Another year goes by

As we all say farewell to 2009 I know that I have much to be grateful for and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has endured "The Vagabond Trail", for the comments and the encouragement. I will also take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy and happy new year.

It has almost become a daily ritual for us to spend the first hour of daylight watching the bird feeders, which are sited about 10 ft in front of the truck. Beyond the the feeding station is a narrow brook, then a small open field the far side of which is bordered by the river blythe. A couple of days ago, whilst watching a small raiding party of about 9 long tailed tits bashing the feeders something in the background caught our eyes. At first, I thought that it was a lapwing but when taking a closer look with the binoculars it turned out to be a snipe. In the past, I have only ever caught fleeting glimpses of these birds as they dodge low and swiftly over the fields, this chap however, sat for ten minutes or so allowing me to attempt a couple of photographs. A short while later a little egret that we had been watching for a day or two had now become a pair, smart little birds they are, in their pure white outfits. This it seems, did not please one of the local herons who slowly circled the air space above while calling out like a pterodactyl. The brook is a regular fishing beat for him where we have watched him take countless small fish and frogs and when the brook is not frozen he wades right in front of the truck and sometimes posing for the odd photograph. We have also recently seen a pair of bullfinches but they are not quite as obliging when it comes to modelling for me. We had a brief surprise inspection by a cock pheasant too, checking out the standard of the cuisine around the foot of the feeders and all of this being watched by a robin, who stands like a guardsman and occasionally chasing off interlopers of any size with great courage. Well it is almost 0750 hours, time for the next episode, catch you later.

Lady of the stream

The Grayling is a fresh water fish that has earned itself the title "Lady of the stream" it is a "game" fish that is said to make good eating. Over the last week or two, I have been passing some of my time reading about Grayling, learning their habits and feeding preferences. I have not been fly fishing for a full year yet, but I have really learned to enjoy it. The Trout season ends with the onset of autumn but the Grayling season continues through to spring so I wanted to learn the best tactics for catching these fish. Through the summer months, I caught quite a large number of these fish but all were quite small, no more than six to eight inches. Now I read about a technique called Czech nymphing, it involves using a team of three different flies on one line and is said to be the best method. When I fish with a single fly, I always get tangled, miss bites, lose flies in vegetation, all clearly an indication of my ineptitude, none the less, I still enjoy it. Boxing day I decided that I would give this Czech style a try. The day was cold and crisp with lots of sunshine, I set up the tackle and took myself off in search of some of the "Ladies" I made a couple of gentle casts to try and get the feel of things and within minutes had a huge tangle of line and flies on the end of my rod. For about twenty minutes I stood untangling this mess, hands and feet getting cold, my temper beginning to fray. All sorted, I stretched out the line and cast again only to achieve a second and much worse tangle, for another half an hour I went through the same frustration of trying to untangle this multi-fly rig. I almost reached the point of taking my knife and cutting the line off and giving up this stupid technique. By now, through lack of movement, I was freezing cold and so had a short walk along the river casting carefully in several different spots that I thought may hold fish. Nothing. Not a bloody sniff. Down hearted and nearing a state of depression I turned back upstream to head for the warmth of the truck when I saw another stretch of water that might be worth a try. I lay my net on the bank and carefully waded back into the ice cold river, I made three casts then "Bang" the rod tip took a sharp dive and about twelve foot of line was pulled off my reel. WooHoo I am thinking trembling with the thrill of some real sport, carefully I played the fish, then it broke the surface and I caught site of the large reddish dorsal fin of a Grayling. The fin alone was half the size of any previous fish that I had caught when it took a dive, pulling the rod tip down again and shaking like a Jack Russell terrier. For the next five or ten minutes I savoured the fight before landing the fish in my net. What a lovely fish, the biggest fish of any species that I had caught so far. I photographed my prize and thought about the meal that it would provide before placing it back in the water and releasing it. Lady of the stream? it fought like a true warrior, no way could I take this fish for the table. I have no idea of it's weight nor do I really care but the fish was about 13 to 14 inches long and in superb condition. I cleaned up, gathered my bits and pieces together and returned to the truck feeling really pleased with myself. Those Czechs, it seems know a thing or two about the ladies.

