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 LATEST NEWS 
Long Serving Secretary Retires At the Committee Meeting on Tuesday July 13th 2010, Peredur Eklund announced his retirement as secretary of the Aberystwyth Angling Association after the end of the 2010 season. Both Peredur and his wife Jean have been the mainstay of the Association for over fifteen years. On behalf of the Association Committee and permit holders the chairman thanked Peredur for the long service he has given and wished him a happy retirement and ‘tight lines’. IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING CRAIG Y PISTYLL Craig y Pistyll is closed to ALL anglers due to urgent but unforeseen refurbishment work It is anticipated that it will be closed for the whole season but we will keep you posted
Mailing List We are trying to establish an e-mail list of our members. If you have an e-mail address and would like to receive information and news electronically via e-mail, please send your details, name address, e-mail and phone number to Neil Beck by clicking HERE
Scroll down for latest news from the lakes and the rivers The Sewin Are In!! See River News Below | Event | Date | | Molly Sweet | 3rd October | | Rivers Day* | 3rd October | | Fur & Feather** Float and Fly!!** | 31st October Start 10 a.m. | *Date to be confirmed 8am - 6pm (Weigh in Glanyrafon 6pm) **This years competition will permit Fly fishing or either a float or a ledger line baited with worm. No spinning will be permitted. If you have any news, or want to share what flies you have been catching the big ones with, e-mail us by clicking on the picture below
21/07/10 NEWS FROM THE LAKES
BIG FISH TAKEN Brownies in excess of 5lbs have been taken from Blaen Melindwr and Rhosgoch recently, and a 3lb 13oz from Rhosrhydd (see below) Neil Beck had this super brownie weighing 3lbs 13 oz from Rhosrhydd on a small Diawl Bach ! It's 1oz bigger than the fish he caught from Rhosrhydd in September last year!! Doug Rees Stevens caught this beauty in Blaen Melindwr on a black epoxy beetle and floating line. It weighed in at 5lbs 12oz!! John Davies had this lovely fish weighing 5lbs 8oz from Rhosgoch on a Viva Trisant and Penrhyncoch lakes have continued to have some good rises of fish.Various fly patterns have been taking fish, including just about anything small and black and Vivas! News From The Rivers 21/07/10 The rains in the second and third weeks of July have at last brought reasonable numbers of sewin into the riversystem. Fish of all sizes have been seen and at least two over 6lbs have been caught. Rob Evans caught this beautiful 9lb 2oz sewin on the Rheidol at about 10.30, just as it was getting dark on Sunday night, 30 May 2010. The fish came to a black and silver tube fished slowly on a clear sink tip line. The fish put up a good fight of about 15 min, but unfortunately he was unable to revive her sufficiently to release.
Big Sewin seen in the Rheidol!! A big sewin followed Neil Johnsons spinner and then a Rapala which "it nudged two or three times" but didn't take!!
Statkraft have been Spring Cleaning the Fish Pass at Trotters Bagfulls of rubble, fencing and a dead sheep were removed from the tunnel!! ANGLERS LAND A WHOPPER!! 
Members of the Associations Committee have landed a huge grant to improve the habitat of the Rheidol and to enable better access to sections of the fishery. The grant which is in the region of £40000 will come from the Wild Fishing Wales project which is led by the Environment Agency Wales and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government, and is part of the Countryside Council for Wales’ Community and Nature strategic project. Click here for press release.
Work on the project is now well underway, and the path at Trotters is almost complete. Some timber has also been removed to improve angling access to the pool. Access has also been improved at Ash Pit, Whirlpool and the pools just upstream of the road bridge at Capel Bangor (Rhiwarthen)
Malcolm Edwards Locals and visitors alike will be saddened by the death of Malcolm Edwards who passed away at 8a.m. Tuesday 23rd December after a long battle against cancer. Malcolm was probably known to everyone who fished the Association waters and will be missed by all who knew him. We wish to express our deepest sympathies to his family at this sad time. Ken Howden Jones "Jack" It is with great sadness that we report that Ken Howden Jones "Jack" passed away on January 21st 2010 Fur and Feather 2009 Results The annual Fur and Feather competition on Llyn Frongoch was held on Sunday 25th October. Twenty eight anglers tookpart, eighteen fishing the fly and ten fishing worm. The competition started at 10am sharp, anglers dotted all round the lakes edge. The very windy and gusty conditions made casting difficult at times and there were a couple of very heavy showers which sent some anglers scuttling for their coats. The weigh in commenced at 4pm with Chairman Chas Web and head bailiff Fred Ralphs recording and checking the scales which were manned by Neil Beck. Thirty nine fish were caught in total, their combined weight being 63lbs 3oz. The results were as follows: Overall winner and Top Rod was Ken Llewelyn with four Rainbows weighing 7lbs, caught on fly.
Ken being presented with the winners trophy by Chairman Chas Web 
Second best bag on fly went to Rob Davies who also caught four rainbows which weighed 6lbs 4oz.
Alan Mathews caught the heaviest fish on fly weighing 3lbs 2oz. No fish were caught on the worm this year. The Chairman thanked all the competitors and wished them a safe journey home. He expressed the clubs thanks to the competition sponsors Aber Tackle, Capel Dewi Cars, Garry’s Cabs, Airflo, Coch-y-Boddu books and Anthony Motors for their continued and valued support.
Neil Beck had this super September brownie weighing 3lbs 12 oz from Rhosrhydd on a black gnat nymph in bright sunshine! 
Night Owl winner-Dave Luckhurst
2009 Night Owl champion angler was Dave Luckhurst seen here with his winning catch of two sea trout weighing 4lbs 13ozs caught on fly. Dave did well to catch on a night when the water was low and the fish were difficult to locate. " It was the best moment of my life"
1st August 2009 was a red-letter day for Andy Selly when he caught his first double-figure sea trout from the Rheidol, a spanking 10lbs 5ozs fish. It took him twenty minutes to land and was caught on a self-tied black and gold tube fly.
He also went on to say "It has taken me and Dave (his mate Dave Lloyd) many years to even think about catching these wonderful creatures. I am still in awe of sewin and that's what makes me drive silly miles and lose sleep to catch them".
In passing, Andy and Dave put 90% of the fish they catch back-a lesson to us all. Well done mate!!! Caravan Feedback-August 2009
Mr GP from Norfolk-" Lovely week. Many thanks. I loved the scenery and the river which has many wonderful pools to fish".
Mr ML-"Yet again the stay at Fronllyn was excellent. Weather was a bit wet but we did catch fish in the top two feet, mostly on dry fly. Also like the new tackle shed-very handy.Once again many thanks, my soul is now re-invigorated!" Poaching and the Rheidol
In 2008 we published a piece on the website with the above heading.Colin Thomas, who works at Morrisons, wishes to make it clear that he was the Colin referred to in the incident on the 30th August 2008 and that he did not know personally the angler involved.The Bailiff had no suspicions at all about Colin being involved in the incident, otherwise he would have asked for his details as well. We are happy to make this correction and apologise to Mr Thomas for any embarrassment caused.
