Today, I launch a ‘new page’ entitled “Land of my Fathers” which will record my attempt to ‘net’ as many counties in Wales as I can!

I have three in the bag…so just 19 to go.

Roll on March 3rd.

Defensive, negative…me?

Me, he (I) responded indignantly !

Believe me, I have tried.

I have sat in front of my MacBook Air and for hours, searching the internet in hope of a breakthrough find.

Regardless, I have walked the banks of so many streams in that flattest of counties called Bedfordshire, peering amongst weed, along tempting margins, wading occasionally as I like to do, looking for nymphal shucks, imago forms, and begging to see a swirl, a rise, or any evidence at all, of the presence of salmo truta.

I have spoken with countless fishers in said counties asking where and whether. And so many have given me tips, even though most were just over the Herts border!

Aarrghhh!

Merseyside…was once a part of Lancashire, so I should have set my sites on our Counties as established before 1997! But I didn’t. Malcolm Greenhalgh was adamant. There are no trout in Merseyside.

There is no doubt that there are probably brown trout in both counties, somewhere, but now I wish, dear reader, to refer you to the study and detail contained in ‘Freshwater fishes in Britain…the species and their distribution’, a work published by Harley Books, and compiled by several, in conjunction with the EA, and the Joint Nature Conservation Agency.

The distribution map on page 111, clearly shows the indigeneity of our native trout species…but look. Where is distribution of our fario wanting?

My goodness – Bedfordshire and Merseyside!

So now what am I going to do?

Got it! I am heading for the Severn Bridge

Wish me luck

Scan