve opened my account for the season and now I’m looking forward to many more to come!

First visit of the 2021 Season!

On Monday 12th April I was able to travel legally to Wales because of easing of Pandemic Restrictions! I picked up my caravan from the Little Haven Retreat and took it to the Towy Valley Caravan Park at Half Way, Carmarthenshire right beside the River Towy!

We have had a hard winter in my view with regular frosts and the frosts are still with us so I wasn't very hopeful of getting any fishing in. Tuesday night went cold quickly but Wednesday seemed a bit more hopeful.

On Wednesday night I was sitting on the log waiting for the shadows to lengthen when a nice fish jumped virtually in front of me! Promising? I fished all the way down the flats with a 'fast sinking' polyleader on until I reached the end by which time most of my fingers were about to fall off! I walked back to the car at about 9.45pm and the temperature at the car was 2 degrees!

Any one interested in helping clean up our River?

Why don't we get a team together and at least tidy up our own beat?

Clean up our oceans and rivers

The Atlantic Salmon Trust

Are there any other anglers out there prepared to STAND UP AND BE COUNTED I wonder? From my experience probably not! I personally can't just stand by and see salmon and sea trout become extinct and the sport I love so much become one of the past!

I've just Donated my EA Licence Fee of £54 to the Atlantic Salmon Trust! Why? Because the EA have done fuck all for salmon and sea trout over my lifetime (70 fucking years) so I've decided to give the AST a go instead!!!!

I will carry this with me as MY LICENCE!

The Missing Salmon Project?

 If you care about our sport DONATE HERE NOW! Atlantic Salmon Trust

The Missing Salmon Project

Early Season Fly for Sea Trout

 Early Season Fly

Check out THE WYE AND USK FOUNDATION

Worth checking out especially if you are interested in fishing different waters! Very well thought out website I think!

The WYE and USK Foundation 

HAPPY NEW YEAR and TIGHT LINES for 2021!

Well it's only 3 months till the start of the 2021 fishing season.

I don't know about you but I've been tying flies lately, as it's been too cold for me to venture out for long periods because of my Asthma. For a year or too now I've been mostly fishing the same fly, with some variations. I call it Andy's Killer (although I don't kill fish anymore and haven't for quite some years). If there are fish around then I think this fly works very well (but I'm sure others of you think the same about the flies you fish and that's fine).

This simple fly consists of a stinger treble at the rear and a low water salmon hook as the main hook. I've introduced a bit of sparkle to it of late but I'm not sure if it's essential or not. The body is 3 turns of peacock and the wing is bucktail or similar.

I've had a number of double figure sea trout on this and the odd salmon.

Finally, just in case some of you are considering giving up on the sea trout fishing I would like to encourage you not to. Without you and me and our angling friends on the river day and night the river will deteriorate even further. Pollution will become the norm and the abuse of the river and it's surroundings will increase even more! We need to be on the river as much as possible so when April 1st comes along, dust off your fly rod, clean up your gear and get out on the river! Be optimistic for the future of our amazing rivers and fish - I know it's not been easy over recent seasons - but things are looking up a bit I think!

Also - think about COVID! At least if you're on the river fishing you won't catch it or much else for that matter!!! (JOKE)

Tight lines for the 2021 season everyone! 

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?