5lb plus Sewin
 | Neil Beck shown here with a fine 5lbs 5ozs cock sewin caught on worm form Roadside Pool on July 17th . |
Caravan feedback, July 11th to 18th
Mr and Mrs J.E. from Treorchy - " A good welcome as we arrived. The caravan was very well equipped (like home from home).We brought too much stuff, we didn't expect it to be so well-equipped. Ideally located for travelling around. Allin all very good." Rheidol Improvements
The extracts below are taken from the Environment Agency Wales's latest Newsletter, May 2009, which can be found in full on www.environment-agency.wales.gov.uk.
Fish Passage Improvements
The fish pass project is planned for the Afon Melindwr at Capel Bangor. The Melindwr is the main spawning tributary for the Rheidol. Recent flood damage resulted in an increased obstruction to the upstream passage of sewin. The Melindwr project will restore the pass to working order and provide improved migratory access to approximately six miles of additional fish habitat. The work will also aid the upstream passage of eels. The project will be supported by Additional Grant in Aid from the Welsh Assembly.The work should be completed by the end of the summer. Salmon Stocks Improve
This year salmon stock assessment in Wales suggests a generally improving picture.There appears however to be a slackening in voluntary catch and release. Thids is a concern in south west Wales as catch and release has been a very important component in the current encouraging picture. We need to reinvigorate a catch and release culture to ensure the continued viability of the sport.The Rheidol comes under the category of " Probably at risk in 2013". This means that the E.A.is uncertain of the situation on the Rheidol but based on catch returns, juvenile data and net returns then it would appear the Rheidol is in need of some kind of support such as reduced exploitation, improved habitat or better water quality to ensure a sustainable fishery in the future. ( "reduced exploitation" means MORE fish put back for those anglers who still don't get the message. It also doesn't mean you carry on as normal up to 2013! Webmaster). New Byelaws to limit exploitation
Wild salmon and sea trout are at risk.To increse their numbers and safeguard the future of angling we have introduced new byelaws to restrict the trade in wild salmon and sea trout. There is a ban on the sale or barter of rod caught wild salmon and sea trout. If you are offered wild salmon or sea trout you suspect have been caught illegally ring the EA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 (Freephone24 hour). Wild Fishing Wales-a £2.6 million EU funded project.
Wild Fishing Wales seeks to improve environmental quality of, and access to, rivers and still waters. More details when the project is formally launched in July 2009.
Match Results
Big Browns from Rhosrhydd-9th to 12th June
 | Paul Hughes struck gold last week on Tuesday with two fine brownies, shown left, weighing in at 3lbs 9ozs ans 3lbs 8ozs, as well as two others over 2lbs. Three days later he topped off the week with a 5lbs 8ozs brownie, shown below. All fish caught on an olive emerger. |
June 6th - 7 pound Sea Trout
Andy Selly, Dave Lloyd's fishing buddy, described the capture thus-"raining, blowing a gale, a true angler never gives up. Dave and I stayed at it and at three in the morning my first sea trout off the Rheidol in 2009 came. A fantastic seven pounder it fell to a self-made tube fly. One for the angler". Absolutely! Good one Andy! Ist Rheidol Sea Trout of 2009 -May 30th
 | Dave Lloyd, who drives an hour and a half for his fishing on the Rheidol, scored with the first Rheidol sea trout of 2009, a whopping 9 pounder. He caught the fish with his third cast of the night and it fell to a home-tied 1.5" tube fly.Well done Dave! |
1st Ystwyth Sea Trout of 2009-May 16th 16th May saw the first sea trout of the season caught on the Ystwyth, just above the Association stretch.The fish was a chunky 8 pounder which fell to the skilled spinning of David Ricketts. Just shows you have to be fishing to catch 'em! 2009 Caravan feedback-Not just for Anglers!
"Everything excellent as always.This year the sun shone - didn't believe it actually happened here. Fishing also good-I even cracked Frongoch. Many thanks to Ray for guidance and to both him and Chas for hospitality.Great to see them both again. Look forward to repeating it all again next year." HL, June 2009
" Whatever holidays my sister and I take year to year, we're always sure to spend a week at Ffronyllyn (one of the Association caravans at Frongoch lake). We love the area with a passion and appreciate the peace and beauty of the hills and the lake. We cannot imagine a more idyllic setting for a holiday caravan, situated as it is by the water's edge and completely away from main roads and traffic noise. During the week we see many birds and waterfowl and love to watch the fishermen out in the boats, using their skills and patience. All this adds to the general tranquility and slow pace of life here. We go home feeling much refreshed!"
Mrs LC and Mrs HP, June 2009.
And from another satisfied customer, Mr A.R. of Herts., England, May 2009 - " We enjoyed our stay and the fishing was good. The caravan is very well-equipped and was very comfortable. The tackle shed came in very useful for drying the wet clothing. Hope to be back in September."
Rhosrhydd Work Completed
On 16th May a work party organised by Ray Blackburne repaired the track down to Rhosrhydd Lake. The club had received a number of complaints about the quality of the track and drastic measures were clearly needed. With the kind help of the landowner, Henry Williams and his son Aaron, 15 tonnes of mixed stone scalpings were manually spread along the length of the track. All potholes were made good and even the smallest car should now be able to get down to the lake. Our thanks to the Williams' family, Ray, Mark Sedgwick, Chas Webb, Neil Beck, Brian Davies and Alwyn Roberts for giving up their Saturdays and quite a lot of sweat!
A.A.A. Pin - On Badges
We now have metal pin-on badges available from the Club.The cost is £3 including postage. To get yours send payment to T. M. Sedgwick, Golden Grove, Capel Dewi, SY23 3HR.
 The Future is Catch and Release
 | A new season is about to start; no-one knows how good it will be. But there is one certainty-if we practice catch and release in 2009 we give ourselves the very best opportunity to have a fishing future in this country. And that goes for salmon, sewin and brown trout. |
The Key Rules for Catch and Release
1. Use barbless hooks, avoid trebles
2. minimise time spent playing a fish
3. release as soon as possible, do not take the fish out of the water
4. support the fish in the water until it's recovered Catch and Release works-up to 97% of released fish survive
Our thanks to Mike Lingard, one of our caravan users in 2008, for the above photo and several others to be found on our website. You can now get your EA licence online at:-
www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/fishingrodlicence
non migratory trout-£26; salmon and sea trout-£70 If you are unsure about ANY aspect of the byelaws affecting fishing then check them out at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/fishing/ 2010 Permit charges
Full details can be found on this website under PERMITS Important-It is now an offence to sell, barter or exchange for goods or services rod-caught salmon or sea trout in England and Wales Don't forget it's also against the Association's rules to sell your catch-
Be found, be banned!
Website success - in 2008 we had 140, 000 more visits than in 2007. A 60% increase. Fantastic!
2008 Fur and Feather
The Annual Fur and Feather was held on the 26th October and 27 anglers took part on a day when the weather was dry and bright with a brisk variable westerly wind. Twenty fish were brought to the weigh-in and some good bags were recorded. Mike Leggett, seen below with Welsh fishing legend Moc Morgan and Ray Blackburne, was top rod with two fish weighing 8lbs 13ozs of which the best weighed 4lbs 8ozs. Wayne Stevens, second row down on the right with Moc, came second with a nice 3lbs 2ozs fish that gave him Heaviest Fish on Fly. Second top weight was Richard Huxley seen below, bottom row on the right with Moc, who weighed in 3 fish totalling 6lbs 13ozs. Top Youth was Richard James, top row right with Moc, who caught 2 fish totalling 4lbs 4ozs. Selwyn Thomas, middle row left with Moc, was Top Worm angler with one fish of 2lbs 2ozs. Chas Webb, one of the organisers, can be seen with Moc Morgan bottom row left.
