Snakes and Snakebite
There are only 3 indigenous snake species in the UK as well as a legless lizard (also called a slow worm) that might be mistaken for one. It is possible that you might also encounter an exotic species that has … Continued
Who can tell what a trout is eating
In early September I fished Llynnau Gamallt Mawr Lake, which is one of my favourite places to fish. Tackling up at the carpark, the weather was miserable and it was tempting to head off and try somewhere else. However, the … Continued
Frogs, Toads and Tadpoles
There are two frog and two toad species in the UK as well as number of exotic species that may have been released. They are widespread and found in a variety of habitats and can be predominantly green or brown … Continued
Fishing charity support as you shop
Just a quick note on using AmazonSmile to benefit fishing charities. Nothing could be simpler, go to AmazonSmile, select the charity that you wish to support, when shopping with Amazon go via their Smile page, everything else works exactly the … Continued
Introduction to feathers for fly tyers
I thought a quick article on one the key materials we use in fly tying/dressing, feathers, would be useful. Having a standardised set of terminology when we communicate fly tying patterns is important that when others come to use the … Continued
Wild weather at Llyn Clywedog
Last October, with the wild brownie season closed and the prospect of another lockdown looming that would prevent crossing the border into Wales, I decided to head off to fish Llyn Clywedog despite the dire weather forecast. En route the … Continued
Washing and caring for your fly lines
It is that time of year again, equipment maintenance time in anticipation of the coming season. Washing and cleaning your fly line with a fly line dressing isn’t rocket science but thought I would share few links as a call … Continued
River Eye Wild Brown Trout
Over the summer last year the family headed off to the Cotswold AONB to explore the quaint hamlets. The Slaughters (Upper and Lower) are very picturesque, however, unfortunately being popular tourist destinations half of the country was there with seemingly … Continued
The lady of the river
I had good intentions of extending my fishing season into the winter to make up for some of the lost fishing time during the year owing to the spring/summer lockdowns and travel restrictions by exploring a new quarry, the grayling … Continued
Fishing and Weils Disease
I decided to write an article on this subject as I have suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for more than 7 years now, following contracting Weils disease (leptospirosis) while fly fishing. It has seriously blighted my and my family’s … Continued
What is open access land?
Open access land (England & Wales) I recently discovered a shorter more manageable route up to Llyn Conglog using access land. This motivated me to look into this further and write a short article on the subject. The Countryside and … Continued
On top of the world fishing at Llyn Conglog
Following my unsuccessful trip to Llynnau Barlwyd I stopped at Llyn Ffrid-y-bwlch to finish the day on a high and met a club member that told me about a back way up to Llyn Conglog from Crimea Pass on … Continued
Waste of time fishing Llynnau Barlwyd
As part of my further exploration of the Cambrian Angling Association waters I thought Llynnau Barlwyd looked intriguing and remote. According to the CAA website the larger 10ha llyn was emptied in 2003 to repair the wall and would … Continued
Change of plan to fish Llyn Du-bach
With the second wave of COVID19 building and the possibility of lockdown being reimposed I have been exploring as many of the Cambrian Angling waters as time will allow. I had decided to give Llyn y Manod a try in … Continued
Heather flies on the wing at Llyn Du-bach
I ventured out to Llyn Du-bâch on Sunday. While the wind was cool and from the north east, the sun had finally made an appearance and I hoped that the sun would trump the cold wind and get the insect … Continued
Life cycle of the trout
I started collecting materials to write a post about the life cycle of the trout and then discovered this page from the Wild Trout Trust. It is very comprehensive and worth a read …. why reinvent the wheel if someone … Continued
Brown Trout Fishing at Llyn Cwmorthin
I have been exploring some of the other Cambrian Angling waters with a view to taking the kids out fishing in the summer holidays. Llyn Cwmorthin seemed to be a good bet as the walk-in is relatively short, being … Continued
How much sewage is in your local river?
