Good morning from a wet Foxford, “Austin” the first storm of the winter has hit. I don’t think it will be much, more of a rain event than wind and it looks like the south of the country will get the worst of it. I see the second storm “Boleo” is to hit tomorrow and it looks like we will get the wind from it. Time to check my boat cradle. The rivers are riding fast and Salmon will now be on the final leg of their journey. It will be interesting to see how spawning numbers look this year.
My apologies for disappearing last week. I had fully intended posting something but other priorities took precedent. We were away in Wales fishing a reservoir and things took an unexpected turn. Nothing life threatening but there was certainly a few head scratching moments.
Over the past few years and in particular this season we have been hearing about a reservoir in Wales. A good few of the angling club members have been there and some on more than one occasion. We were obviously going to have to visit at some point and see what the attraction is. Plans would need to be made. 
“Llyn Clywedog is a premier 615-acre trout fishery set in a steep-sided valley in Mid Wales, near Llanidloes”. Those few words are taken from the blurb on the internet. Sometimes I get excited by the bits I like in a sentence and fail to think about the whole sentence. The bit that took my attention was the “Premier trout fishery”, set in a steep sided valley in Mid Wales escaped my attention..
We done our homeware and we both agreed that flying out from Knock airport to Liverpool and taking a hire car was the best way to get there and back. A random date was picked and the booking made. The flights booked, the car hire arranged and an arrangement with two friends to meet there and share a house was made. What could go wrong.
Coincidently, another group of anglers from the Foxford area were making very similar plans and it turned out that we would all be flying from Knock on the same day and fishing Clywedog on the same days but returning from different airports. This was good because these particular anglers are very experienced and have fished there many times, we would have good company and valuable information while there. The salmon season over and the paper work finished we started getting organised. A lot of gear was packed. This was ok though, we had paid that little bit extra and had a good baggage allowance, 20Kg in the hold, a back pack and large Rod tube each.
The day arrived and we were off, a short spin to Knock in my daughters car and we were soon in the air. The plane was a little late departing and we arrived at 19.30. We rushed to make it to the car hire hut before closing time and luckily enough we made it. The kind lads even had the car running for us. They announced that the model we requested was not available so we would be getting an upgrade, A 2025 Pugeot 3008 Hybrid. The world was a great place and people so kind. We jumped in with smiles on our faces. “Oh for fucks sake” said the driver, I looked at him a little bemused “its an automatic”, neither of us had ever driven an automatic. A quick run back into the office to request the manual we had ordered, “sorry mate, that’s the only car we have”. Ah well, we would figure it out.
The two hour journey from the airport to our accommodation in Wales was eventless. We drove on quiet motorway and dark rural roads. The lights on this modern car were funny and occasionally turned from high to low beam automatically, the radio even came on all by itself. Nothing to get excited about, we were just not accustomed to modern cars.
The following morning we were up early and got all our rods prepared for the first days fishing. One slight problem, the car would not unlock, obviously we were doing something wrong. We found the emergency key and were eventually on our way.
We drove the five miles or so to Clywedog. Our first impression was “jeez they have had a dry summer”. The water levels were low and the various layers of soil and stone were very apparent along the steep sides of the reservoir. I already knew why bank fishing is not permitted on a lot of the fishery. Steep banks with loose gravel and stones, one slip could easily lead to disaster.
A quick visit to the office and we had all the necessary paper work including a map. The staff were friendly and helpful, giving us advice on where to fish they assured us that the fishery is well stocked and the water levels have actually come up well in the last while. We were shown to our boats which would be ours for the next three days. There was a good breeze blowing but with the layout of the fishery we figured shelter could be found in one of the many arms. A short time later we were taking our first casts.
Well stocked or not, the fish were not giving themselves up. We searched for fish and we searched for shelter. Every corner we turned revelled new water and the fact that shelter was not easily found. The hills are very steep and the wind is funnelled through the entire fishery. Time for the coffee break, we headed back to the boat jetty and there we met some of the other lads that were also taking a break. They had more success than us and pointed us in the right direction with a couple of recommended fly patterns for the afternoon session. It worked, we started catching fish and by finishing time at five pm we had had some good sport. Tomorrow is a new day and we will try to get a slightly earlier start.