Our thanks to Moc Morgan for presenting the prizes, Ray Blackburne and Chas for organising the event, Peredur Eklund for helping with the raffle and the sponsors for their generosity. These included Gary's Cabs, Capel Dewi MotorHomes and the Co-Op on the Waun.
Finally, our thanks to the anglers who turned up - we look forward to seeing you again next year. Andy Selly - "Good salmon season, not so good on the sea trout"
Last Day 6 pound plus Salmon and a day to Remember!
Ray Blackburne, one of the club's most consistent anglers, went out on the last day of the 2008 season to "catch a few fish".
He did a lot more than that as his story now tells.
"At the start of the season I had forecast that Blaenmelindwr would prove itself a top lake and during the season I had enjoyed good sport on the rejuvenated lake. So what better place to cast a line on the last day of the season? I set up with a floater and three flies-top dropper was a concoction, middle a Green Peter variant and point a Bibio. By the end of the day at 5.15 I had caught and returned six brown trout and either missed or lost several more. An excellent end to the season and a great indication of more to come next year from Blaenmelindwr.
I then decided to fish the river on my way home as it had been low in the morning and looked good. Needless to say I got to the river and it was bank high! So on went an intermediate and a Gold Elver at the business end. I also put my folding saw in my chest wader pocket to cut free snagged flies. I began wading below Glanyrafon bridge in 3' of water but my first casts kept catching in branches and it was difficult to get my line out with so much drag. Eventually I managed to get a cast right across the river and immediately instinct told me there was a fish on the end of my line, so I stuck and the fight was on. It lasted about 15 minutes as the fish ran, rolled and dived. When I got it in it was like a bar of silver (see above). What a day to end the season! "
Ray Blackburne
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| Huw Williams
River Champion 2008
The Annual River's Day Competition was fished on the 4th October and won by Huw Williams with a 6lb 4oz sea trout caught at Dolgamlyn on the worm. Huw also caught a brown trout which was returned. Congratulations to Huw and all who took part on a day blighted by the conditions which were almost unfishable.
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| Newsflash! visits to this website in 2008 -300,000 plus. 2007-232,000 |
Alister Dryburgh's salmon (below) caught on the Rheidol in mid-September from the Capel Bangor stretch on a Rapala. 
Well-known local angler, Paul Hughes, with a fine salmon caught on his recent Canadian holiday.
Parts 1 and 2 of the Fred Ralphs Story can be found in the Library Section below. The Generation Issue
The amount and timing of water running downstream from eon's generating activities has caused more than one angler to find the river unfishable or unsafe at times in recent years. One of our members, Andy Selly, has come up with a great idea that he has suggested to eon-a text alert to mobiles when eon is generating. So far not a spark of interest from the Power Company, but watch this space! Dave Luckhurst emailed me to say he wrote to eon on the same subject 4 years ago and is still waiting for an answer! Double-figure Salmon from the Rheidol
That man Malcolm Edwards does it again! This time it's a daytime 11 pounder caught on a spinner while most people were looking at the Olympics. Perhaps we should get catching salmon an Olympic sport and then Wales would have a real gold medal chance with Malcom Edwards!
Rheidol Sea Trout
Alan Tansey caught the fine sea trout shown above at the height of our summer this year. In the fotos section of the website you will find another of his fotos but this time with a double figure fish. Like many of our anglers he is equally adept with both camera and rod.
 This 2lbs 8ozs brownie from Glandwgan
was caught by Club Chairman Mark Thomas on a claret hopper. Some may say a two pound plus fish is hardly worth writing home about but most of us didn't think there was a fish over 8 ounces in the lake!
Mark duly returned the fish to the lake so if you fancy catching a true wild brown trout, now a bit educated, then head for Glandwgan.
Heavy sea trout landed in July
Wayne Stevens caught this cracking 7lbs 2ozs sea trout on worm
In the last few weeks a 9 pounder and a 5 pounder have been taken from the Rheidol. The larger fish was taken by Malcolm Edwards on fly. No details as yet on the other fish. Meurig Lewis proved he can handle fish as well as money by catching three sea trout in one evening on fly, best 3lbs 12ozs with two others at 2lbs. There are reports that a 12 lb fish has also been taken from a non-AAA stretch of the Rheidol.
Remember- Catch and Release protects our future! The Irish strike back! After a long delay, the return match in Ireland went ahead on June 7th. The team of six anglers representing Aberystwyth Angling Association had a most enjoyable three days funded by the Castlecomer Estate, County Kilkenny.
Friday
We were met by the Irish team on our arrival and made very welcome. After introductions and an evening meal we fished the old reservoir which was the original water supply for the town and was to be the match venue. It was full of large browns which were reluctant to be caught and only one fish was caught in our first session, despite many showing. We returned to our lodgings where our cheerful and accomodating landlady, Mary, offered to take us to the local watering hole to sample the water supply. This proved most tasty; just like the Guinness back home!
Saturday-match day
After a hearty breakfast the teams were split into pairs of one Welsh and one Irish to mark one another's card. We went to the lake which had been pegged out and each pair moved up one peg after 40 minutes. The main bulk of the fish proved to be at the dam end and fish were soon coming out with almost every cast. Jean and Peredur Eklund in particular caught plenty but not enough to prevent the Irish winning the match. This makes the series 1-1 so far. The winners from each pair then had a 30 minute fish-off to decide top angler. This was won by one of the Irish team with 5 fish although Ray and Wayne ran him close with 3 each. A meal and prizegiving followed with Ray and Helen being the top pair and Wayne and his partner coming second. Everyone who took part was given a commemmorative box of flies to take home. Chas Webb thanked everyone for making the visit very special and promised to do his best to arrange a deciding match to break the deadlock. After the speeches we were given the chance to fish anywhere we wanted and although we all tried hard, the 14lbs browns would not co-operate.
Sunday
A brief bit of fishing after another huge breakfast before we left to catch the ferry. The Irish team got word of our departure and came to wish us a fond farewell. All in all it could not have been a more enjoyable trip. Everyone had a great time and the Irish are tremendous hosts.
Well done to all-I think we did the Association and Wales proud.
Chas Webb. 
"unique situation...unspoilt...beautiful countryside..we intend to become regular visitors", L.C. and H.P. Wiltshire . A few of the recent comments from two of our many satisfied users of the caravans at Frongoch. The brown and rainbow trout fishing is excellent and the location superb. The caravans themselves are well-equipped for the most discerning of anglers and sited just a few yards from the lake itself. Check out the LAKESIDE CARAVANS section on this website to see how much paradise costs. You WILL be surprised!
June - Sea Trout being caught on the Rheidol
Malcom Edwards caught the first sewin of the new season, a 2.5 lb. fish. Since then a number of other fish have come to the net including, unfortunately, two 5lb fish to a poacher netting in the harbour. At least he has been caught and will be charged. The good news is that decent sized fish are running in the river and just waiting to be caught.