I came across this Rivers Trust web portal the other day when I was looking for some water quality data for a catchment. This is an issue that is really close to my heart and am glad that an … Continued
Take a line tray to Llynnau Gamallt Lakes
Finally got to fish at Gamallt on Saturday in the driving rain with the change in COVID19 lockdown restrictions. Aside from finding out that my gear is far from waterproof when exposed to really wet weather was more surprised … Continued
Biting Midges
Biting midges are tiny (1-3 mm in size) flies (Diptera) that have the potential to ruin a fishing trip to many wild places in the UK, including north Wales, the Lake District, Yorkshire dales, Cornwall and particularly Scotland. Basically, midges … Continued
Avoiding Ticks and Lyme Disease
May, June and July are prime tick months and you should be wary if you are fishing in areas with livestock or are known tick hotspots. The tick you are most likely to get bitten by is Ixodes ricinus or … Continued
Sight fishing for wild trout on the Derbyshire Wye
The Derbyshire Dales was covered in thick mist as I drove towards the Cressbrook and Litton Flyfishers Club day ticket water on the Derbyshire Wye. However, the mist cleared as I entered Monsal Dale but still clung on to the … Continued
Encountering Large Livestock While Fishing
I had my first negative experience with large livestock while out fishing the other day.The river beat had cows and a couple of young bulls grazing on pasture on both sides of the double bank fishing beat. I kept my … Continued
Rod license sales soar
Environment Agency figures released earlier this week show a sharp rise in fishing licence sales after the government lifted COVID19 restrictions on outdoor activities. Between the 13th May when the restrictions were lifted and the 9th June over 335,000 licences … Continued
Interesting lives of chalkstream fish
Happened to come across the following free online workshop for next week entitled “The Interesting Lives of Some Chalkstream Fishes“. Chalk rivers are a globally rare and endangered habitat providing clear water and supporting a diverse flora and fauna such … Continued
Planning to fish on the Derbyshire Wye
With my favoured Welsh upland llyn fishing locations out of reach as I can’t cross the border owing to the COVID19 lockdown restrictions in Wales being quite restrictive I have been exploring alternate options. Fishing the Derbyshire Wye for wild … Continued
Geocaching and Fishing
When the kids were younger we found that keeping them occupied while out walking facilitated longer walks. Stopping to do activities like photograph flowers, have a snack break, telling them wild stories and searching for geocaches were good activities to … Continued
Anatomy of a fishing hook
This is a short article about that part of our fishing tackle at the business end of our setup. Most modern hooks a made from wire that is shaped into a hook, with the thickness of the wire being referred … Continued
Drawing and painting fishing flies
Being in lock-down during the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to explore other aspects of our hobby/obsession. Following on from my blog post on the drawing and painting of trout I wondered what YouTube resources there were available to assist … Continued
Ready steady fish
I received an email from the Environment Agency on Wednesday night that made my heart sing. If you live in England then fishing was now allowed under the change in government COVID19 movement restrictions this week (as of 13 May … Continued
Hunting for Bibionidae
One of my goals for this year was to search for specific insects that I have blogged about or would like to write about and take my own photos for the articles. One of the early season target species was … Continued
Fishing TV
If you are looking for something to keep you occupied this coming bank holiday weekend then give Fishing TV a try. I first tried it in 2018 when they had a 24 hour show for World Fishing Day. They have … Continued
How to draw and paint a trout
Being in lock-down during the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to explore other aspects of our hobby/obsession. I have always fancied drawing and painting our quarry and envy those lucky enough to possess the gift and skill set to do … Continued
Grasshoppers and Crickets
There are 27 species of Orthoptera in the UK (not counting invasive species arriving in the UK), these include grasshoppers, groundhoppers, bush crickets and true crickets. They tend to have large hind legs which they use to jump long distances. … Continued
Taking advantage of the low water levels at Llyn Efyrnwy Lake Vyrnwy
During the summer of 2018 the water levels at Lake Vyrnwy/Llyn Eyrnwy dropped as supplies to urban areas like Liverpool were under pressure. The water level was down to 68% and the banks were exposed allowing a good look at … Continued
Knotted leaders and how to create one
As you will have noted on my blog I do not review gear for money or free samples. In fact this is my first gear review, well sort of. I have always been a firm believer in spending what time … Continued
Carving a trout
With being locked up during the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to explore other aspects of our hobby/obsession. I came across these videos the other day and thought I would share them as they are quite amazing and well worth … Continued
Water Beetles
Water beetles are insects belonging to the Order Coleoptera. There are around 250 species of water beetles in Britain which spend part or all of their life cycle in water. They prefer shallower margins of a wide range of aquatic … Continued
NO Fishing during COVID19 lockdown
I was going to fish in 2020 like I haven’t fished in years, the plan was laid out and it was a good one. The emergence and spread of COVID19 was gaining pace and it was apparent by February that … Continued
Wild Trout Trust Videos
The Wild Trout Trust have just uploaded a new series of videos to their YouTube account of wild brown trout, sea trout, ferox and salmon. They will give you a lift during the current inclement weather as we wait for … Continued
Lake District Arctic Charr
The artic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) population in the lake district has always interested me along with the traditional fishing methods used to catch these deep water salmonids, purported to have become trapped in UK lakes at the end of the … Continued
Relax with sticklebacks
A short meditation video of 3-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) feeding in the outlet stream of Llyn Frongoch. Tight Lines Greg Credit for featured image
Severn Rivers Trust showing of Artifishal by Patagonia
I attended the Severn Rivers Trust showing of Artifishal by Patagonia held at the Walker Theatre in the heart of Shrewsbury on Thursday night. If you do anything this weekend you should watch this absolutely amazing movie. Prepare to … Continued
