Recently I’ve picked up a bit of fishing here and there, not well mind. Multiple fishing trips and no good results. However I’m quite alright because its just another good excuse to get out and enjoy the world and the area around me. Which infact despite common opinion is fantastic. 

By me there is a lovely little river with the name Ebbw, its a pretty small little thing.However it is supposedly good for trout fly fishing, which it turns out I am shocking at, and in classic fashion i’ve been going for a wade there and started blundering my way through fishing it. I’ve been fishing above the territories that belongs to an angling club in the much more rocky and hard to navigate part. And I love it, the biodiversity there will always bring a smile to my face. Just to list a few things I’ve seen. 

• Ducklings (hell yeah) 
• Trout in both the more built up areas and wild. 
• A solitary heron also fishing with more success
• Bats in the evening. 

Whist they may be pretty normal things to witness, it will always bring some joy to see. If you believe the rumors and environment reports I’ve had a read through for this supposedly there are some river otters further downstream and some Greylings as well. I’ve seen neither but I need to step up my fishing game if I ever want to see some of the latter. 

Sometimes its pleasant to take a break from the fishing and sit on a rock to watch it all flow on by. And wading further into the hidden sections boasts some brilliant tree cover to relax under away from people. 

As much as I love it, I have some parts which make me a touch less happy with it. Firstly apparently the rivers been used as a dumping ground for the local area for some time.(unsurprising if you live in the UK, not come across a tesco trolley in it yet) When going through it I’ve nearly punctured my waders on errant chunks of scrap metal and the like. Part of me dreams of clearing it out some but I have neither the manpower nor anywhere to take a few hundred years of junk that I’d find. 

And also with all the hot weather lately there has been a huge bloom in an algae that grows on the river bed filamentous algae 

which I believe means the water company in the area is dumping god knows what in the river. Making me more grateful for my waders than ever. On a side note it could be agricultural run off causing it, but I wouldn’t bet on it  as this be grazing country (disclaimer: I don’t know anything about farming)

But I digress in the spirit of enjoying it, the river also has some great point like the water abstraction project that is in place in some sections. For those that aren’t aware that just means keeping the water in the river when the going gets tough. And after the past few weeks I am particularly grateful for considering I’m pretty sure its barely dropped below 20 degrees for two weeks at this time. I mean would I prefer we had a couple of beavers working their magic but sadly people needed waterproof hats historically so they aren’t an option. 

All in all its just a simple pleasure of having that close and taking the time with a small river that has probably barely a footnote in the history books but brings so much charm to my valley. 

Next time I’ll make an effort to get some photos and video to add in for your viewing pleasure.

Considering this is the river by me, I imagine I’ll have more to say along the line.