Y Tywyddiadur

Thursday, June 9 1881. The morning was fine, but cold after the rain. We were awoke [sic] by shouting and dogs barking on the hills, which we soon discovered to be caused by a raid of the shepherds after foxes, and we received information that one fox had past our camp close to the Lake – what with the shouting, dogs barking and cuckoos in the morning, we had some nice music! I began fishing about 4.30 and had the very bad luck to lose a nice trout over a lb near the weeds, the fish simply jumped itself off. I had one or two others. We were back to breakfast at 7.30, and had a plunge in the lake [Gloywlyn] before. The trout we had for breakfast was simply perfection, we had boiled eggs, fried bacon and hot cocoa – the latter tinned in a paste we found most excellent and useful, and I shall never go again without it on another camping out expedition. Godsal determined to climb up to Llyn Dhu [sic. Llyn Du] and spend the morning there and return at lunchtime, and certainly Glowlyn [sic.] did not look lively, as the breeze was nil, and the trout seem to have a strong pertinacity of rising just out of reach or well in the middle – how did I long for a boat! in Godsal`s absence I did little good, though I rose one are two good fish, but I found them very shy and difficult to hook; Godsal returned from Llyn Dhu with six trout, as ugly and lean as they generally are. We discussed a comfortable lunch [sic], and as the afternoon was fine and bright we determined to make an expedition to Llyn Pigfydd [sic. ?Perfedd] (the Lake of worms?) and Llyn Twr Glas (the Green Lake) and we started off at 3:30. We had but few landmarks to direct us on our way, as the hills round about are all of that rugged, heathery aspect, and it is a most difficult country to explore. We found Llyn Morgwynion [sic. Morynion] (the Maidens Lake) with little difficulty, and then we struck off to Llyn Pryfydd [sic. pryfed? (Ydi Edwards yn drysu rhwng Llyn Perfedd a Llyn Pryfed?)]. There are no fish, or there are said to be none, in Llyn Morgwynion [sic]. Fortunately we found a detachment of the fox hunting expedition on our ramble, and they told us our way and we found it a stiffer claim than we expected. The view from the summit of the hill was magnificent, westward, Cwm Bychan nestled in a hollow with Carnarvon Bay beyond - Northward, Snowdon and all the Carnarvon hills. Eastward. Trawsfynydd, where we could plainly discern the new railway and station in course of construction, and Festiniog with its quarries - southward, the whole range of Cader and the hills about Dolgellau. 

It took us exactly an hour to reach Llyn Pryfydd from Glowlyn, and what a curious aspect this lake presented! a long narrow lake with steep precipitous shores composed of rocks and heather and by no means easy to fish from. The Lake appeared deep, except in some places and the water was of a peculiar dirty green colour, very similar to seawater discoloured by sand. Godsal and I each took a respective side of the lake, and we had hardly commenced fishing when we were startled by a shout, which proceeded from a man "ottering" [tynnu `styllen; otterboard] in the most calm and collected way. As the man was on Godsal`s side, I shouted to him that I would come round and help him intercept the man, but I was somewhat delayed in doing so, by catching rather a nice trout of 1/2lb. The man, on being interrogated by G, professed not to understand English, but at all events he knew enough to slip away before I came round, with only a couple of trout as we discovered. G. now went off to Llyn Twr Glas, a lake close to Llyn Pryfydd, and in the shape of a half moon. I started with him but on my way discovered that I had dropped the trout I had caught in Llyn Pryfydd, so I determined to return and hunt for it with the aid of "Hide", as I knew pretty well where it was. Hide soon found it for me, and I then fished Llyn Pryfydd until G returned and hooked two nice trout, and caught three more, smaller and under 1/4lb. G did not give Llyn Twr Glas a fair trial, and we were afterwards informed that it holds good trout. It being nearly 6 o`clock we rested for half an hour before returning to Glowlyn, and we tracked our way back exactly as we had come and reached our camp rather in time [sic] for our evening meal. The evening did not look very promising for evening fishing as the moon was soon obscured by some ominous looking clouds, but nothing daunted I mounted a coachmen and reach my favourite trysting place near the weeds about 9 o`clock. I began badly by losing a fine trout - it must have been a large fish as it made a great rush and ran out full 10 yards of line and was off. I caught a nice fish of 3/4lb. and was in the act of playing another, when I had a great rush which was occasioned by two wild duck, which were in the act of settling on the water close to the point of my rod. You may be sure on seeing the ghost of my presence they soon altered their minds, and were off in the twilight in a twinkling of an eye. They came so close to me, that although it was rather dark, I could easily discern that they were duck and drake! I returned to camp, thoroughly mortified at the loss of my big fish. The coachman was the evening allure, and it is a serviceable fly for evening fishing at Glowlyn. G had one trout also. We turned in after some hot grog thoroughly tired; and it did not take much to rock us to sleep.
The trout killed were as follows: –
Glowlyn CME Trout 7 Olive dun. Alder, Grouse & Orange
FWG trout one.
Llyn Dhu FWG Trout 6.
Llyn Pryfydd CME Trout 4
Llyn Twr Glas 0
I ought to have mentioned that Evan Richards of Penrhos visited us about midday accompanied by another man, and offered us his services on saturday [sic] to convey our baggage down. He was returning from the Fox hunt, and of course was most communicative. Of course we accepted his services