138 



RADNORSHIRE. 



" Oh, sylvan Wye ! thou wanderer through the woody, 

 How often has my spirit turned to thee ! 

 Once again I see these hedgerows, hardly hedgerows now, 

 Little lines of sportive wood run wild ; these pastoral forriiSj 

 Green to the very door ; and wreaths of smoke, 

 ISent up in silence from among the trees. 

 "With some uncertain notice, as might seem 

 Of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, 

 ( 'r of some hermit's cave, where, by his lire, 

 The hermit sits alone." WORDSWORTH. 



This is a favourite county for the angling sportsman. It has 

 many waters of great repute among these the Wye stands predo- 

 minant. It rises from Plymlimmon ; and after a run of eighteen 

 miles, enters Radnorshire on the north-west. It forms the boundary 

 between this county and Breconshire, and at the village of Ryd- 

 spence is the line of separation between Radnorshire and Here- 

 fordshire. The most romantic route, connected with the angling 

 of the Wye, is in re-crossing the river from Chepstow to Newport, 

 near the Eorest of Dean. There is everything nere to gratify the 

 lover of fine scenery. 



The Ithon springs out of Montgomeryshire, and falls into the 

 Wye seven miles above the town of Biulth. This feeder has a run 

 of thirty miles. There are good trout in it, and fly-fishing can be 

 obtained without restriction in almost all its localities. 



There are likewise a number of smaller streams in this county, 

 in which there is fair fishing ; but the fish run small. The names 

 of these are the Homenjil, the Echo, the Marteg, the Clywedag, the 

 Arrow, and the Bach-wy. There is good rod-lishing in all these 

 waters, and on their banks are many spots of great rural loveliness 

 and beauty. 



The lakes of this county are Llyn Gicyn, near to Rhaider ; Llyn 

 Llayidm, about a mile in circumference, full of fine trout ; Llyn 

 Bychllin, near Pauiscastle ; Llyn Gwingy, on the borders of Car- 

 diganshire ; and Llyn Hardicell, in the vicinity of Old Radnor. 

 Trout, eels, perch, dace, pike, &c., are the standard commodities 

 in these collections of stiJl water. 



CARDIGANSHIRE. 



This is a good salmon and trout district. The principal rivers 

 are the Tyvy, the Rydal, the Istwith, the Towey (already men- 

 tioned), and the Claerwen. All these varied waters are open to 

 the angler, and he will find them, in the proper season, calculated 

 to furnish him with ample amusement. 



The salmon-leap on the Tyvy has been an object of interest for 

 many centuries. Michael Drayton sings of it 250 years ago : 



