© The Journal of The Grayling Society Volume 27 - Number 5 • Summer 2017 &2&+<%21''8%22.6&2&+ < %21''8%22. © CONTENTS Machynlleth,Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8DG Tel:Teel: 01654 702837 www.anglebooks.comwww.anglebooks.com [email protected] The Official Journal of The Grayling Society )/,(6)25*5$</,1*E\6WHYH6NXFH)/,(6)25 *5$$<</,1*E\ 6WHYH6NXFH Editorial Bob Male 2 ,QFOXGHVJUD\OLQJÀ\SDWWHUQVQ\PSKVGU\ÀLHVDQGZHWÀLHV,QFOXGHV JJUUDD\\OLQJ À\ SDDWWWWWHUQV QQ\\PPSSKVGUU\\ÀLHVDQG ZHWÀLHV ISSN 1476-0061 ³%HDXWLIXOO\SURGXFHGDQGH[FHOOHQWYDOXHIRUPRQH\7KHSKRWRV³%HDXWLIIXXOO\SURGXFHGDQG H[FHOOHQWYDOXHIIRRU PRQH\ 7KH SKRWRV Free to all our Members in - 2017 Symposium 5 RIWKHÀLHVDQGWKHW\LQJLQVWUXFWLRQVDUHH[WUHPHO\FOHDU,WLVRIWKH ÀLHV DQG WKH WW\\LQJLQVWUXFWLRQVDUH H[WUHPHO\FOHDU,W LV Australia Lithuania DERRN,ZRXOGKHDUWLO\FRPPHQGWRDQ\JUD\OLQJ¿VKHUDQGLVDERRN, ZRXOGKHDUWLO\ FRPPHQGWR DQQ\\ JUD\OLQJ¿VKHUDQG LV Austria Luxembourg VXUHO\GHVWLQHGIRUFODVVLFVWDWXV´ .HLWK+DUZRRG VXUHO\GHVWLQHGIIRRU FODVVLFVWDDWWXV´ .HLWK +DUZRRG Belgium Netherlands 2017 Auction Lots 10 Canada New Zealand FirstFirst edition hardback - signed by thethe authorauthor.author. Price £19.95 China Norway Czech Republic Poland Grayling Society Area Reports 13 Denmark Portugal Eire Scotland FLYFISHINGFLLYFISHINGYFISHING THETHE WELSH BORDERLANDS England Slovenia Area 6 Dee Day - in search of “spotties” John Walker 18 by Roger Smith Finland Sweden France Switzerland (YHU\WKLQJ(YHU\WKLQJ \RX\RX FRXOGFRXOG ZLVKZLVK WRWR NQRZNQRZ DERXWDDEERXW WKHWKH ULYHUVULYHUV RIRI WKHWKH Germany U. S. A. 21 :HOVK%RUGHUODQGV'HH6HYHUQ:\HDQG8VNDQGWKHLUPDQ\::HHOVK%RUGHUODQGV 'HH6HYHUQ ::\\HDQG 8VN DQG WKHLUPDQQ\\ Italy Wales Poet’s Corner / Crossword GHOLJKWIXOEURRNVDQGVWUHDPV7KHHFRORJ\RIWKHULYHUVWKHLUGHOLJKWIIXXOEURRNVDQG VWUHDPV7KH HFRORJ\RI WKH ULYHUVWKHLU Isle of Man KLVWRU\DQGWKHERRNVWKDWKDYHEHHQZULWWHQDERXWWKHPIDPRXVKLVWRU\DQG WKH ERRNV WKDW KDDYYHEHHQ ZULWWHQ DERXW WKHP IIDDPRXV Editor - Bob Male The Educated Grayling Karl Humphries 22 DQJOHUVRIWKH%RUGHUODQGVWKHLUÀ\SDWWHUQVDQGWHFKQLTXHVDQJOHUVRI WKH %RUGHUODQGVWKHLUÀ\ SDWWHUQV DQG WHFKQLTXHV Telephone: 01722 503939 e-mail: [email protected] 33DSHUEDFNZLWKÀDSV3ULFH DSHUEDFNZLWK ÀDSV 3ULFH Reminiscences of Grayling 2016 Stanislaw Cios 26 Signed limited edition hardback. Price £50.00 Advertising - Rod Calbrade Subscriptions per annum: Full £28.00, Joint £47.00 Personal Bests Baz Reece 29 FLYFLLYY FISHING OUTSIDEOUTSID THE BOX: EMERGING Senior (over 70) £22.00 HERESIES by Peter Hayes Junior (under 16) £5.00 Details available from the Officers of the Society 34 “This“This brilliantbrilliant bookbook challengeschallenges assumptions, shows why Membership Secretary PDQ\WLPHZRUQSUDFWLFHVQHHGWREHUHWKRXJKWDQGSURYLGHVPDQ\WLPH ZRUQ SUDFWLFHV QHHGWR EH UHWKRXJKW DQG SURYLGHV Dyfan Morris 58 Ffordd Estyn, Garden Village parameters for new action, all based on logic and a raft of Wrexham LL11 2TB Tel: 01978 310790 Mob: 07939 814081 FRPPRQVHQVH´ 7LPRWK\%HQQ FRPPRQVHQVH´ 7LPRWK\ %HQQ Email:[email protected] FFirstirst editionedition hardbackhardback - signed- signed by bythe theauthorauthor. author. PricePrice £25.00£25.00 Design and Production Peter Silk Design e-mail: [email protected] THE NORTHNORRTHTH COUNTRYCOUCOUNTRUNTRRYY FLFLYLYY by Robert L Smith Society Web Site www.graylingsociety.net %HDXWLIXOO\%HDXXWWLIIXXOO\ LOOXVWUDWHGLOOXVWUDWHG