The best start for years on the Rheidol saw 3 salmon caught in quick succession. Malcolm Edwards caught two fresh-run salmon around 6/7 lbs in two hours of spinning in the Cwm Rheidol area while Mark Sedgewick landed a fresh-run 8 pounder in Capel Bangor caught on a silver blue Rapala after an hours' fishing. All the fish were in A1 condition and returned to the river. Excellent news and congratulations to both guys. PS don't forget-all salmon caught between April 1st and 15th June MUST be returned to the river or face prosecution and expulsion from the club.
Website Update
The website continues to break all records - in 2007 we had 232,000 visits and already in 2008 we have had 81,500 up to April 1st! For those of you that are mathematically challenged this equates to a staggering 326, 000 full year, an increase of 40% year-on-year. Now where are those advertisers?
Every member must know someone who would like to share in this success. Even a small contribution to club funds can increase stocking levels, pay for stiles and groundworks or improve our communication to members without computers.
Think about it!
Posterity beckons our members The National Library of Wales, based in Aberystwyth, is now archiving copies of our annual Newsletter. This means your great great grandchildren in the 22nd century will be able to read about your exploits in catching sewin on the Rheidol!
3lbs 7.5ozs brownie from Rhosrhydd
Local angler Chris Reynolds caught a fine native brown trout in the last week ( 28th March) confirming what many have suspected-that Rhosrhydd is definitely on its way back. Not always the easiest lake to fish, but there are some big fish in there. 
Ray Blackburne caught the first fish this season at Frongoch on Saturday 22nd March. It weighed 3lbs 8ozs and was caught on a size 14 nymph fished slowly on an intermediate line. The weather was foul with high winds and snow flurries. Web Master:- it's encouraging news about Blaenmelindwr although it could present us with a problem. The lake is easily accessible and suffers from poaching. We can only ask every member of the Association to challenge any angler for his Permit and E.A. licence. Do it in a friendly manner and in my experience you won't have any trouble.
SALMON, TROUT and SEA TROUT FISHING- from £10 a DAY
inc. ACCOMODATION
Sounds crazy but it's true.
Based on 6 sharing one of our two lakeside caravans for a week, you have free use for the period of a boat for lake fishing and a half-price permit that covers lakes and river.The caravans are based at Frongoch, our premier trout lake and only ten miles from Aberystwyth.The fishing is exclusive for caravan users 4 days out of 7.
Based on 2 sharing the caravan it's from £20 a day, all-in!
The view from one of the caravans:-
For more details check out the LAKESIDE CARAVANS section of the website.
Our new  Library!
Well of course it's not a library but it is NEW. The Library will consist of anything written or filmed about FISHING. Simple as that. Anyone can submit anything but the Webmaster reserves the right to accept or decline the piece. Current and Past Newsletters will find a home here as well as full versions of articles that were abridged for the annual Newsletter.
For the moment you will find the Library at the end of this section i.e under Latest news, Photo Gallery and Library.
The Library has a yellow background to help you scroll down directly to it.
The Rivers' section of the Photo Gallery has a light blue background.
The Lakes' section of the Photo Gallery has a green background.
Past Competitions' section of the Photo Gallery has a pale purple background.
Some time later this year we will be re-organising the website to make it more user friendly, but for the moment we hope you find something in the library to take out!
Fancy a painting?
This painting is by Peter Gander who specialises in painting fish and fishing. If you are interested and would like to get in touch, he can be reached on petergander@gmail.com or by phone on 01227 271188. Winter Fishing Report-January 6th 2008
The mild conditions have encouraged anglers to visit Frongoch and try their luck. The result has been rainbows caught up to 4lb in weight, mostly on lures. Not bad fishing for a £10 a day Permit! Remember-you must have a Permit BEFORE you fish. Permits can be bought from Peredur Eklund and Penparcau Post office. 2007 Social and Presentation Evening-Friday 9th November
This turned out to be a most enjoyable evening for who attended. Good food, good speeches and good company made the evening. The prizes were awarded by Welsh fishing legend Moc Morgan who gave an entertaining and informative speech. The prizes were awarded as follows:-
E.J. Morgan Shield for heaviest single fish-Fred Ralphs, salmon of 14lbs 4ozs
Augustus Barnett Trophy for heaviest salmon on fly-H.Bryant, 11lbs
J. Lewis Cup for heaviest sea trout on fly-Malcolm Edwards, 13lbs 14ozs
Elfed Jones Trophy for heaviest sea trout on worm or spinner-Malcolm Edwards, 9lbs
E.Morgan Shield for heaviest lake trout on fly-John Gisbourne, 3lbs 12ozs
Frank Smyth Trophy for first sea trout of the season-Malcolm Edwards, 23rd May
Heaviest Lake trout on fly, Ladies Section-Jean Eklund
R.J.Bown Trophy Competition-Alan Matthews
E.J.Scaffolding Trophy Competition-Alan Matthews
Tynllidiart Shield, Member of the Year 2007-Ray Blackburne
Catch Returns for 2007
A free 2008 Permit was given in a raffle to those who returned their 2007 Catch returns. Remember this is in everyone's interest-we can only stock properly if we have some idea of what has gone out.
UPDATE-the free Permit for 2008 was won by Neil Beck, seen below, from Llanbadarn, Aberystwyth.
 Friday 23rd February 2007-Prize-giving and social evening
 Prizewinners, from the left-Ray Blackburne, Mike Barrett, Jean Eklund, Fred Ralphs, Malcolm Edwards, Dave Luckhurst and Glyn Hughes.
An excellent evening was enjoyed by all that attended. Guest speaker Illtydd Griffiths gave an entertaining and enlightening speech as well as presenting the prizes to the 2006 winners. Club Secretary Peredur Eklund assisted in handing out the prizes, including one to his wife Jean! The evening was notable for the first-ever award of the Tynllidiart Trophy. This is a new trophy donated by the Tynllidiart Arms pub in Capel Bangor and recognises outstanding work by an individual on behalf of the Club. The 2007 winner is Fred Ralphs who, as well as patrolling the river bank, has done outstanding work in managing work parties for the river while also helping-out on the lakes. His work has been invaluable in keeping the river accessible for anglers. Well done Fred! Congratulations to all prizewinners!
WORK PARTIES EVERYONE WELCOME
Every year small groups of men visit our lakes and rivers, but not to fish.
They are the work parties whose efforts go unrecognised and unrewarded.
Without them our fisheries would look like jungle, footpaths hidden, stiles
would not exist and weeds would flourish.
These men need your HELP. We need volunteers on a regular and
irregular basis; great if you can make every work party but you will be
loved if you can only turn up for the occasional afternoon.
Contact:-
Lakes-Ray Blackburne on 01970 6118 21
Rivers- Fred Ralphs 01970 820494
PHOTO GALLERY
We want the gallery to be a showcase of fish that YOU have caught.
Over the years it will be a record of your individual success as well as
of great interest to anyone who visits the site.
To send us your photo
click on
The Gallery is in three sections:-
1. LAKES
2. RIVERS
3. PAST COMPETITIONS
LAKES
4=9 (when they're TROUT!)
