I learnt a phrase the other day. It’s not very useful but I like it. It’s in a language I have never spoken but would like to learn.
It’s: Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod
I have to say, and I don’t mean to appear immodest for a second, I work bloomin’ hard at my job. Yep……..I do…………most of the time. My “territory”, as they call it, spreads from Land’s End to Southampton, up to Milton Keynes, then across diagonally and up to Chester. If you were to draw a line on your road atlas from Chester to Land’s End you would find that your pen leaves its inky mark at a 45 degree through the ancient and beautiful land of Wales where I learnt my new phrase.
I am lucky enough to live only 35 minutes along the road from the great bridge that spans the Severn to join our two great nations…………………actually it costs £5.70, which is probably testimony to the fact that some consider it worth paying to get to greener grass on the other side - and the fact that to return to England is free is so that travellers are in no way discouraged nor hindered in their trip when, those that do not fish, realise that said grass is not that much greener after all……………………….( I like dots )and to plan a trip there means I can look forward to the most breath taking mountains outside of Scotland, bright streams and friendly - FRIENDLY I say – people. The problem is I only go there for work and never have time to fish. I probably know more about the fishing throughout Wales than any other person who never fishes there!! It is shameful.
Take the other day. My route took me, by design, from Oswestry to Machynlleth where I stayed the night and the next day from Mach to Lampeter, then home across aforementioned bridge. During this sojourn I must have crossed a hundred streams and a dozen rivers, all containing, at the very least, hard fighting wild brown trout and some, salmon and sea-trout. Each one warrants, or has warranted in the past, a closer look – usually from a bridge and every single inspection yealds a feeling of guilt that I never make time to fish. You can imagine how long it sometimes takes me to get to my destination!
My night away was spent in a hotel that I last visited 20 years ago. I purposely haven’t been there on a working trip because I thought I would find it too depressing as it has Tal-y-Llyn, a 222 acre lake full of trout, 25yds from the front door. As it happens all it did was bring back some lovely memories.
Tal-y-Llyn
From The Tynycornel Hotel I went to Lampeter and found the River Teifi, one of Britain’s most famous sea-trout rivers, to be bubbling along quite merrily. The levels seem to be holding up quite well and there are enough heavy showers up in the mountains to keep Llyn Teifi topped up and help the river below. Every twist and turn on the short stretch that I walked looked like it would yield a silver beauty and then, as always, I had to think about work.
The River Teifi at Lampeter
Because of the state of our rivers through lack of rainfall, I have done next to no fishing, and yet, after the frustration fades, it is apparent that I AM doing a bit of thinking on the subjects of fishing, family and career - well I call it thinking anyway - some would argue that I should do more of that about other stuff too!
So, this is what I think. I think that I must utilise the gift of Wales-On-The-Doorstep and not just sit on the Somerset Levels dreaming of Scotland. I think that I should pack my 9ft #5 weight whenever I go there. I think that I should take Vicky and Harry across the great divide on a regular, nothing-to-do-with-work basis, so that they too can enjoy the likes of Cadir Idris, Snowdon, Brenig, Llangollen and the wealth of wonderful places, mountains, rivers and castles that Wales has to offer.
I think I am Wales’s new best friend.
Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod
............................................................................My hovercraft is full of eels.