ZLWKZLWK H[DPSOHVH[DPPSSOHV RIRI DFWXDODFWXDO ÀLHVÀLHV DQGDQG © The Grayling Society, 2017 The copyright of all material in this edition of ‘Grayling’ remains with the Authors, or the mmaterials,aterials, andand with images from the original manuscripts, this Printed by Cambrian Printers Grayling Society, and may not be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the EERRNWHOOVWKHGH¿QLWLYHVWRU\RIWKH1RUWK&RXQWU\À\RRNWHOOVWKH GH¿QLWLYHVWRU\RI WKH 1RUWK&RXQWU\ À\ Aberystwyth SY23 3TN copyright holders written permission. The Grayling Society and members of the Executive Committee accept no responsibility for the accuracy of any article or advertisement herein and no guarantee is given for any product or service being offered. Contributions, including ³³$VKHHUMR\WRUHDGVWDQGLQJKHDGDQGVKRXOGHUVDERYHDOO$VKHHUMR\ WR UHDGVWDQGLQJ KHDGDQG VKRXOGHUVDERYHDOO Cover Illustration photographs or illustrations are always welcome, but the Society assumes no responsibility RWKHUVRQWKHVXEMHFWRIVRIWKDFNOHGÀLHV´ 3DXO3URFWHU RWKHUVRQ WKH VXXEEEMMHFW RI VRIIWWKDFNOHGÀLHV´ 3DXO 3URFWHU Summer Carrier for the safety of contributions, although all reasonable care will be taken. Views expressed Photo: Bob Male by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Grayling Society. All enquiries FirstFirst edition hardback - signed by the authorauthor.. Price £25.00 about articles in ‘Grayling’ should be addressed to the Editor. MastercardMasterrcarcarrdd / VisaVisa / PaypalP UK POSTAGEPOSTTAGEAGEAGE EXTRAEXT UP TOTO A MAXIMUM OF £5 Grayling – Summer 2017 1 the North Atlantic". That was an attitude that flies. Taking a leaf from the books of our good endeared him to both sides of the issue, and was friends in the Wild Trout Trust and the STCUK, Editorial Bob Male the basis for his great success in helping to we are announcing the lots and their contents in close down damaging commercial net fisheries advance. Members can bid by post or on line as throughout the Northern Hemisphere. well as at the Dinner, and you will find a list of I must begin on a sad note, and record the Amongst his many honours, Orri was made a the lots so far donated in this edition. Contact passing of Willem Ridderbeks, one of the Society’s Vice President of the Salmon & Trout Association Pat Stevens to make your bids; his contact long-standing members. Past President Steve Ashbourne 2004, Coniston Cold 2005 and both (as we were then called) in the 1990s. details are with the lots list. Skuce has remembered him: of the latest ones in the South of England. If anyone would like to donate an auction lot, be They attended the Symposium last year when Orri was currently helping members of the it tackle, flies or fishing, there is still time, and once Willem Ridderbeks they stayed on for a few days afterwards and I England Fisheries Group on the Environment again, Pat Stevens is the man to contact. Many had the immense pleasure of fishing with them Agency’s 5-point recovery action for salmon, thanks to all who donate to this very good cause. again, feeding them, chewing the cud and even especially over the Northeast English coastal visiting London for a lecture on fish smartness at nets. He will be very sadly missed by all of us in Speaking of Pat, there are changes at FlyTek. the Royal Zoological Society. We all had a great the working group, as he will be by the host of The website is up and