Where’s That River?

[John Bailey]

River Two, Part Two

These images totally give the game away to anyone who has any familiarity with my second river in question. I thought I’d give the game away quickly because I wanted to make two points.

First, when talking about the Ure as River One, it was mentioned that the river was often called the Yore, certainly so in older days. I like this. For me, history plays an important part in what we do. Take vintage tackle. What a “feel” holding a century-old rod imparts. Or imagine the eager fingers that have gripped the ivory handles of an old Hardy reel. But rivers are what we are talking about, water that has flowed for millennia, and has provided sustenance, transport, defence and sport even for generations before us. The information board on St Michael’s church says it all. No wonder that the whole valley here had such a spiritual impact on me on such a winter’s day.

Second, having said that, how fast things change. The further photographs are of the same river just as it leaves a Victorian spa town. I first fished here in December twenty nine years ago and whilst I caught chub, it was salmon that made the biggest impression. All along the banks lay the carcasses of salmon dead after spawning and though I didn’t count them, there were nigh on a hundred I’m sure. Today? You’ve guessed it. Not a one.

Remember back in the first lockdown how we remarked on how nature blossomed in the relative peace and quiet? I wonder, if or when this present phase of our civilisation collapses, how long it will be before nature reasserts herself and salmon even swim this river once again?

The church in the hidden valley​

Shots of the ITHON just out of Llandrindod Wells...​

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[Molehill]

Soon as I saw it I thought my area of mid Wales hills and been looking along the Ithon and Irfon, on the OS map I picked out that church by Shaky Bridge as strong possible, but confirmed before I could make my mind up to post!

 

[Ray Roberts]

I fished the Irfon near Builth Wells with a group of anglers from FM some years ago. The hotel had its own stretch in the grounds but I bought a ticket from there to its confluence with the Wye. The river was in spate and fished poorly, most of the guy’s blanked. I hoofed it downstream and had a decent number of grayling, a couple of chub plus a few trout. You sometimes have to make your own luck. I mentioned I had a few, mostly at the confluence and the next day it was stiff with claim jumpers, lol. I wasn’t bothered as I planned to fish the opposite bank of the Wye. Which I did. Unfortunately since that trip some of those have passed on.

We had the dubious pleasure of drinking this restaurant dry, lol.


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[Mark Wintle]

I fished the Irfon near Builth Wells with a group of anglers from FM some years ago. The hotel had its own stretch in the grounds but I bought a ticket from there to its confluence with the Wye. The river was in spate and fished poorly, most of the guy’s blanked. I hoofed it downstream and had a decent number of grayling, a couple of chub plus a few trout. You sometimes have to make your own luck. I mentioned I had a few, mostly at the confluence and the next day it was stiff with claim jumpers, lol. I wasn’t bothered as I planned to fish the opposite bank of the Wye. Which I did. Unfortunately since that trip some of those have passed on.

We had the dubious pleasure of drinking this restaurant dry, lol.


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A bunch of smelly anglers soon clears the restaurant.... (see queue to get out in background)

 

[Ray Roberts]

A bunch of smelly anglers soon clears the restaurant.... (see queue to get out in background)

Bloody cheek, our first evening there. We hadn’t started to fish yet. Although thinking back you may be right.


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[John Bailey]

River Three, Part One

Bearing in mind this is another iconic river, clues and images for this first part will be kept as vague as possible. Part Two tomorrow will inevitably give the game away completely, even to those who aren’t quite sure.

This river flows 85 miles eastwards over beds of limestone, basalt and dolerite rocks – my old Geology teacher used to tell me. It is known for its falls, for its trout and grayling, and its fascinating stocks of salmon. Lower down its course, coarse fish begin to play a larger part.

Nor let us forget the “hag”, the witch of folklore “known” by all to inhabit the river. Truly a valley of beauty, myth and legend.

 

[rob48]

Looks like Teesdale.

 

[Keith M]

It looks a bit like the Swale that I remember back in the 70s; with its exposed gravel beds and its fish population.

I only fished it once or twice while I was doing a resettlement course from the RN at the army base near Richmond in 1977 but it looked a bit like that.

Keith

 

[John Aston]

I'd bet my house (metaphorically speaking ) on it being the Tees, somewhere not very far from Piercebridge . Despite Middlesbrough's industrial past , the Tees upstream is a gorgeous, majestic river on a much grander scale than its neighbours the Swale and Ure. I fished a syndicate there in the late Nineties and loved it, and I've also fished the infant river's mouth into Cow Green reservoir, where the Tees is only a rod length wide. Wild country.

 

[sam vimes]

It's definitely the Tees. The hag is Peg Powler.
As it happens, I have fairly recent photo that is taken from just upstream of the first two pictures. The river has a bit more water in it though. I'd guess that the last two pics are from somewhere further upstream, one of the bigger estate's water, perhaps the Raby Estate.

 

[John Bailey]

River Three, Part Two

No point spinning this out I know, so these photographs will open the Tees up to all. What a glorious river, running eighty five miles from Cross Fell in the North Pennines to the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar. The pride of Middlesbrough men indeed.

Of course, for those who watch, the Tees is where we filmed last year’s Christmas special of Paul and Bob, Gone Fishing. I was introduced to the river by Olly Shepherd, and what a delight my time with him was. He knows his fishing, knows his river, and is the brilliant company you look for in a guide. When I wasn’t admiring the water I was listening to tales of Peg Powler, Roman remains, and the historical reasons why normal guys who aren’t millionaires have such good access.

I recognised Olly’s passion because for many of us passion and fishing are inextricably entwined. He introduced me to some fascinating Tees folk, and he was a tower of strength too when the actual filming began. Above all, I was engrossed by his hunt for salmon in the Tees. The way he told it, his approach is not to work well-known beats and hammer well-fished lies day after day. I got the image of an angler who knows the Tees to its last pebble, who keeps on the move, searching for fish, and who hunts his quarry down. I remain impressed.

Herewith is a scattering of pictures from the Tees during that memorable time. I have mislaid the names of individual beats so it would be nice if those in the know might jog my memory... IF that does not jeopardise privileges in any way.

The famous High Force falls​