From the lowest points of the Afan river, the trout make their final journey upstream to mate, and to give their young the best start in a treacherous life. For 10 miles up the valley they will swim, unrelenting against the flow of the water, and undeterred against the numerous obstacles in their way; stone dams, grates, tempting hooks, they must ignore these challenges to make it safely to the shallow ponds of the upper valley. True, the local angling society has done everything in their power to prevent them from making their journey, negotiating the rights to the river itself to keep those outside their prestigious ranks at bay, and to build fortifications to keep the trout in one place. But nature always finds a way to outwit greedy individuals, and the annual upstream struggle of these fish continues.

This photo was taken on an upstream journey of my own, trekking the 8 miles or so up the valley from Port Talbot to Cymmer Afan. After almost two years since the last time, and with a bit of weight put on since that time, I wanted to see if I could still manage the walk. As another, more famous German Shepherd once sang, "you can't keep a good dog down"!

Hope you enjoy!