16/04/2014 - Welsh spotties

Packed the trout and bass gear for our latest trip down to the in-laws in Pembrokeshire. Was particularly looking forward to catching a few Welsh Brownies again. Often used to pop down to the local river with the fly rod but, for one reason or another, had just got out of the habit. However, first job was to assist with "Operation Angus"! My brother-in-law, Alex, had recently purchased an immature White-tailed Sea Eagle for his falconry business and was in the process of training him to fly to the glove, but on his second free flight he decided to go AWOL. Fortunately he had a radio transmitter on, so the majority of our first day was spent helping to track and keep an eye on him until he was in the mood to come home. By late afternoon he seemed to have settled down on the roof of a barn at a local farm, so we left Alex to babysit him and await reinforcements. Took the opportunity for a quick trip down to a free section of river I'd fished regularly in the past - about 400 metres of nice riffly water sandwiched between a high wall alongside a road and some private gardens.

Nice!

There wasn't much in the way of fly life visible when I got there (it had been sunny, but with a cold breeze all day), so set up a cast of three wet flies consisting of a gold head GRHE on the point, a Greenwell's Glory on the bottom dropper and a Partridge and Orange on the top, all size 14. Waded in at the top of the section, aiming to run the flies down the line of trees on the far bank, and had a take second cast from a little Welsh Brownie that scrapped in the current all the way to the net.

Welsh Spotty

Fished on slowly downstream for an hour or so taking eight more as I did so, including a "double shot" on the point fly and bottom dropper. 

Two at once!

Caught on all three flies, with the gold head marginally taking the honours. Didn't quite make it down to the bridge as a chap and his lad appeared and started casting from the wall just downstream of me. That's the trouble - "free" sections of river in this neck of the woods don't stay free for long! Called it a day at that point, but was pleased with my first recce.