Thank you ladies for Christmas

I feel that I must say thank you to the women of the world, without who's tremendous efforts, Christmas would become a forgotten tradition. The anticipation of Christmas changed dramatically for me when our girls had grown up and left home. Instead of looking forward to the great wonder in the faces of the children I began to wonder "Why bother any more". Sadly, this year was no different and the pre-Christmas weeks have been a real struggle for me. It is not so much the financial side of things, it is the work, the hunting for gifts, the street fighting with other shoppers, the parking wars and the intrusion in my ears of those same nauseating songs every where I go and so, each excursion becomes more of a chore. It is of course, much the same, for women but with great determination they battle on, slowly, ticking items off lists, undeterred by the moaning of men and their accumulation of "Humbugs!" As Christmas gets nearer I get more agitated and despondent, but the women get more focused increasing their drive and efforts to succeed. Then on the arrival of the big day, everything comes together, most of the magic is returned, I am spoiled with gifts and treats that I would never have thought about, the children are in an excited daze and every ones face carries a large smile. So I saviour it all, enjoying the sounds of the little one's laughing and playing. Yet still the women carry on, disappearing into the kitchen at regular intervals never taking a seat until dinner is served, displayed and tasting like a feast for royalty. Ladies; you are nothing short of wonderful and I say once more, "Thank you all, I really enjoyed the day" I know that without you Christmas would soon become just another day. XXX

Light enterainment

For the last couple of days we have had neighbours, they put up a stirling effort to capture the festive mood. They had two twenty foot poles with twinkling lights to the top, a six foot fibre optic tree and rope lights all around their vans. In the dark clear evenings the effect was very impressive but the neighbours have gone now and likewise the lights. This evening however, we had another display of light, it began at about 1530 hours, it didn't last for long but I thought that you might like a look.

There was a chill in the air and the light faded fast so I snapped quickly, a few more shots before returning to the warmth of the truck. I don't miss the neighbours but I do miss the light show.

Well and truly "dug in"

I am sitting here, looking across the frosted landscape which is shrouded in fog, there are few, if any, signs of life. On the dash board are two brightly flickering church candles and there is a silence, a silence the likes of which, only seems to be present during the winter months and yet there is an air of cosiness. It could be because I have the heating turned up high, it could also be the security of familiar surroundings, but I think, that it is much more to do with the fact that we are well and truly "dug in". The awning is pitched, giving us a larger than normal living space, the bird feeders are in place for premium viewing and I have a strong feeling of contentment. It is our intention, to stay here now for a few weeks and so avoid much of the seasonal panic and anxiety. I do love this life.

Problems!

Oh dear, what is it with me? I have the bug for leather craft now. I must have had more interests and hobbies than a dozen men. Those who have been keeping an eye on my activities will have seen already a few pieces that I have made and now I have a few more. This one, is, I hope, more comfortable than real barbed wire wrapped around the wrist.

The one above on the left is a design based on some of the tribal tattoos that seem to have become so popular over recent years. It is hand cut, dyed with coffee and then given a bit of a shine using bees wax. The last one here is of course a Celtic

design and is made using embossing stamps that I

recently bought from a leather craft shop. I have about another dozen or so, each one different, but I don't want to post them on here as I may give them as Christmas presents. Now, all of this is causing me problems. Space, we need a larger camper, I am running out of places to store all of my hobby materials. Time, there are never enough hours in a day to devote sufficient time to my interests, I think that I will have to give up sleeping in order to get more done. So, that's it, you're up to date with things, except that Meg (my dog) has been very poorly for the last couple of days. In her never ending search for food, she has, I think, eaten something that has given her diarrhea and sickness and it has really knocked her about.

A Christmas Wish

Well, there are only about two weeks until Christmas and it is a time of year that I always have some difficulty with. I detest the mayhem of the shops and the buying for the sake of it, the TV adverts that apply emotional pressure and the loan companies that feed on the struggles of the less fortunate. I never know how to deal with it all, I want it to be a happy time for my loved ones and everyone else but how can it be done? So often in the past, I have tried to please everyone and as a result Christmas has been such an anti-climax. What a shame, that so often Christmas causes much upset when the intentions are all so good. What is the answer? I don't have a clue.

I do have one wish for Christmas though, so Santa if you are about.............How about making it one day, that no children in the world cry with tears of pain, fear or hunger.

Back in Staffordshire

The last couple of weeks there has been little to report. It seems the day that we left Yorkshire was the beginning of the monsoon season and our week at Wrexham was wet to say the least. Fortunately, as I said before, we were pitched on hard standing and so did not have to be towed off site like the rest of the vans. From Wrexham we returned to Staffordshire and spent some time with the family. I do enjoy seeing the family, in fact, not being near them is the hardest part of full timing for me. So we are now at one of our favourite sites, it is not too far from the family and is as pleasant as you can get. We have not done much to prepare for Christmas, in fact, each year the festive season becomes much more of a chore and much less of a pleasure. Humbug! I am quite looking forward to a spot of fishing, maybe some bird watching and who knows what else. I have today put out some bird feeders and cleaned the binoculars ready for action. Today, whilst in Lichfield I bought an old folding knife from a stall on the market, I know that I will get great pleasure from cleaning it up and making it serviceable once more. Over the last couple of weeks we have watched more TV than we have for years, I have set up the digital box and we have both enjoyed some of the documentaries that have recently been shown.

From A to B

This morning we departed Yorkshire at 9 o'clock, off the site and straight up on top of the moors. I really would like to have lingered, taken a long look over the landscape and maybe some photographs but the weather was set against us, the cloud was down to ground level and the screen was splattered with sleet. Driving was very unpleasant and we were both pleased to get back down below the cloud base. The remainder of the journey was quite uneventful and by 11 o'clock we were at our new location, Wrexham. The site owner kindly allowed us to set up on his drive due to the site being very wet. The view is pleasant and it is a top coat warmer than Yorkshire.

What Car?

Sadly our brief stay in Yorkshire comes to an end and I have to say a big thank you to our friends Andy and Pip who have been fantastic hosts, they have fed us, entertained us and chauffeured us around. Unfortunately, when they ordered the weather, they got the dates wrong. Yesterday, I went along with Andy to walk the dogs, it was rather wet but I enjoyed the scenery. That was after we had ransacked Todmorden flea market and collected a couple of goodies to help with the ballast.

Sadly, my footwear was not really the best for plodging around the very wet landscape I would love to have walked for longer.

This northern landscape of crags and ghosts of industry, has an attraction for me that I find difficult to explain, I am sure that we will return, hopefully in the not too distant future, any way, we have to, because the pies are magic.

Today, our hosts took us to Ramsbottom, a town that I have never heard of, but we had great time and ate what has to be, one of the best servings of fish and chips that I have eaten for a long time. Whilst there, we visited the local "Morrisons", Andy parked the car next to a small blue car that had a couple of modifications, one of which I don't recall having ever seen before. In the rear of the car was a pile of old polythene bags, the rear wings of the car were heavily splattered with mud, the screen, bonnet and wipers were sprinkled with straw and right in the centre of the bonnet was a lump of sheep shit.

I had to take a picture, at which point Andy said, "Do you know what this car is?.......it's a Turdbo" Thanks for having us, Tarra.

Moochin' about

Tuesday we went for a little mooch about Stockport, our friend Andy took us there in his car, the weather was not good and our hearts were not in it. As a result, we did not stay long. I have no wish to offend anyone, but it really is not my kind of place, too busy by far.

Wednesday we went to Hebden Bridge and had a mooch around there. We spent a good deal of time at the flea market, where I bought a couple of old tools. We thought it to be a lovely old town with loads of character. We bought a hot pork pie from a local bakery which we ate "on the hoof" and thoroughly enjoyed before walking along the Rochdale canal back to the site.

All of the boats in these pictures were being lived in, some had clearly not moved in years. I have to say, I for one, would not mind joining them, unfortunately Pat does not like water.

Ay up me duck

Wasn't the weather good for October? I don't remember any rain all month. Well Sunday 1st November certainly made up for it. We left Staffordshire at about 0900 hours bound for Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge actually, and it threw it down all of the way. Driving conditions were atrocious, we were both relieved when we arrived on site (in Mytholmroyd) at 1210 hours. We had a good deal from the site owners, being low season, the daily fee being just short of eight pounds with a hook up. For half an hour or so, we just sat, looking and relaxing after the journey. Suddenly, the van shook violently, rocking from side to side, woodland debris rattled on the roof and the leaves flew horizontally like golden snow. 15 seconds later all was calm once more. Except for one man that is, who emerged from a twin axle caravan 60 metres away from us, a tall silver birch tree had snapped off at the root and fallen across the rear of his van. Fortunately it turned out that there was only minor damage where the tree clipped the back end, 6ft forward and his van would have been a write off.

A couple of hours later our good friends Andy and Pip arrived, took us both back to their house and fed us like kings. We chatted and laughed for hours before they returned us to the truck. Next day, Monday, Andy picked us up again and took us for a little tour of the locality and back to the house. I went for a walk around the nearest town, Todmorden, while the other three sat chatting. I took a few pictures of this old town, wondering how on earth they built it all those years ago. The river runs through the town, the Rochdale canal runs over the river and the train line runs over the canal. Houses and mills have been squeezed into any area larger than 20 square feet. Funny, I don't think that we have ever been here before but it felt homely somehow. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures.

.

I got the feeling that many of the current locals didn't have much interest in just how difficult life would have been for the original occupants of such a town and I wondered if they even saw the attraction that was so obvious to me.

I like it here and I can't wait to have a closer look at the moors and dales. Many years ago I spent a couple of years of my youth living in Yorkshire, nearer Harrogate though and I was sad to leave it then.

Time to get my own back

Yesterday I managed to get out with the camera for a little while, something which has taken a back seat over recent weeks. Despite the fact that throughout my life, I have seen more sunrises than I have missed, they still impress me. Yesterday was just such a day. I took about 30 photographs but here are just a couple.

Well those of you that know us personally or follow "The Vagabond Trail " will know that Pat, my wife, makes costume jewellery. For years I have been asked on an almost daily basis "What do you think of this?" or, "Do you think this stone goes with that?". Etc. etc. Well now the time has come for me to take some revenge. I like to keep my brain and hands busy too, so as a result I have many hobbies. Being recently inspired by my friend Sandy's unusual wrist cuff I decided to have a go at making something different for myself. So, the other dark evening, whilst being bored to tears with the TV, I sat with a sketch pad and pencil and doodled for a couple of hours. This was the first design that I came up with. It is made from copper,

brass and silver plated wire, then mounted on a thick leather cuff. "Hey Pat, what do you think of this?" I said. Well, she was full of praise so I decided to have another go. I already had an idea but I needed some old coins, I knew where to get some, so off I went on a mission. Armed with the necessary bits and pieces I turned out number two.

I am sorry that the image is a little blurred but it is not meant for a photography competition. "What do you think of this one then, Pat" I asked. Once again, she kindly made more positive remarks. Of course, I didn't need any more encouragement to have another go so here is another one.

Now, having got the sweet taste of revenge in my pallet I had to keep feeding it, so I messed about with a pendant and came up with this idea. Who knows where this new found pleasure will end, but I do have quite long arms for my height.

Just an update.

From Criccieth we went to stay with two good friends Sandy and Maureen, they live near Llanrwst. We stayed with them for about four days and had a really good time, they are a lovely couple and between them, made us feel very welcome. From there we headed back to the midlands, one of our grandchildren had been admitted to hospital so we felt that we should be close at hand in case any help was needed. Fortunately, after much medication and four days, she was well on the road to recovery and was discharged. We had no need to travel and so booked into a camp site about 10 miles away, we need electricity at this time of year in order to be comfortable. It is nothing to do with the weather, the batteries just cannot cope with the demand of the darker evenings. We have been here for about a week now and seem to have done more miles running around than ever. This is going to have to stop, the price of fuel is making travel by road a luxury once more.

Riverdance

A couple of days back I posted a photograph of a piece of driftwood that I had marked out and begun to whittle. Now here is the finished item, it's a ball in a cage made from a single piece of wood using no more elaborate a tool than a pocket knife. Sad aren't I? to spend hours producing an item that has no useful purpose. I can accept people taking that view, but for me it was a really satisfying way to spend some time. First came the pleasure of mooching along a deserted beach, just Pat and I, that we had walked a mile or so to get to, just to see what had washed up on the shore.Then picking up bits and pieces, examining them and trying to think how I might put them to use and at the same time watching the wildlife, at ease, because it was so quiet. We saw hundreds of birds in the hour or two that we were there. Several days later, I sat outside on my tool box, in the warm afternoon sun and began to whittle away. I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, working slowly and with caution, so as not to cut my hands, removing slivers of wood chip by chip. It was so peaceful the warm sinking sun on my face, Meg by my side and thoughts running through my head. I thought about my girls and their families, I thought about my Mom, I thought about my Dad, I thought about a couple of soldiers that I served with who didn't live long enough to see 21. I was then disturbed by the "Kronk" of a raven, followed by the "Mew" of a buzzard and I looked up to watch their aerial squabble. Then in the shadows of the back lit trees, I noticed the flying insects, thousands of them, dancing in large groups, swooping down as if all linked together by invisible cord and then up again as one body to be shattered into a thousand individuals as a grey wagtail darted into the hoard to snatch one for a meal. Quickly they regrouped, to continue their dance in the sunlight. I thought about the film "Riverdance" the hours of training, the countless rehearsals and retakes just to record a few minutes on film for our viewing pleasure. These fellows, the insects, gave such a display, no time for rehearsals, no training; most only live for a day, yet the dance was perfection with only the birds to provide the music. All too soon the sun sank below the horizon, the dancers all gone now, my eyes struggling to see in the low light and my hands niggling with a blister from holding the knife, I retired to the truck. A waste of time? ......................Yea. If you say so.

More things that have kept me busy

In addition to the items that I posted yesterday, I have some more, should you be interested. The first picture is of a couple of leather knife sheaths that I made. I like knives (quality ones that is) and I have quite a collection. These two knives I bought second hand, on separate occasions and neither one had a sheath, so I designed and made a couple using a piece of thick saddlery leather that I bought for fifty pence at a car boot sale, once I had cut them out I hand stitched them using some waxed linen thread that I again bought from a car boot sale. I made the small sheath first just to see if I could do it then the larger one once I was happy. Don't ask me why I like knives, I have no desire to do a Rambo impersonation or anything, I think it is the feel of something well made that attracts me, rather like marine boat fittings and climbing equipment. Anyway, there they are, no one is ever likely to see them for real as I keep them locked in a safe, out of harms way.

The next item that I have posted uses the silver fork that I picked up at a car boot sale in Portmadog last Sunday for twenty pence and a short piece of driftwood fencing that I salvaged from the beach near Criccieth. In case you have no idea what it is, let me tell you. It is a tea towel hook. The wood is mounted on the wall and the towel hung from the fork handle. I'm sorry if you do not like it, I thought that it was a bit of a novelty.

Finally, here is a work in progress, another piece of drift wood that I have begun to whittle. I will not divulge what it is intended to be, like most of the items here I have never made one of these before so I don't know quite how it will turn out, we shall just have to wait and see but I think it will take many more hours yet.

End of the brown trout season

30th September is the last day of the brown trout fishing season, so yesterday I took full advantage of the weather and our location which is in very close proximity to the River Dwyfach (about 20ft). For a good hour I could not find what the fish were feeding on, even though they were feeding voraciously. I kept at it, changing flies, changing tactics and getting more and more frustrated. I had a couple of bites but missed them. When just about at the point of giving up BANG! a large fish hit the fly, I lifted the rod and the hook was set. I could see it was a trout, as it thrashed about violently in a valiant attempt to throw the hook. I did not want to lose this fish. I kept the rod high and slowly brought the fish to the bank, all of the time thinking what a fighter this was. Safely out of the water and on the bank the fish did not look as large as I had thought it might be. Quickly I measured it, 9 inches, this was a specimen fish for such a small river and just on the size limit to take. I then photographed it, because I know that no-one would believe me. Doesn't look so large, does it? It's all relative you see, fish do not grow to any real size in this river, because the food is just not available. This summer I have caught about fifty fish here and have never hooked into anything the size of this one. I savoured the moment and admired my catch for just a few seconds longer before returning it to river, maybe I'll see it next year. As you might be able to tell I was ecstatic, so while waiting for my evening meal I fished a little further down stream for another half hour. I landed another two fish, the usual size and lost several more. What a great note on which to end the season. Thank you river, thank you fish, for the company, the many happy hours and I have really enjoyed the challenge.

Keeping myself occupied

In addition to my hobbies of photography, fishing, bird watching, walking etc. I like to make things, I like the principles of recyling and try to learn new skills. I consider myself quite fortunate, in so far as, I am quite good with my hands, a gift that I had passed on to me from my mother and father who between them could make or repair just about anything. For those that are interested I have put a few pictures on here to show the sort of things that I have made recently.

The first picture is of a couple of "monkey fist" knots, they were originally intended to weight the end of a rope to aid throwing it ashore. The coloured rope I found on the beach, I cleaned it and taught myself how to tie the knot. I have seen them used as paper weights and door stops. I just like them.

The second picture is a table mat, the rope is window sash cord that I had left over from the second monkey fist. The key rings and fobs I made from bits of odd leather and nylon cord.

On the right are some friendship bracelets that I made, I have made hundreds, in every colour of the spectrum. Once I had made a selection of colours I needed a way to show them off to their best advantage so I made a small version of a wire coat hanger on which to display them.

Adding some light on the subject

I just thought that this may be useful to any caravaners who have experienced a similar problem.

For several months now the 12V hob/worktop light in the truck has not worked, so whilst out and about we have looked in many caravan dealers and accessory shops in an attempt to buy a 12V 23" flourescent tube. We have often asked for help, we have been told many times, that it is not a standard size, and that we would probably need to get one from Germany as no UK manufacturers fit a 12V tube of this size. Today we went to a caravan accessory shop in Portmadog to be told a similar tale. Whilst carrying our old tube as a pattern, I looked at the rating that is printed on the glass and I noticed that there was no mention of voltage. I said to Pat, "I wonder if the voltage does not matter then" I decided to have a look in a domestic electrical suppliers outlet called CEF, I explained at the counter the background and questioned the voltage. The man said "You are right, tubes have no voltage rating and one used for a mains supply will work on 12V too". So I paid the man £3.91 and returned to the truck to test it out. Bingo, it lit up and worked just fine.

Taking it easy

Hi,for the last week we have been taking things easy, making the most of the warm autumn days. From Tuesday to Sunday last week the truck did not turn a wheel, we found more than enough to keep us occupied right where we are. I have fished every day at some point and some days have been more successful than others, still nothing that you could class as "pan size" though. I hooked one fish that I found very difficult to remove the hook from so now I have taken to removing the barbs from the hooks, as a result, I have lost a few fish. I don't mind though, it is better than doing damage from which the fish may never recover.

Sunday morning we were on the road early, to Portmadog. We went to the car boot sale and picked up a few bits and pieces. I bought an old silver dinning fork, I had an idea for making a towel hook with it. I bought a new fly reel with three spools and Pat picked up some bits for Christmas presents. Minutes after our return to the camp site, our friends Sandy and Maureen came, it was good to see them. Pat cooked a really tasty chicken dinner (as she always does) which everyone seemed to enjoy. We chatted and laughed, put the world to rights and all too quickly it was time for them to leave. Monday we had a long walk, down to the sea and along the beach, we collected some drift wood and watched the sea birds. The great thing about the coast at this time of year is that it is so quiet, we did not see a living sole other than a man in a fishing boat far from the shore.

It is early here, about 0800 hours and I have just watched a buzzard fly up the river skimming the water and dodging the over hanging tree branches, not twenty feet away from the truck. I have never viewed a buzzard from above before, what a good start to the day.

I am sensing that Pat is getting itchy feet again, so I wouldn't be surprised if we are on the move before much longer, personally I could stay here indefinitely. Be good, be happy. See you soon.

Thorn on the cobs

Well, here we are again, back in Llanystumdwy. We arrived here yesterday at about 1600 hours after a steady journey from the midlands. I am surprised at the amount of people that are still on holiday or it could be, like us, they are retired. I had to check out the river soon after arrival and during an hour and a half hours fishing ,caught a dozen or so fish, all trout and salmon parr, all too small for the table. It doesn't matter though, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and went to bed quite content.

Today began with a little rain, but it slowly got better and warmer so I had to give the river another bashing. Seven fish, including what must be the record for the smallest trout ever caught on the fly. What a little cutie it was, less than 2 inches from tip to tail, perfectly marked and released unharmed. I wish that I had photographed it just to show how small it really was. Early in the afternoon we went for a little walk, the intention was to collect some damsons if there were any still about. Sadly not, but we did come across a field full of "corn on the cob" or maize. I just had to have a couple, so with Pat reluctantly keeping watch I straddled the barbed wire fence with pen knife at the ready. I selected two beauties and was trying to find a pocket large enough in which to hide them when Pat warned me of an approaching car. In my haste to get back over the fence I caught the barbed wire right in my wedding tackle. Pat asked "Did you manage to get any?" "Yes" I replied "And a thorn on the cobs" She of course was highly amused and I bet she has a smile on her face when we eat it. Tarra for now. Bond............Vagabond.

Don't ask!

Where did the summer go? Don't ask, I can be of no help there. All that I can say is that we have had the most fantastic time. We have not been to many new places, but we have met loads more people and the quality of life keeps getting better. I am afraid that there is far too much to try and tell, it would take me weeks to put it all in writing and whilst I do enjoy writing I am afraid that I just don't have the time at the moment.

At present we are in Staffordshire but only for another 24 hours then it is "on the trail" once more. I have to keep this session short, but I will try to put in an appearance a little more frequently than I have done of late. So take care everyone, see you soon.

Another fishy tale

I think today we will be moving on, the weather is not good and Pat is getting bored, there is no-one to talk to, the shops are ten miles away and I have been fishing every day. Paradise for many a bloke.

Having said that, I think that this weekend will see the campsite overrun with children and holiday makers. Wednesday I walked the river bank for about a mile, checking out where the big fish might be, I found many a likely looking spot but saw only mullet and lots of them. I fished a spot where the Dwyfach and Dwyfor join for a couple of hours but apart from a couple of kingfishers I had no entertainment. On my return to the campsite I went to fish the pool at the top of the field and the action was none stop. I caught ten fish in just over an hour, at last I seemed to be getting it together.

Needless to say, I went to bed feeling very pleased with myself. Thursday, I went out to the same spot at the same time with exactly the same set up and caught one fish in about two hours. So how does that work? I tried different flies and techniques, the fish were rising continually but the word was clearly out that Taylor the trout basher was about. So it seems to me that I still have a great deal to learn about trout and this fly fishing game. Perhaps I am in need of a mentor, someone who knows my frustrations and pleasure. When I go out on these little forays I would love to take my proper camera with me, I do see some great potential shots but it is my luck that I would take an untimely swim and ruin my pride and joy.

Salmon parr or trout?

Sunday we both felt the need for a change of scenery, we had been static for a week, so we left and stopped a little further along the coast when we found this little spot. No pay and display here I might add. This is only about 5 miles down the coast from where we had been and I wonder why we have never found it before.

We continued on to Llanystumdwy and I could not wait to get out the fly rod once again. Monday however, the weather was far from ideal and the fish were not very active, except for one. It was a large trout of about 10 inches in length and it jumped a good 18 inches into the air then landed with a loud splash, I tried for an hour or so to catch it but I never saw it again. Tuesday I fared a little better with two more trout on the score card, (now running at eleven) but it has to be said that I did have to work hard and had some help.

Meg has been getting increasingly lazy of late and so I took her along with me. At first she wandered around the bank and adjacent field looking for food but when she found none she decided to have a look at what the river had to offer. She reminded me of a Grizzly bear, patrolling up and down in the water and staring into the depths. Every now and again she would try and bat something with a paw and then push her nose two inches under water, but she was not doing any better than I was. A couple of times she got my line tangled around her feet and stumbled about a little and at one point, whilst rolling in the grass, she fell into the river, head first and upside down. When she stood up, she looked at me as if I had pushed her. That was it, she went a lay twenty feet away and turned her back on me. She thinks that we are married.

I continued to fish trying different tactics and different spots and was finally rewarded with a fish, about half an hour later a second fish. I tried to determine whether these fish were indeed Trout or Salmon parr, I have researched this on the Internet and the two are very similar. I have several photographs and I have to say that at least some of the fish I have caught are Salmon parr. Either way they are lovely little fish and I have been very careful not to harm any, having said that, if I catch any Trout the size of a dinner plate they may well get a free tin foil shroud. So, have a look at the next photograph, I would be interested to hear opinions, expert or otherwise. So be careful and fly fishing tips welcome.

Light Show

Last Friday we left Criccieth and made our way North to Caernarfon, we spent last weekend there and had a very enjoyable time. We went to the North Wales agricultural show and stayed at Bethel overnight. There was not anywhere that I could fish so the camera was put to much use. Sunday we had a look at Llanrwst and met up with our Dutch friends, Willem and Wilhelmina. We agreed to move to the coast just south of Caernarfon and spend a little time together. So over the last few days I have done a little walking with Willem and I have tried to fish but with no success. The weather has been mixed but warm with significantly more rain than we have grown accustomed to of late.

Whilst walking the other day, I came across these two, I haven't seen them for years. I remember when we were small, we used to catch a few of these pretty little moths and keep them in a jam jar, with a lid made of paper full of pin holes and held on with a rubber band. My Mom didn't like the little critters that we would bring home and usually made us keep them outside. That of course was before Nintendo and other modern wizardry.

I love the skies here, I have hundreds of photographs of them that I have shot over the years, I would be hard pressed to find a favourite but it is not just the colours, the sky seems so big. So, it has been a very relaxing week but I fear with the school summer holidays rapidly approaching it will soon become very busy and it may be time to get the wheels rolling once more.