ELAN LAKES— WILD SOUTH WALES 



fight. For the Wye, now so valuable, is rigorously 

 watched. In some parts of Wales trout-poaching by 

 net, line, and even dynamite is, or was, persistent, 

 particularly in the country of the slate quarries. But 

 the Rhayader poacher I don't think takes risks on trout. 

 The Elan lakes are from their nature proof against 

 profitable poaching on the sly, and are the creations 

 of private enterprise, not of the Almighty. Further- 

 more, the trout interests of all kinds are very strong 

 in Rhayader among the local folk, who are often keen 

 anglers, and there are several miles of free fishing on 

 the Wye, with some salmon catches on it. But the 

 really fine salmon-fishing for which the Wye, since 

 the nets were restricted, is now again becoming famous, 

 really commences a little below Rhayader, and it 

 doesn't concern us here. 



By the same token the trout-fishing, which is pretty 

 good in places from here to the source of the river, 

 only extends, in any sense worth mentioning, for a few 

 miles below. This is not because the river changes 

 in character. It would be difficult to conceive a 

 more beautiful, buoyant, lovely looking water than the 

 Wye from here all the way to Glasbury. Forty years 

 ago fine baskets of trout could be killed anywhere. 

 But whether it is the depredations of the pike, which 

 have pushed up nearly to Rhayader, or the crowding 

 of the chub, which are terribly prevalent a little 

 below, no one seems to know. But in any case suc- 

 cessful fly fishing for trout has ceased to be an item 

 below Doldowlod or Newbridge, and I do not suppose 

 the increased number of salmon fry in the river much 

 helps matters. Nice baskets of three-to-the-pound 



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