Tom Davies, originally from Devil's Bridge but now Llanrhystud, caught 4 fish weighing 9 pounds from Rhosrhydd the last week of April 2007. Not surprisingly he believes Rhosrhydd is back to its sparkling best when it was regarded as one of the premier brown trout fisheries in Wales.
John Gisbourne's near 4lb Brownie from Rhosrhydd!
John Gisbourne caught this fine 3lbs 12ozs brown trout after a long fight on April 19th 2007. He was fishing with an intermediate line and bloodworm fly. The belief is that this was one of the 5"-8" fish stocked in recent years. This is the usual size we stock with and it is nice to see it bearing fruit. Fur and Feather fish are stocked prior to the competition and typically are 12ozs-18ozs with a sprinkling of 2lb plus fish. Well done John!
Local angler Shaun Davies caught this lovely pair of wild brownies on Rapalas. The bottom fish, a female, was caught on a Silver and Black sinking Rapala. An hour later the top fish, a male, was caught on a Rapala Blood Minnow. Shaun's method is to let the Rapala sink and begin the retrieve, varying the time until you hit fish.
 
At the end of July John Gisbourne and Bob Meredith fished Rhosrhydd. After trying various patterns John put on a silver and black buzzer that was taken on the first cast. The fish dived straight into the weed on the field side and laid doggo. After being given slack the fish moved but only to go further into the weed. John then passed his rod to Bob while he waded out and netted a near 4lb brown trout. John also caught a similar size fish from the same lake in April. Leave a few for us John! Bob Meredith's 3lb 4oz Rainbow from Frongoch Bob caught this lovely rainbow on a wingless olive on the 7th July.
Ray had a perfect start to the new season with these 4 rainbows from Frongoch. The fish were caught in a hectic few hours between 11.30 and 1pm on a Bibio and a Black Pennel fished slow on an intermediate line. Bob Meredith and Meurig Lewis also bagged up at Frongoch on the same day.
15th June 2006-4lb 6oz brownie from Rhosrhydd caught by Glyn Hughes on a Coch-y-Bonddu.
12th June 2006-4lb 5oz brownie from Rhosrhydd caught by son Paul. On a sunny day he caught 4 browns including this whopper. Successful fly was a black emerger pattern.
RIVERS
2007 Salmon Catches double those of 2006
Up until 9th October thirty six salmon had been caught compared to eighteen last year. And there's still a few days to go!
8lbs 8ozs Salmon from Capel Bangor 
Club Chairman Alistair Dryburgh and his son Shaun, shown above, recently fished the Capel Bangor section of the Rheidol and came away with this lovely salmon in peak condition. Dad hooked the fish on a blue and silver Rapala andShaun did the honours with the landing net. Well done both!
12th August 2007 - 12lbs 2ozs Sea Trout
Dave Luckhurst caught this superb sea trout on the Rheidol using a tube fly when the river was droping after a sudden rise in level. The fish put up a tough fight and measured 29.25 inches from nose to fork of its tail.
Just shows the fish are there but you have to fish for them! 
In July 2007 Head Bailiff Fred Ralphs caught this fine 14lbs 4ozs salmon on the Rheidol using a Rapala. More salmon have also been caught by Malcolm Edwards and Ieuan Jones 16th June 2007 - 11lb Salmon from the Rheidol
Hugh Bryant is having a season to remember! Two days after his 8lb sea trout he caught an 11lb salmon. Any spaces at your dinner table Hugh? More Sea Trout catches!
On the 22nd June Ieuan Jones caught 5 good-sized sea trout and lost a few more. The 14th June proved to be a night to remember for more than one angler when Hugh Bryant caught an 8lb sea trout and Wayne Stevens a 4lb plus sea trout. Both anglers, as well as Alan Tansey, have confirmed there are good numbers of sizeable fish in the river. A 4lb salmon has also been caught in the last week. Friday 15th June the river was in flood after very heavy rain.
13lb 12ozs Sea Trout from the Rheidol
An immense fish and the first of the season fell to Malcolm Edwards on the 24th May, a few days after heavy rain. It was caught near midnight on a small blue and silver tube fly on a floating line. The fight lasted ten minutes and Malcolm almost lost the fish at the last minute when he lost his grasp and had to grab again (he doesn't use a landing net). A truly wonderful fish to start the season
July 2006-Malcolm Edwards wins "Trout and Salmon" Fish of the Month Malcolm's capture of an 11lb plus sea trout on the fly won him this prestigious prize. This followed Malcolm's brilliant night session on the fly earlier in the year when he notched up a monster 12.75lb sea trout and 3 smaller ones. If we told you the location we would have to kill you, sorry! We can tell you that Malcolm goes out late and looks for spots where there are no other anglers. It also helps if you have his depth of local knowledge and level of skill with all methods. Now you know!
30th May 2006-5lb 1oz sea trout from the Rheidol
This fish was the first sea trout caught on the fly this season. This was the second year in succession that David Luckhurst managed this feat. It was caught at night just as it was going dark and after a rise in water level. 
26th May 2006-8lb Salmon from the Rheidol
Local angler Glyn Hughes had the surprise of a lifetime when he hooked this fresh-run 8 pounder from the Rheidol. Fishing around 9pm with a black Flying "C", he enjoyed a ten minute tussle before landing and releasing the fish
Wayne Stevens with his best salmon of 2006 caught on a Rapala
Andrew Selly's best fish 2005, a 6.5lb sea trout caught on a small treble.
Alan Tansey with his 10lb plus sea trout caught on the fly from the Rheidol in 2005. In the same week in September he caught 3 salmon also on the fly.
 
 
 
 
COMPETITION PHOTOS
R.J. Bowne 2008 This year's competition was held over two days in June on Rhosrhydd and Glandwgan lakes. Attendance was low on both days and only a handful of fish were caught. Mike Mainwaring was still in the hunt after the first leg but work prevented him attending the second leg although his first leg was good enough to secure second place overral. Chas Webb and last year's winner Alan Matthews, both lost good fish which could have changed the final result which was a win for Ray Blackburne. Ray's successful setup in bright light and cold wind was an intermediate line with a team of flies-Viva on point with a Bibio middle and GreenPeter on top.
The prizes were presented by Steve Jones of Capel Dewi Motorhomes at a finger buffet laid on by the sponsor at Frongoch after the close of fishing. Our thanks to Ray and Chas Webb for organising the match and a special thanks to Capel Dewi Motorhomes for their sponsorship.
2007 R.J.Bowne Competition Results
1st. Alan Matthews 2nd. Chas Webb 3rd. Ray Blackburne
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"Wales vs Ireland", Frongoch, Saturday 3rd June 2006
Two teams of 6 contested a friendly match hosted by Plynlymon Tourist Information. The Welsh team was selected from members of Aberystwyth Angling Asociation and included Ray Blackburne, Chas Webb, Mark Sedgewick, Wayne Stevens, Glyn and Paul Hughes. The two teams were paired off with one A.A.A. paired with an Irish angler. One unusual catch fell to the Irish angler, Helen Rothwell, who caught a blue rainbow! Wales won the overral match. The Pairs competition was won by Mark Sedgewick and his Irish partner, Big Paddy J. Mark also had the heaviest bag. One of the Irish team, Helen Rothwell, had the most unusual catch-a Blue Rainbow. The day was rounded off with a meal and prizegiving at the "Miners' Arms" in Pontrydygroes. A.A.A. Hon. Sec. Peredur Eklund and his wife Jean presented the prizes. The whole event was organised by Pentir Pumlumon Community Regeneration Group to promote cross-border links and funded by Vero Interreg IIIA. The A.A.A. team has been invited back to Ireland as guests of Castlecomer in County Kilkenny for a return match at "Mayfly Time"-anyone interested contact Ray Blackburne on 01970 611821
 
   
Fur and Feather 2005
This was an Open competition for A.A.A.members and any angler with an Environment licence. The lake had been stocked prior to the match with 112 rainbows up to 3lb plus in weight, although on the day none of the larger fish were caught. At least that means they'll be there for next season!