Dads Fishing Legacy
On the 4th of February 2020 my father lost his battle with brain cancer, aged 80. While writing his eulogy I had the opportunity to reflect on the passion we shared for fishing, where this came from and this common … Continued
Vintage Fishing Rod Restoration
I bought the kindle version of Vintage Fishing Rod Restoration by Paul Duffield as I plan to restore an old split cane fly rod that I was given by my father. The book is a step by step illustrated guide … Continued
Dragonflies and Damselflies
There are 36 dragonflies (Anisoptera) and 21 damselflies (Zygoptera) in the UK. They both tend to have long thin bodies, a pair of wings and while many are brightly coloured they are not all. Damselflies tend to be more delicate, … Continued
Stoneflies
There are 34 species of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in Britain. Stoneflies prefer well oxygenated water associated with rocky rivers and streams and occasionally the rocky shores of lakes. I encountered a sporadic hatch of stoneflies in early spring at Lynnau Gamallt … Continued
Gone Fishing
I was given the book for Christmas as I have enjoyed the TV series. The book is a distillation of many of the themes in the TV series and an easy read. It makes a good gift but not sure … Continued
Wine Barrel Smoker
While things were slower over the Christmas break I have scoped out a few fishing related projects and venues for the coming year. One of those projects for the summer is how to build a wine barrel smoker to hot … Continued
Canal Morphology
Having an understanding of under water morphology is an important aspect of increasing your catch rate as it affects where you target fish. While there are books out there, like Dom Garnett’s, that detail what we can expect to find … Continued
Lake and Pond Olive
The lake olive (Cloeon simile) and pond olive (Cloeon dipterum) are the two Cloeon species within the 51 species of mayflies in the UK. They are both quite common, especially in lowland settings, and well distributed throughout the British Isles. … Continued
Llynnau Gamallt Lakes Fishing Calendar
My fishing year and #Fish52 plan for 2019 has not worked out as planned, largely owing to family commitments helping my parents through long patches of ill health and downsizing into a care home to meet their needs. However, the … Continued
I would give up fishing if I cast like that
My fishing season has come to a halt as I head off to help my father diagnosed with cancer. While it is unlikely I will get out fishing in the near future, I thought I would share a story about … Continued
Cold weather slows mayfly activity
The mayfly hatch (Claret dun – Leptophlebia vespertina) at Llynnau Gamallt Lakes on the 25th May, when the water temperature was 16 ºC, was prolific and sustained throughout the day and the trout were taking full advantage of the feast. … Continued
Bees Wasps and Ants
Bees, wasps and ants make up a small but familiar portion (Aculeata) of the order Hymenoptera. They are familiar as they are often feared because of their stings. Bees – There are many more bees in the super family Apoidea … Continued
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
It was a good day to be out fishing but I was run down from a crazy week at work and not feeling well enough to travel the 5 hours round trip to Wales to fish my favourite Llyns. So … Continued
Getting the kids hooked again
If you are a fly fishing purist then stop reading this article now as it contains material that you will find offensive. My girls have gradually drifted away from fly fishing in recent years, in part because they are in … Continued
Lynnau Gamallt Lakes Bonanza
I fished at Llynnau Gamallt Lakes over the late May bank holiday weekend … the sunny spells that were forecast were few and far between and instead the wind was brisk and cool, we had spells of rain and low … Continued
The Lakes of Eryri
Every Easter the kids and I spend a day scouring book stores (new and old) looking for books that take our interest. One of our favourite bookstores is Ystwyth Books in Aberystwyth where we spend many hours and come away … Continued
Beetles and Bugs
There are over 4000 species of beetle found in Britain. Beetles are insects (Order Coleoptera) characterised by fore wings modified to form protective wing cases that cover the hind wings which are used for flight. Most of the terrestrial beetles are less … Continued
Saint Marks Fly
The St. Marks or hawthorn fly (Bibio marci) gets its name because the adults emerge around St Mark’s Day which is on the 25th April. The hawthorn fly is a fly (Diptera) in the family Bibionidae which is distributed across much of … Continued
Spring has sprung at Llynnau Gamallt Lakes
The season opened on the Wednesday the 20th March and the weather on the weekend looked good so I decided to buy my season ticket and have a throw even though the temperature wasn’t forecast to get above 7 ºC … Continued
March Brown
With the end of February fast approaching and the start of the salmonid fly fishing season almost upon us, I was thinking about species that signal the start of the season and the March Brown was on the list. The … Continued
Fish52 Plan
Ok, so now to lay out a plan for how I am going to realise the challenge of #Fish52. My kids thought that it would be a good idea to have at least one adventure per month mixed in with … Continued
Alderflies
The alderfly is fairly common in and around water bodies like ponds, lakes and streams with silty sediments. The adults sun themselves on vegetation and objects next to the water bodies from which they emerge en masse. The alderfly has … Continued
Lake Vyrnwy Llyn Efyrnwy Tourist Map
With researching the history prior to fishing at Lake Vyrnwy LLyn Efyrnwy (see my blog posts and fishing adventures) and having fished and canoed there with the kids over the summer I have developed a bit of an obsession with … Continued
Fish52 Challenge
The national angling survey (EA, 2012) reported that of the 27000 anglers who participated in the survey ~95% would like to fish more and that work and family commitments were the biggest barrier to doing so (~60% of respondents). So … Continued
Fishing mindfulness
Anyone that has fished will know the calm and tranquillity that the sport can bring and the associated health benefits. Much of this stems from being in nature and focusing on the task at hand that all of your worries … Continued
Become a waterway wanderer
I have been trying to find a way to increase the time that I spend fishing in order to balance increasing work stress levels. I, like many people in today’s world, find it difficult to create space for a whole … Continued
Plu Stiniog
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