running, in case anyone time fishing the Wylye and Test and lots of fun other fisheries people with whom he came into has not noticed, and some of the contact details on our trip to the Smoke. contact around the world. Our thoughts are are new – please see the advert in this edition. with his widow, Unna, and the rest of his family. Pat plans to be involved in the business for In fact, you always had ‘lots of fun’ when with some time yet, and FlyTek will continue to be a Will and Han. The two of them were so inseparable 2017 Symposium corporate member of the Society. We wish him that you wondered sometimes if they were On a happier note, the plans for the next AGM and FlyTek the very best for the future. joined at the hip! Will was only 55 and is a and Symposium are well underway, and a second massive loss to the Society and to the world. copy of the Booking form is included in this edition Keeping in touch He was a great fisherman, wine connoisseur, of Grayling . If you haven’t yet booked, make the You may well have noticed Kris Kent’s stalwart food gourmand and exceptional friend and decision and come along to North Wales for a figure gracing the cover of Total Flyfisher possessed that lovely sense of laid back dry great weekend of fishing, food and craic. magazine. Kris’s articles and advice are becoming humour that many Dutchmen seem to possess. The Annual Dinner has always ended with an a regular feature in the magazine, with Han will miss him. I will miss him. The world auction in support of the Grayling Research additional information about the Society from will miss him. Trust, and this year’s will also do so, but with a Steve Skuce. This is part of our strategy to reach And his friends in the Society will miss him too. couple of differences. out to possible new members, and to keep our I have, sadly, to inform you that one of our Our thoughts go to his family and friends. We are concentrating on the kind of lots that present members informed and perhaps dearest Dutch members, Willem Ridderbeks, has Steve Skuce have generated most interest (and most value) entertained! Our Facebook page is growing and died suddenly. in the past, especially fishing days and speciality being used more often, and several Areas now In early April his inseparable buddy Johan Orri Vigfusson Engelen was in touch with me explaining that Many members who fish for grayling also fish for Will, who was a other species, or at least know and respect those Notice of Annual General Meeting dedicated and who do so. It is with great sadness that we must talented veterinary report another death, that of Orri Vigfusson. Orri of The Grayling Society surgeon, died from a was a great champion of the Atlantic salmon, and The 41st Annual General Meeting of The Grayling Society will be held at heart attack whilst a tireless campaigner for the preservation of that 4.00pm on Saturday the 21st October 2017, at the Ramada Plaza, Wrexham doing what he liked great fish. I will quote briefly from the Salmon and best - helping a Trout Conservation UK release : Please note the following: in person, no later than 12 noon on Saturday cow to give birth to 21st October 2017. All at Salmon & Trout Conservation are very 1. Most of the Committee Members are due her calf. Please indicate for which position you wish to saddened to hear that Orri Vigfusson has passed for re-election at the AGM.