Thirty anglers took part and about half fly fished and half wormed. By the end of the day the fly fishers just edged it. Fish were found all over the lake but it was not easy, many anglers roving the banks to find fish. It was pleasant when the sun was on your back but the cold wind was a constant reminder of winter. Chas Webb said that his fish was so cold it felt like it had come out of the freezer!
Midway through the match the jungle drums passed the message on that a booby fished slow and deep was the answer and certainly this helped a few guys avoid a blank. The prizes included a free season permit for top weight, a meal for two at Tynllidiart Arms in Capel Bangor and a whole load of goodies from Rob Rattray, award winning Aber. butcher ( 01970 615353). Every angler won something in the raffle which probably explains the smile on all the faces!
Our sponsors also included Capel Dewi Motor Homes 01970 820501), Gary's Cabs (01970 612233), Aberystwyth Golf Club (01970 625301), WH Smiths (01970 61330), the Co-Op on the Waun, Fishtec (01874 612600), Flymail (0808 1002251), Coch-y-Bonddu Books (01654 702837) and Aber Tackle.
Our thanks to all our sponsors and to Ray Blackburne and Chas. Webb for organising the event.
Diolch yn fawr!
New Fur and Feather Record in 2007
Total weight of fish - 70lbs 14ozs.
The Fur and Feather was held on the 4th November 2007 at Frongoch and produced exceptional sport for the 25 anglers taking part, all but one of whom fly fished. The day was nice and warm with some breeze and the conditions helped see good bags and heavy fish including six fish well over 3lbs being weighed in.
Heaviest fish of 5lbs 4ozs fell to Alan Matthews.
1st-Alan Matthews with 3 fish total weight 9lbs 12ozs
2nd-Ceri Parker with 4 fish weighing 9lbs 8ozs
Heaviest fish-Mark Sedgewick, 4lbs 4ozs(an angler can only win one prize).
Top weight on worm-Fred Ralphs
Alan's prize was a free Permit for 2008 and a bag of goodies courtesy of our main sponsor Capel Dewi Motors. Shown below are Alan Matthews (left) with his 5lbs 4ozs fish and Shaun Davies with his 3lbs plus fish caught 5 minutes before the weigh-in!
SPECIAL THANKS to CAPEL DEWI MOTORS for their SPONSORSHIP of the FUR and FEATHER 30/10/07 Update - A special thank you to Steve Bray, manager of the Co-Op on the Waun, for his generous support. And he's an Arsenal supporter! I knew they were generous to their opponents but this is something else! Results
Top weight-Ken Llewellyn of Church Stoke with 4 fish weighing 5lbs 4ozs on fly. Club Secretary Peredur Eklund (right) presents the Perpetual Trophy
Second place-Matthew Davies, 4 fish weighing 4lbs 14ozs on fly. Matthew took second place over Mark as he had the biggest single fish. 
Third place- Mark Thomas, 4 fish weighing 4lbs 14ozs on fly.
Heaviest fish-D.Davies 1lb 14ozs on the fly (no-one can win more than one prize)
Heaviest bag on the worm-Selwyn Thomas 1lb 12ozs 
Second top weight on the worm-Fred Ralphs 1lb 4ozs 
Sunday 4th June and 18th June 2006-R.J.Bowne Trophy, Trisant lakes
Permit holders only. This was a fly only competition fished over two legs-first leg on Glandwgan, second leg on Rhosrhydd. Ray Blackburne won the event. Runner-up was Alan Matthews and Dave Hutton won the raffle.
FUR AND FEATHER 2005 The Annual Fur and /Feather competition was held on Frongoch
on the 20th November 2005. Prizes were presented by World Champion, Hywel Morgan and Club Chairman, Alistaire Dryburgh.Main sponsors included Abertackle, Aeron Sports, Airflo, Anthony Motors, Capel Dewi Cars and Gary's Cabs.  
 
 
  
The Library The Library
Please note this Section is "work in progress". Apologies for any inconvenience.
ARTICLES 1. The Humble Worm by John Barrett
2. Successful Lake Flies by Mark Thomas
3. Opening Day on the Lakes 2008 by Ray Blackburne
4. The Fred Ralphs Story
NEWSLETTERS
1. 2008
ARTICLES
The Humble Worm by John M. Barrett
A few days ago a fellow angler and I were discussing worm versus the fly and use of the spinner, then the difficulty of obtaining a steady supply of worms was raised. When I mentioned to him that I breed my own and told him of my method, he suggested that others may be interested so what about a few words in the newsletter.
Years ago when we had good runs of salmon and an abundance of sea-trout in our rivers, much of my time was taken with worm fishing. Due to the nature of my employment at the National Library I had supply of lob worms from the gardens department. After my retirement in spite of acquiring a new supply, I soon realized that they can not be bred and reared successfully in a domestic wormery. If loose in a cultivated area with plenty of depth and a near neutral soil pH there is no problem. Although then we would have no control of them, and have to dig for them and that would defeat the object These days many lob worms sold for fishing by distributors are now imported from Canada.
Many years ago I well remember having the pleasure of fishing regularly with Ron Jones, who was at that time the club bailiff and also a great fishing companion. On the first occasion we fished together down the run, into and through to the tail of Irmhytage pool. I was surprised to see that he fished with only one small red worm not much more than about 3cm in length, but I was even more shocked when right in the tail of the pool he hooked and landed this lovely salmon of double figures. Although I was first to fish through the pool, my large cup sized bunch of lobs had been ignored. Surely there was some lesson to be learnt there?
I cannot say that I could ever gain the confidence to fish for sea trout or salmon so lightly armed, but I felt that things were to alter, I decided to raise my own red worms. Local worms were out of the question as being an impatient person I realized I could not collect sufficient to make a quick start. So it was decided that I would purchase a supply of farmed worms. They are red, tough and grow to around 10 cm. They last well and remain active in the water . I’ll tell you a bit more about them later.
