Chasing the Ladies in Wales

It's been a while since I got on the Welsh Dee. Cabin fever and all that makes me twitchy so I was excited to arrive at 3am in the morning in Llangollen, grab some sleep at The Hand Hotel and then get out fishing.

Coming out of breakfast, who's stood at reception? My mate Simon Caddy. I though he was going to fall over when he saw me. That's the thing about staying at The Hand, you never know who is going to be there over the weekend.

I started my day out at the Sand Hole. Usually a good spot to find fish in heavy water, but the river was low and slow. I was curious how it would fish under these conditions. The answer is, poorly. Well, certainly for bugs. I had plenty of small trout and par but no grayling. It might have produced with dries or spiders, but I didn't make the change. Probably should have done.

Time to change location. Simon was in the Sewerage Works with Kevin Moran and they'd had a few fish. We all headed to the broken bridge. Setting the world to rights as we went along. There's always something to moan about.

Simon missed a good'un first chuck. but then couldn't find another. Kevin had a nice brownie out of a pocket in the riffles. That was it though. The fishing was hard with bugs. Nothing rising either so there was a reluctance to put on dries or spiders.

It's not huge but it was my first grayling of the trip. Good to see that there are some juveniles about to grow into bigger specimens. With nothing doing the hunt was on to find the fish. Simon and Kevin decided to head back up river to the "Poo Pipe" and have a go there.

I got down on my belly and slithered over the sand bank to get into the pool above the riffles at the top of the broken bridge. I've had good fish from here before.

A few casts and I was into something a bit better.

The wax indicator was doing it's thing. Staying stuck to the line and bobbling about with each touch on the fly. You can see it just above my thumb. I like the wax because I can make the indicator as small as I need it to be.

When the water is clear and the fish are spooky, I am convinced you can have too much indicator sometimes. A bit of bright braid or nylon can over cook it.

Back in the water and I hit a proper lump a few casts later. There's lots of head shaking and as the fish heads off across the pool. I manage to steer it back reached for my net and it parted company. Didn't see the fish at all. I may have muttered a few choice words.

I guess it might have been a salmon or tea trout the way it went and with the head shaking. Certainly the next solid hookup was exactly that. Solid. Like a mobile rock in the current. No head shaking or careering off across the pool.

It swam around me and I pirouetted like a ballet hippo, flailing arms and getting in a right pickle. Without the upgraded grip on my boots I'm pretty sure I'd be in the drink. I made a right hash of getting the fish in the net. Fine fish though!

Another take and another lump. This one set off on a merry dance as well. Dodging the net like a world class rugby player. Out into the current with a full sail hoisted. I'm seriously wondering about my netting skills here. The fish dives under the net and between my legs! The rod is doubled and the fish is off.

Definitely time to have a word with myself. I know how to net fish and this was way outside what I know to be the best practice.

Into the next fish and I net this one. Some might say more luck. I say I'd taken myself to task over the previous netting fiasco, attempts.

Rod tip low, reeling the fish smoothly towards me. Brought it gently round to the side with least current. Took a few steps downstream so the fish was slightly above me and let it slip back into the net.

It could have been a Fosters beer advert. "No Drama!"

I say there was no drama, but I was feeling the cold where the cold should be felt. I'd waded a bit deeper to land this fish and I could feel the icy release water from Bala trickling down my legs and into my socks.

Bending down to take pictures of the fish I'd popped the zip a little. Just enough to allow the ingress of water. Resetting the zip I didn't think it was too bad so fished on.

I had couple more fish but I as I moved higher up the pool I went into the shade. The takes dried up. It seems the grayling were sunbathing.

Making my way back to the the sand bank to get out, the moment I stepped out of the water I realised my feet were far heavier than they should be. I'd gathered considerably more water than I realised.

Nothing for it. I stripped off boots and waders. Emptied the waders, took off my socks and gave them a good wringing. Fortunately, with the day being warm I wasn't wearing long johns, which would have been totally soaked. I squeezed the water out of my pants as best I could, without going totally commando, before getting dressed again.

