Ewenny
Memories
I have a special love
for the river Ewenny, It's overall beauty and almost chalk
stream appearance always brings back memories for me.
I was most interested to read in the Glamorgan Gazette
recently of the large hole which appeared in the Pencoed
area of the river recently. Apparently, approximately
80% of the water disappeared into the hole. 
I
know this happens every year on the Alun so much so that
the lower Alun dries out completely in hot summers but
I've not heard of this happening on the Ewenny.
The lower Ewenny, especially below
Ty-Maen can be very deep and care should be taken when
wading this area. Heavy rain combined with high tides
enables the river to back-up at frightening speed. Lower
down stream in the area close to Ogmore Castle is one
of the few places where the true Mayfly (Ephemera danica)
can be found during the last week of May. The canalisation,
which has taken place upstream of the A48 road, has increased
the impetus of the run off so that in heavy rain the fields
around the village of Ewenny are now prone to flooding
previously unknown. Fortunately, a plan to canalise the
lower section has been abandoned. On the section below
Ochyr-draw is an area which can be very rewarding for
the angler who is interested in birds and other wildlife.
Tawny Owls hunt here and in 1987 I observed the now much
rarer Barn Owl hunting in daylight, something they only
do when they have young in the nest. Various types of
woodpeckers have been seen and in 1985 a pair of Hawfinches
raised a brood of three chicks. During the Summer of 2002,
whilst fly fishing here I became completely enthralled
by the beautiful song of a little bird which I later identified
as a Willow Warbler. Unfortunately, Cormorants also abound.
Mink are numerous and are more
of a problem on the Ewenny than on the Ogmore. Grass Snakes
live in this area and only last summer I saw one of about
5-foot long swim across the pool immediately below the
bridge crossing to Vervil Farm.
Autumn is my favourite season on
the Ewenny,and while on holiday in Tenerife earlier this
year my mind wandered back to the Ewenny. I thought of
the day when on the stretch near the dog kennels when
my line suddenly dipped, instantly the rod going up, meeting
the contact and kicking under the weight of a fish that
has taken deep.
After It's initial plunges, I work
the fish towards me, run my hand down the leader and click
the barbless hook out of the grayling's jaw. the fish
rights It's self in the cold water, pauses for a moment
and then with a flex of It's black and crimson dorsal
fin arrows off under a weed bed a yard or two away.
The sun dwindles into the far trees
and the mist which has been hanging over the river all
afternoon gathers Itself over the road to Cowbridge at
the lower end of the beat. I can just make out the traffic
going home for the sports' results and Saturday tea. In
this last light, the grayling have started to forage for
shrimp in the bottom gravel's and there is the chance
of a better fish from among the heavy specimens at the
head of the shoal. I check the leaded fly, then work out
a yard or two of line, side-casting under the low branches
opposite, the leader sets again on the mirror of the pool,
drifting slowly.........
I became interested in Grayling
when many years ago on a business trip to Addingham in
Yorkshire I had the opportunity to fish the river Wharfe.
They have been good to me and I bless the day that the
"club" decided to introduce then to the Ewenny.
They have saved poor seasons or
seasons cut short when unable to fish for trout and Sea
Trout for whatever reasons. Some trout fishermen loath
the Grayling as much as I love them, because they believe
that Grayling colonise the river at the expense of trout.
This has never been proved and is in my opinion unlikely,
as any stretch of water that contains a healthy stock
of Grayling invariably yields trout in excellent condition.
The trout as much as we admire him is a vicious natured
creature, and the "Lady of the stream," although
not very shy of the angler is very scared of the trout
and keeps well out of his way. This is underlined when
on a mild Winters day sport with Grayling is interrupted
by the trout coming on the feed for a spell.
Any day now I'll be digging out
my box of leaded nymphs and dusting off my number 3 weight
rod.
submitted by "Peter
Ross" Sept 2003
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