Where three Rivers meet.

[Catfish.017]

It's curious how a few written words can spark off a train of thought and unleash a spate of memories in connection with it. MG's post about the man between three rivers did just that for me tonight. I used to fish an estuary mark for Bass mainly with good Flounders thrown in. The three Rivers Towy, Taf and Gwendraith meet here in a perfect Tee. A vast area of sand, mud and weed covered stones at low water, a natural 'pier' of mussel covered rocks a couple of hundred yards long almost bisects this area of rich feeding for birds and fish alike. At the seaward end of the 'Pier' a 45 gallon oil drum on a chain serves as a buoy to warn canoeists etc of the possible danger. Motorised craft are banned from the estuary. After digging worms or gathering peeler crab, I would sit on the drum awaiting the first push of the incoming tide, once seeing an Otter lolloping along the sand bar at the mouth of the estuary. Not long after I discovered this venue I was sat on the drum one day when looking down I spotted a gun shell amongst the stones at my feet. There is a military firing range nearby, however this shell had obviously been there quite some time as it was well covered with barnacles. Nevertheless I afforded it a healthy respect until some weeks later I arrived at the mark to find two other anglers already in residence. Conversation revealed one was ex army. Naturally I asked him about the shell. "Oh that" he exclaimed, kicking it a few feet from its resting place! Apparently it was missing the important bit on the point! On the subject of Bass, without wishing to sound boastful, I have caught literally hundreds of them, but I've never had one bigger than Six pounds. That fish came from this mark one late October evening. We, Dave and I had gone out in his boat that morning in rather rough conditions but with a back up plan to fish the estuary if necessary. This turned out to be the case and we found ourselves sitting on the buoy late afternoon. The wind had abated quite a bit by now but the residual surf was all one could wish for. Owing to the flat nature of the area and the various gulleys crisscrossing it, being cut off by the tide was an ever present threat. For this reason we usually fished only the first three hours of the flood. With the three hours almost up we had caught a string of school Bass but nothing decent. The evening weather had become quite benign and with lots of bait remaining we decided to stay on, retreating to the safe side of the main gulley and wait for the tide to catch up coinciding with darkness falling. A pleasant hour followed with a few more 'schoolies' falling to both rods. Then as we prepared to pack, I had a thumping bite and hooked into the six pounder. Dave left his rod to help me land it before saying that he had felt a pull just before putting his rod in the rest. Unbelievably, minutes later there was a Seven Pounder lying alongside my Six! So even when I landed my best ever Bass, it was eclipsed by a fish well short of Daves best!

[Liphook]

I enjoyed that Catfish I too was stirred by the 3 Rivers film on that old fenman! I live on the Ribble estuary and am similarly drawn to my own wildfowling, well the wild goose chase anyway with 10 bore and waders at this time of year. More relevantly, since the Covid debacle, I've been concentrating on bass fishing almost exclusively, on lures and flies wherever possible ie when conditions and water clarity allow but also with my Bare Bones rod, sand spike and bait pump when not. Magical places estuaries that I also think brought out the best of BB's writing and artwork in Tide's Ending and Dark Estuary. I'd love to explore Wales thoroughly when I retire but fear the best of the sewin and salmon fishing may be long gone by then? Let's hope not

[Catfish.017]

I enjoyed that Catfish I too was stirred by the 3 Rivers film on that old fenman! I live on the Ribble estuary and am similarly drawn to my own wildfowling, well the wild goose chase anyway with 10 bore and waders at this time of year. More relevantly, since the Covid debacle, I've been concentrating on bass fishing almost exclusively, on lures and flies wherever possible ie when conditions and water clarity allow but also with my Bare Bones rod, sand spike and bait pump when not. Magical places estuaries that I also think brought out the best of BB's writing and artwork in Tide's Ending and Dark Estuary. I'd love to explore Wales thoroughly when I retire but fear the best of the sewin and salmon fishing may be long gone by then? Let's hope not

Lip hook, keep the faith on the Salmon and Sewin. As Falkus observed in his definitive book "The runs are notoriously cyclical". His little River Esk being the classic example where he found the doom and gloom laden diaries of a former angler/ occupant of his home, Cragg Cottage. This at a time when HF was enjoying some fabulous fishing, again well documented in his book. On my native Welsh rivers I enjoyed some very respectable sport through the Nintie's into this millennium before a sharp decline set in. However in 2020 there were definite signs of an upturn in the runs, particularly of Sewin. Maybe just maybe?

[Liphook]

Good news! I think with sufficient help the sewin particularly can ride most storms as they are such an adaptable species, but I'm not personally convinced that the general decline in salmon is reversible as something terribly wrong is happening at sea. I do hope to be proven wrong!
I've fished the Cumbrian Esk (and Irt and Mite, Derwent, Leven, Kent, Bela etc) many times. They are all lovely rivers particularly given water and a few fish! With regards to the Cragg Cottage catch records I almost imagine a duffer fishing there historically only to be replaced by a revolutionary! I'd love to have met HF if only to thank him for his book Sea Trout

[Catfish.017]

Yes I meant to write the Esk, slip of the tongue! You may be right about the 'Duffer' diaries. We'll never know the truth. I was always reasonably optimistic about the runs of Sewin on my most local river, the Tawe, a modest spate river much like the Esk.until the late Nineties my faith was vindicated to a greater or lesser degree, however the runs absolutely collapsed around then and I reluctantly stopped fishing for them. I caught a few Grilse in the final season but I always looked on these as a bonus, particularly as they would take at night on that river. I was totally and irrevocably addicted to night fly fishing for Sewin influenced in no small part by Falkus' writing.

[Liphook]

Nocturnal sea trouting is my true angling passion. In fact its been an addiction for over 30 years Catfish

[Catfish.017]

Nocturnal sea trouting is my true angling passion. In fact its been an addiction for over 30 years Catfish

Falkus wrote "There is nothing NOTHING, in the whole sport of fishing so enchanting as a Seatrout spate river in the drowsy dusk of a warm Summers evening" and I absolutely agree, midges not withstanding! But they are there on Tench dawns too, the only scenario that approaches the magic of the dusk pool. I fished four, five nights a week often right through to first light. Only a heavy spate would keep me away from the river. I sometimes miss it terribly though I do feel I would struggle with the rigours of a long night just now!

[Liphook]

And just as three rivers meet so too do we two anglers Mr Catfish

[Catfish.017]

And just as three rivers meet so too do we two anglers Mr Catfish

Hats off to you too Liphook, and long may you hear the hiss of that fly line scything through the dark night air and often may it draw taut in the tail of the pool as a good fish breaks the surface in a gleaming vortice.

[Liphook]

How very kind indeed sir ! Thank you for those wonderful words Catfish