Just idly thumbing through an old Birmingham Anglers Association membership book from 1979.
How's this for a mouth-watering selection of 'fly-only' water available to members back then;

R. Arran; Dolau
R. Arrow; Ivington
R. Banwy; Foel, Llanfair Caereinion
R. Clun; Aston on Clun, Broadward, Jay Bridge, Leintwardine
R. Ithon; Llanbister, Penybont, Bryn-Thomas, Llanbadarn, Llanyre
R. Ledwyche; Tenbury
R. Monnow; Skenfrith
R. Onny; Cheney Longville, Craven Arms
R. Perry; Ryton X1 towns, Milford Mill
R. Roden; Lee Brockhurst
R. Vyrnwy, Dolanog, Meifod, Llanmynech
R. Wye, Doldowlod

Plus 145 other Venues on the Avon, Severn, Teme, Lugg and Thames among others.
And four stillwater trout venues...

All for the princeley sum of £7.00..

I wonder how much a season ticket on some of those trout rivers would cost nowadays!

Happy memories. That is where I started all those years ago. You are quite right there were some stunning stretches to be had. Ah well..........birdsnest

__________________
Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

what they got now always fancied fishing the clun and onny but couldn't find anything

__________________
i once went flyfishing and caught a 7 pound bluebottle

Yes, I remember that although my membership was more in the late 60s and early 70s.

I caught my best fly caught Wye trout from the BAA stretch at Symond's Yat (now I believe owned by Newport AA). It was rising in amongst the ranunculus beds above where the river boats go out from and weighed a shade under 2lbs.

When the BAA first got the Skenfrith water (I think it was called Garway Mill) it was not fly only and my mate had probably the biggest trout I've ever seen in the Monnow take a devon minnow there in the first few weeks of BAA management. It had to be every bit of 5lbs and it was lost at the net when a rusty hook on the mount gave way.

They also had a very nice little beat further up the Monnow at Clodock.

I suppose the BAA were to all round anglers then what the PAAS are now only a little less beset with police state rules and enforcement.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary