LAST week, I was trained in the art of improving our customers experience at Llyn Brenig, writes seasonal ranger JIM JENKINS.

So, therefore, when you visit Llyn Brenig in the future you will be the recipient of a first class customer service.

Well... that’s the idea, anyway!

The customer experience might be guaranteed, but we can’t guarantee the weather which has left a lot to be desired this past week.

With some strong and gusty winds and some heavy showers it has been, at times, more akin to the autumn.

However, just as you are decrying the state of our British climate, the sun will burst through the clouds and you are left wondering why you were ever complaining.

This has been a very familiar story throughout the summer, with comments such as the one from Mr Roberts from Bangor when he wrote: "A good day apart from the strong winds."

That's a common occurrence.

However, despite the wind being an inhibiting factor when trying to fish, the Brenig continues to produce an excellent day’s fishing experience.

There are always areas around the lake where you can escape from the worst effects of the wind.

Last week, due to a predominantly south westerly wind, a lot of bank fishing took place in sailing club bay and water sports bay.

Boat fishermen are usually protected by the dam wall and are able to fish Tower Bay fairly comfortably.

Even though the fishing season is starting to draw to a close, the quality of the fish has remained consistently good throughout and as such, congratulations should go to the fish farmers Jack and Stef.

It isn’t an easy task to maintain such good quality fish throughout the season and there can be a drop off in the quality of the fish at some point.

This hasn’t taken place this year and it has to be put down to good stock management.

We only have to look at the top fish of the week to realise this, with Peter Morris, from Ellesmere Port, catching the biggest fish of the week, which was recorded at a whopping 5lbs.

Again, the biggest bag of the week, which was caught by Mr Waslander from Bont Newydd, weighed in at a really impressive 20lbs.

The top flies were much the same as the previous week with the exception that the heather fly is now starting to make an appearance. The top flies include daddy long legs, orange fritz, diawl bach, cat’s whiskers, damsel, coral booby, sedge, black nymph and various other blobs and boobies.

The hot spots for the boats have been Tower Bay, the dam wall, and along Hafod Lom.

Bank fishermen have had success in sailing club bay, watersports bay, the visitors' centre shore and Tower Bay.

Although the season still has quite a long way to go before it ends, it is incumbent on us to look to the winter season fishing.

There will be no boats on the water after November until the season resumes again in March.

Fly fishing will take place from the bank from November until March with a three-fish kill at a cost of £12.

This will also apply to Llyn Alwen.

There will be a pike month from November 1-30, when pike fishing can take place from a boat.

However, pike fishing can also take place from the bank from November 30 until the end of February.

Pike fishermen will need to book and they will be allocated a peg for the day.

The cost of a permit for pike fishing will be £20.

Try the Fly will be coming up on September 7 at a cost of £15 for the day.

Once again, it is important to book.

The Brenig ospreys are still here but they will shortly be making their amazing journey back to Africa, a distance of over 4,000 miles. They are indeed the intrepid fishermen of the air, recognising no frontiers, beholden to no government, the outlaw of the sky.

We do seem to be obsessed these days with tracking and identifying everything and labelling anything that moves, even these kings of the sky have been claimed by man.

Long may they escape man’s talons and fly free.

Tight Lines.