I purchased the worm variety `Dendrobaena`, are also, so I m told abundant in the wild in the UK,. The medium sized worms shown are near breeding size and are the perfect size to acquire should you decide to start your own wormery, and that’s what this article is all about. A further advantage of the variety lies in the fact that they can be harvested at any stage in their growth, right up to completely replacing the lobworm for river use. Common name `Forest Leaf Creeper`, and that says it all, they like to be in the top few in`s among the damp decaying leaves 
Medium size Dendrobaena 3cm - 4cm
In this paragraph I will explain the type of wormery that I have constructed which is capable of holding many hundreds of worms. New timber was purchased and using treated 6x1 inch wood (not creosoted). The box was made 4ft x 2ft & 1 ft deep. Care is needed in construction as all joints must be tight. The top should be perfectly level, as I use a piece of glass to cover it. It must lay flat to avoid worms escaping and also all cracks between the planks are sealed with either smooth cement, polyfiller or the like. In fact one could say the unit should be near air tight to make it escape proof. Of course air holes are made by drilling small holes around the sides near the top and inserting Polythene tubing into the holes to extend about 1” inside making an escape proof vent. The tubing used as model aircraft fuel pipe is perfect, or used biro innards. The glass cover is stippled white with emulsion paint to keep the interior cool; the unit is also stood in the shade.
During the summer of last year I noticed that the amount of young worms that should be, were not being produced and on close inspection I noticed that hundreds of newly hatched worms (threads) and also eggs were on the inside of the glass cover. It was now obvious that the mature worms were depositing their eggs there instead of on or in the feeding medium, possibly because they found the condensation which formed on the glass attractive for their purpose. As a result almost all this potential stock perished. I found that this problem can be overcome by cutting a black polyphene bin-liner to fit on the surface of the medium. Eggs are then laid on the underside of this and the newly hatched then have no problem getting onto the feed.
The preparation of the medium for the stock to live in, whatever the container used will requires a mixture roughly of 20% soil, not shop bought compost as it contain fresh added chemicals, and 80% rotted or part rotted leaf mould from your local woods. This will form the bed which is prepared moist but not wet. If part rotted leaves are used it is wise to pack them in a bucket and pour boiling water on them and repeat until sufficient has been treated thereby destroying any slugs and there eggs, as these are definitely not wanted. About 5-6” of bedding is fine for them in the beginning to settle into. Feeding of worms is quite easy - bread, cabbage, potato peelings, tea leaves, in fact most things organic, even a few handfuls of horse manure would go down very nicely. It is wise to ovoid onion, leek or citrus fruits. Waste containing salt should be avoided. Sprinkle the chopped up food over the surface and work it into the top few inches. A few cupfuls, say once a week would be great. Increasing your worms will happen automatically once your stock is settled and kept stress free in temperatures of about 55 to 75 % F. which is ideal for multiplication, but the worms will tolerate temperatures from 40 to 90 % F, although the extreme temperatures are not an ideal condition. Increasing your worms will happen automatically once your stock is settled and kept stress free in temperatures of about 55 to 75 % F. which is ideal for multiplication, but the worms will tolerate temperatures from 40 to 90 % F, although the extreme temperatures are not an ideal condition.
Worms are hermaphrodites, that is to say they are both sexes, but of course two are needed to produce fertile eggs, therefore every worm will reproduce for us. The fertilized eggs are collected by a ring of mucous on the outside of the body, as this slides off at the tail end, it closes together forming a cocoon around the eggs that will then go onto develop into baby worms.
What must be avoided during the winter is the possibility of freezing in such small containers. Last year I took the containers into the greenhouse and wrapped them in bubble wrap, Maybe you thought I was going to say cotton-wool ! Anyway however it’s achieved, avoid freezing. If a tidy plastic container is used and the wife’s out at WI or the likes, you may fancy sneaking it into the house, keep it say under the bed - that would solve any freezing problems during the winter.
Everyone has his own way of fishing the worm and during last season I changed my method somewhat on the lakes. I now put the weight on the point of the line and attach a 3 way swivel about 2ft up from the point. Using 6 lb line I placed a size 12 `Magic Circle` hook, Fulling Mill 32165) out some 18in`s from the swivel like a dropper. When hooked through the centre of a single worm, the fish tend to take it in clean, as before when I fished bait hooks the worm was just been eaten off the hook. It is also claimed that because of their shape these mostly hook in the scissors.
And finally just to prove to you that I’m not a complete wet worm purist, I must tell you I tied a few blood worms and took two nice take home fish from the dam end of Oerfa with these dead worms. I fished them deep and near static, just the odd tweak now and again, They were fished on a intermediate 7 with a straight through nylon leader of 6 lbs around 12ft in length.
Funny that when you think about it, this last paragraph points to the fact that this article was a complete waste of time actually, as it seems there’s no need to breed worms, `just make them`!
Mark Thomas is a Welsh Trialist who is equally at home on the lakes or in his kayak fly fishing in Cardigan Bay. A highly accomplished angler whose fly patterns are well worth copying. At the beginning of 2008 he was elected Chairman of the Association. An abbreviated version of this article was published in the 2008 Newsletter.
Opening Day on the Lakes 2008 by Ray Blackburne
I arranged to spend opening day this season on Rhosgoch with Club Treasurer, Meurig Lewis. I arrived at the lake at the same time as Bob Meredith and we both made our way up to the lake where we found a howling and very cold wind. I started on the right bank but the wind was too strong, so I moved up to the weeded area at the top and began working my way back down the lake. I had only gone about 50 yards when I hooked a lovely brown trout of about 1lb 4ozs. By now Meurig had arrived and we discussed our options over a cup of tea. We decided to move to Blaenmelindwr which might offer some protection from the wind. We walked through the recently cut wood area and started to fish. Almost immediately I lost one and Meurig caught a nice native brown trout. By 1.30pm I had lost two more on a size 12 Viva and Meurig had banked another on his Montana; both of us used intermediate lines. If possible, it was now even colder and both of us had lost all feeling in our fingers and toes! The sensible thing was to call it a day but both of us agreed that we had had three hours of good fishing in challenging conditions. Blaenmelindwr has improved a lot since the trees were cut down and I think it could well be a highly productive fishery this year. Good fishing and good company-an excellent way to start any season!
The Fred Ralphs Story
| John Barrett, one of the most respected members of the club, has written a special six-part version of the life and times of Fred Ralphs.
Fred is not only our bailiff but a master angler with fly, spinner and worm. His story could also be the story of fishing in Aberystwyth over the last 50plus years and will be of interest to members and site visitors alike.
We would like to thank John and Fred for their permission to print the story.We are publishing the story in six parts over the summer. This is Part 1.
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When you've been a fisherman since the age of seven and a club member for over 43 years, you've seen many changes. Not only the natural changes that nature makes to the river but the anglers themselves and the methods of fishing they adapt are constantly altering. So with this in mind and in recognition of the great dedication that Fred shows as a committee man, as a bailiff, and to the River Rheidol itself, I would like to express out thanks to him for all his hard work as we try to recapture a little of his angling years. I must say that when I first approached Fred about this article he was a little apprehensive and went to great lengths to assure me that anyhting he had achieved was only with the help of others and that all those working on Association waters should be equally complemented.