It didn't take long to warm up. A brisk walk in the sun and I'm hot stuff. Back to the car for a bite to eat and dry clothes. I'm prepared like that. Okay, so I'd stopped to pick up a few necessities at Asda on my way down. It was just good fortune that I had spare pants still in the car. Socks? Who needs socks? It's a hipster thing. Allegedly.

I decide on a change of venue. On the A5 a Land Rover drifts over the centre line on a left hand bend and takes out my wing mirror. I stop and the they didn't. I picked up the pieces of my smashed mirror and some of his. If you're reading this and would like to collect some bits from your wing mirror. I have them!

Could have been much worse. My nerves were a bit shot and my mind was no longer on the fishing. Had a couple more from the Golf Course but my camera skills were off and I wasn't feeling it.

Didn't stay much longer and headed back to the Hand.

The following day I patched the mirror back together as best I could. Took a trip to Watkin & Williams and procured a bathroom mirror and a roll of gaffa tape. Fabulous shop. Worth a visit if you're in Llangollen. It's an Aladdin's cave of all sorts. Proper hardware shop.

Worked well enough for me to see anything trying to overtake. Spent the day on CADAC water and caught some fine grayling. The weather was miserable in the morning, but it brightened up. Unfortunately my camera battery went flat and my phone was in the car so not much to report.

Where to fish Monday morning before running to the boat? Back out to CADAC waters. I know there will always be good grayling about and it seemed like a relaxing way to spend the morning before heading to the boat.

I stopped at one of my favourite spots.

The grayling weren't in the deepest part of the top pool where I caught them previously. They were lower down, in the more aerated water. What a fish though!

I'd got my netting skills sorted out again. Much less fuss with this beauty on the bugs. A couple more came out of the same patch and I moved on down to the main glide. To contact more fish.

The number of fish eased off. I saw a rise and decided to drop the bugs and put on a dry. I left a spider on the top dropper. With my Esoteric Euro Nymph Line having a slight taper and my rod having a Tenkara action I can cast the zero weight line with the #2/#3 rod without a problem. Shorter casting stroke. Elbow tucked in negates the weight of the rod. I find that almost all wrist action and solid stops are what is needed to send the line in a tight loop. The very flexible tip accelerates the very light line into a casting loop. There is no point trying to load the main body of the rod. There isn't enough weight in the line to do it.

It's a different style of casting that many people, who only fish western tackle, just can't get a handle on. They waft the rod about in a huge casting stroke without a solid stop at either end of the stroke. The zero weight line just flops about and the rod and line is declared, crap.

Get the technique right and the rod and line offer something different. Short casting stroke, extra reach, light touch on the water and precision to place the fly where you want it. For anyone who fishes Tenkara with light lines the whole concept works on a rod with rings and a reel.

A technical rod for a different way of fishing.

Enough of that, what about the fishing? Casting across river, a decent mend and I can see my grey duster easily. There's a swirl of gold half way up the leader just as I make a second mend, but no tightening of the line. Did I imagine that flash?

I cast again to cover the same spot. A swirl at the spider and everything locks up. A good fight later and she's in the net.

The little brownies are loving the dry and the spiders as well.

I swap over to all spiders. The fish keep coming. It's a long time since I've had so many grayling from this section of CADAC water. One or two fish are rising and running the spiders past them gets a reaction every time.

With the water so low I got a chance to fish the far bank. I've always fancied there are fish in this section but the flow has kept me from getting close enough to present a descent fly.

There are certainly fish over there. I missed a couple of swirls and lost a descent fish but it was worth looking at. Somewhere I'll remember next time the water is so low.

All in all this has been a fabulous trip to the Welsh Dee. The rod and line did as I wanted. The fish put in an appearance. The size of the fish was definitely up on last season. I predict there are going to be some sizeable fish caught at the Hanak Grayling Festival this year. Our team will be ready! Bring it on!