Back at the car we were again locked out but the emergency key got us in. We started the car and immediately the warning messages started. We drove back to our house and parked up. I don’t know do you remember the TV program Knight Rider where the car “Kitt” starts itself, well we soon discovered we had our own Kitt. We were sitting having dinner when suddenly the place lit up. Kitt was shining full lights through the window. We rushed outside to see what was going on and sure enough the dash was fully lit, the mirrors moving, the lights going on and off. Strange we thought but obviously its something new cars do. The following morning we discovered it was far from normal. The car was dead, not a scrap of life. We called the hire company only to get the run around which finally led to the AA. We were assured that a van had been dispatched ant should be with us inside an hour. Three calls later and lunch finished it finally arrived. A nice lad who had driven from England to Wales, some sixty miles. He checked the car, replaced the battery which he told us was the third one this car has had, cleared several faults, wished us luck and was gone. Well at least we could finally go fishing.
Although the start was late the fishing proved good. It was an enjoyable afternoon, Red Kytes and the occasional fighter jet soared over head while we caught trout on a few different methods including a few on dries during a brief calm period. This was one thing I learned about Clywedog, one has to be prepared to change rapidly to suit the conditions. The wind seemed to put the fish down very quickly and when it was calm they fed well on the surface. The only problem was that the weather was very unsettled, changing from calm to windy in minutes. Not our first rodeo though and we were able for it.
Boats back at the Jetty for 17.20 we strolled to our car with a little apprehension. Yes we were locked out again but by now that was no problem, we had the emergency key. The fact that the mirrors refused to turn out was more of a concern and the seek mechanical assistance warning was something that concerned us. We headed back to the house and once again called the help line. This time we were told it would be two hours before someone arrived. Well, we could do nothing but wait and finally at 01.30am he arrived. A bedraggled looking individual who looked like he had fallen out of bed after a feed of pints. It was raining and I knew instantly he didn’t like that fact. “its one of them hybrids mate, don’t know nothing bout them, I have an old Ford, turn the key and it starts” I could agree with what he was saying but he wasn’t filling me with confidence that we would be fishing early in the morning. After a few starts and stops he advised that we hide the key well away from the car on the other side of the house. This man was obviously a genius, not because he could fix our car, No, the fact that he could fool the hire company into employing him was pure genius. “I can’t do no more lads, I know nothing bout them” and he left us. We wrapped the key in tinfoil and put it well away from Kitt. It didn’t make a difference and the lights came on a few minutes later, the mirrors wiggled a few times and we shook our heads and headed to bed.
Funnily enough, the following morning she started and the warning lights did not come on until we arrived at the fishery, nothing too scary this time “Remove the key” or something like that.
What was forecast to be the best day of the week turned out to be the windiest and coldest with nasty showers of driven rain. The fishing was difficult and as we moved around we could see that everyone was struggling. We don’t give up easily and we stuck it out. The day before one of the lads had discovered a pattern that worked very well for him. He only had one of them with him but had purchased the materials necessary to make a few more which without the aid of a vice he produced a dozen which he generously shared out. This made the difference and by finishing time P.j and I had six trout each which was less than the previous days but not too bad given conditions.
The rule at Clywedog is that all boats have to be back at the boat jetty by 17.30 and the gates close at 17.50 so everyone must be finished and gone, which is fair enough. PJ an I walked to our famous car at 17.20 to find it totally dead, not a hope. As the others arrived back we all stood around it in total disbelief. WTF were we to do, and by now the guy left to lock up was getting inpatient. Eight Irishmen discussing how to start a dead automatic Hybrid was not what he wanted to listen to.
We waved the other lads goodbye and as they headed away, car-less we walked up the hill of the steep sided valley in Mid Wales! to wait for another friend to come and collect us. The gate was locked and we were in no doubt that car would not be taking us to the airport at first light in the morning. Wales is very beautiful but as we stood on the roadside alone overlooking Clywedog with the wind howling through the valley and darkness fast approaching the feeling was very lonely, “a quiet spot on a night in December” I said to P.J, he nodded in agreement.
Our mate arrived and we headed back to the house where the other guy sharing with us had cooked a nice dinner, life wasn’t bad but we had to figure out how to get to Liverpool before 8am. The car hire company abandoned us “Someone from the Liverpool office will call you, please have your phone on” That call has not come yet. We made a plan, we would get a lift to the nearest train station which was an hour away, from there we would catch a train at 5am to Liverpool and then a bus to the airport. It all went very well and as we climbed stairs, got stuck in barriers, fell from a train and knocked people while boarding the bus we cursed the decision to book Extra luggage.
In the end all was well, we made the flight and arrived home safe and sound. We had an experience. not all of which I would like to repeat. There were lessons learned, which is good. Memories were made and there’s a story to tell. Its not all about catching fish. We will return to Clywedog.