It is not difficult to understand how Fred became so dedicated to the hobby when you discover that at the age of only seven he took every opportunity to fish alongside his father, himself a very keen fisherman, spending time on both the river and lakes. It was also not unknown for Fred to skip school every now and again if he thought there was a chance of a fish or two or a bit of eel fishing was often on the agenda. At that time there was a fishmonger in the Trefechan who used to keep fish heads for Fred and his mates for eel bait. Fishing over the wall was great sport. Threaded on a length of string and weighted with a brick, it was lowered into the water by the bridge and within minutes the bait was surrounded by eels or the occasional flattie. When landed the catch was duly returned to the water. It became very competitve between them but that's how they made their fun in those days. As a point of interest Fred recalls that his first rod licence cost him two shillings and sixpence (about 12p in today's money)! John Barrett
The Fred Ralphs Story-Part 2
In 1964 Fred built the lovely bungalow which he still lives in today, got married and raised a small family but still found the time to fish and enjoy his garden and greenhouse. Fred's wife is also a keen gardener with the front garden display being her main joy. Both areas are a real credit to them and must give them considerable pleasure. Being a man of many interests, he also enjoys the competitive fun of showing at the local horticultural shows. Again I am aware that he competes quite successfully at the local shows too. Fred is shown below in March 1973 with his daughter displaying a lovely salmon caught that spring. This was typical of many that would be taken during the season, such were the heavy spring runs at that time.
Being an employee of the Welsh Water Board kept him and his colleague, as well as close friend, Tudor Lewis never far from the lakes and rivers. If you saw one of them, the other was not far away. It was at this time that I first came to know them both and occasionally fished with them. Evenings and weekends would often see them on the river looking for a chance of a salmon. Tudor, apart from being a very successful angler, was also a popular and fun companion and well liked by all. Unfortunately Tudor passed away in the late 1970's. During this time the stocking and re-allocating of fish was achieved by electro-fishing. The then secreatary, Major Fleming Jones and Fred were always key figures in these operations, although there was never really a shortage of volunteers for that fun job. The actual fishing took place in the tributaries of the Melindwr, Syfydrin and Craig-y-Pistyll; most were re-allocated to stock Rhosgoch. John Barrett Seen below left, Fred with his son, Philip then 12 and winner of "Best Junior Salmon" and " Best Brown Trout-Junior", and right, Elfed Jones a past Club Bailiff 1960-1972.
The Fred Ralphs Story - Part 3
Between 1960 and 1972 the club bailiff was Elfed Jones, a man keen and active in all aspects of his job. He was also Fred's father-in-law and during Elfed's later years in the post Fred took a great interest in all apects of the job . This involved accompanying and assisting Elfed in repairing stiles, keeping paths clean, the pools fishable, maintaining signs and all the endless cutting jobs which have to be done to keep the fishery open. As you would expect, Elfed had become very knowledgeable about the river and knew most of the salmon lies. He used to tell Fred, " If you want a fish on the first day of the season get up to Trotters Pool first!". In those days the season opened on the 10th March and good runs of early spring salmon could always be relied upon.
After Elfed's death the post was filled for two years by Ron Jones from the Llanrhystud area. When Ron decided to return to North Wales it was then that Fred was invited to take the position of bailiff. During his time as bailiff with the club Fred has worked alongside club secretaries such as Alun Williams (deceased), Dr John Fish, Bryn Jones and the present incumbent Peredur Eklund. The years rolled by and as with us all Fred was called upon to retire from his employment after a period of just over twenty eight years. No doubt Fred now had dreams of endless days and nights on the river, no longer on works call, just fishing.
" Any stories to relate, big catches or losses?" I asked. " Well, as you know" he said "we all lose fish sometimes. I was walking one day by Glanrafon and saw Len Lloyd. He used to fish our river regularly. Over on the far bank he was recasting having just landed a lovely salmon. I shouted across that they were generating and the water was starting to rise. So wisely he decided to cross over having hastily placed the fish in a plastic bag. He slowly started across as the water was now running high and just about halfway across the bag could not take the weight any longer; the bag split and Len and I could only watch as Len's lovely fish slid out and glided away fast towards the harbour". Sad, but surely another good reason for banning plastic bags I told Fred!
" My own big disaster I recall", said Fred, "was the day I hooked into this salmon that just refused to move. Because of the high water I was using quite heavy tackle and I well remember I put plenty of pressure on it. However, it wouldn't move more than a yard or two and stayed down on the bottom. Then after a lot of effort and with more presssure to get it moving, it came loose, with my tackle coming back including the hook. Shortly after I met up with Mr Manning and showed him where the fish was lying and I left him to give it a try. Elfed arrived with my lunch and asked if I would go up to Trotters to fix a gate with him. Some time later Mr Manning arrived at Trotters to display the trophy and give us all the info. The fish had given a repeat performance but was eventually grassed and showed clearly the tear-out made by my hook. The fish was fresh and high into double figures. As you can imagine, it was not one of my happiest days. Elfed weighed the salmon and it was 16lbs 10ozs. He also took some scales to send off for test. The results showed it was a sea trout and not a salmon. More salt rubbed in the wound !" John Barrett The Fred Ralphs Story-Part 4 | 
| | Fred Ralphs, fifth on left, with fellow anglers-about to go in or thrown out? |
"Throughout the years there have been many happy days. I can remember even now landing my largest fish. It weighed 15 pounds and that was twenty years ago. Though, as with most anglers, I don't have to take fish home every time I go out to enjoy the hobby". Talking about problems when working as bailiff on the river over the years Fred could not recall any serious incidents. " I found that mainly if I approached anyone on the water that could not produce a Permit they usually left without any trouble. I suppose I've been lucky in that respect really".
"Do you still do a lot of worming Fred?" I asked. " Oh yes, but I also fish lures now quite often, mostly a Rapala - especially when the water is running a bit high. I must say I used to enjoy late night fishing at Glanrafon, trotting the worm down through the pool. We often had a crowd there chatting and having a laugh as we waited for dark. Once we started all you could hear was the plop of the worms and the swish of the fly and the occasional shout of ' fish on'. Then 'ok' and all back in the water again. I really enjoyed those times and the good company of course".
 |  | | Fred at the entrance to Trotters Pool | Fred Ralphs - 2007 Clubman of the Year | As my chat with Fred came to an end we had to agree that Aberystwyth Angling Association must now have one of the best all-round fisheries in Wales - productive salmon and sea trout rivers in the Rheidol and Ystwyth together with nine lovely lakes to fish. What more could you wish for? We are, of course, indebted to Fred and all those who work with him on the river, those who work on the lakes under Ray Blackburne and Chas Webb as well our dedicated committee. Without these anglers who give so much to the Association our waters would soon be unfishable.
My thanks to Fred for talking with me and allowing me to write this article.
John Barrett.
The 2008 Newsletter
| | David Lloyd caught an 8.75lb sea trout last Saturday on the Rheidol above Capel Bangor. David caught the fish on his third cast using a home-tied 1.5" tube fly.Well done David! |
 | Paul Hughes struck gold at Rhosrhydd this week.
On Tuesday Paul caught a brilliant bag of four :- the two shown at 3lbs 9ozs and 3lbs 8ozs and another two at 2lbs 8ozs and 2 lbs.Three days later he struck again with the 5lbs 8ozs fish shown .
All fish were caught on olive emergers. | | 
| Chas Webb, shown here catching his first brownie of this season on opening day at Rhosrhydd, was appointed Chairman of Aberystwyth Angling Association before the start of the 2009 season. We are hoping to profile Chas in the near future but if you want to meet him he can usually be found bankside at the Trisant lakes or working on the caravans. |
| | On July 17th Neil Beck landed this fine 5lb 5ozs cock sewin caught on a running worm from Roadside Pool. |
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