Dave Collins

Dave Collins started fishing as a lad in the 1950s catching roach and perch on the Derwent, and Trent and Mersey Canal. He began fly fishing for trout and sewin on the Ogmore, after moving to South Wales in the early 60s, at a time when the river frequently ran “bible black” from the mines in the three upstream valleys, and when tragic fish kills on Welsh rivers were more commonly a result of industrial rather than agricultural pollution.

Working for many years from the early 70s in the south-east of England, meant that pike, tench and carp fishing on local still-waters, and barbel fishing on the Kennet, were the staple diet but then fly fishing took over again, when fishing on the Wiltshire Avon.

Living in the Welsh Borders for the last 16 years, with the Wye and Usk Foundation’s wonderful fishing on his doorstep, and as Vice-Chairman of Gwent Angling Society, most of his time is now spent trout and grayling fishing. As a biologist, his interests in aquatic invertebrates, “fish food” and fly tying were inevitable, and his and other club members’ patterns can be found on the Gwent Angling Society website.

The club is delighted that our paper on angling promotion, presented to NRW and Visit Wales in 2018, provided the catalyst for “Fishing in Wales” and we continue actively to lobby for game-angling interests, and for angling recognition by Government in Wales.

We hope that our upcoming article on “Fish food on Welsh rivers” will interest a wider audience via the Fishing in Wales website. Tight lines and “Croeso i Pysgota yng Nghymru – Welcome to Fishing In Wales.