0:00:07 > 0:00:09You might think that this is a Canadian forest.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12The African savannah...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..the Scottish mountains...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19..but this is my adopted home, Wales,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21and the many countries within it.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23I've always been drawn to remote places
0:00:23 > 0:00:28around the world, but only recently I started questioning myself.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Why am I travelling to these far-flung parts of the world,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to look for authentic, intact communities
0:00:35 > 0:00:39when there are communities like that right on my doorstep?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Wales is home to less than 5%
0:00:42 > 0:00:47of the UK population, with most people concentrated in the south.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50And the sparsely inhabited countryside is exactly what
0:00:50 > 0:00:53attracted me to move here ten years ago.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57So I'm now travelling the lesser trodden areas of Wales with
0:00:57 > 0:00:59my best Welsh friend, Teg,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03to discover how its landscapes are being shaped and how they are
0:01:03 > 0:01:05shaping its people.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07- Shwmai!- Shwmai!
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Last time, we joined in on a deer cull.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I know from a conservation point of view it's absolutely necessary.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We lost cattle in a Welsh summer mist.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Yeah, they're back on the road now, Will, I think. No, they're not.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And I foraged for ingredients to make gin.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26I just need a clinky glass and a slice of lemon and I'm away.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Right, I'll see you, Pete.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31This is Wales, Off The Beaten Track.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Of course, I may only be accepted in these communities
0:01:34 > 0:01:37because I've got the right nationality of dog.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45This week, our journey starts in Mid Wales, in the open wilderness
0:01:45 > 0:01:48of the Cambrian mountains, at Ty Mawr Farm.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51These rolling hills have helped provide and sustain the
0:01:51 > 0:01:53country since medieval times.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Sheep farmer, Delyth Morris-Jones, is the current custodian.
0:01:59 > 0:02:05She works this land with the help of her son, Dafydd,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07looking after a flock of 500 sheep,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12the descendants of ones bred on these hills back in the 19th century.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19Delyth's family rented this farm for generations, until her father
0:02:19 > 0:02:21bought it in 1942.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25But 21st-century Wales is more challenging.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I think if you took me from the farm, it would be like
0:02:29 > 0:02:31taking fish out of water.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34It's because generations have been here before.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39- Yeah.- Dafydd is the fourth generation on the farm and,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43therefore, when you walk around, you see past generations' work,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46walls that they built, work that they did.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And, therefore, you feel as if you're just part of that ongoing process.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51Yeah.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57And because I've inherited the farm, I feel it's a place that it's
0:02:57 > 0:03:02there for me to pass on again and it's not an asset to sell.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Yeah. So many things have changed, you know,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10your father being able to buy the farm and pay it off in
0:03:10 > 0:03:1620 years just from farming, that's no longer possible, you don't think?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19No. It would take two generations to buy a farm now.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Yeah, yeah.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24The cost of everything that you're buying has become far more
0:03:24 > 0:03:27than you are making yourself.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32The survival of the farm relies on the sales of sheep.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It's market day tomorrow, and Teg and her new friend, Morris,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39a fellow Welsh sheepdog, seem eager to gather them in.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Morris is very, very taken by Teg.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46While Dafydd and I head for the high ground,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Delyth covers the lower land.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Morris!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Oh, it's the most beautiful sight, isn't it?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It's good, isn't it?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Like magic. Good girl, Teg!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And the best thing is that we can take a back seat while Teg
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and Morris do all the work.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06Do you still think sometimes,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09"Gosh, it's a miracle that this is actually work"?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Yeah! They did that. I didn't say much and they did it!
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Yeah, they just did it!
0:04:15 > 0:04:20That dog is impressive, Kate, how did you do it?
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I did nothing at all. That's the main thing.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25If I try and give her instructions, she just looks at me
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and goes, "You don't really mean that, do you?"
0:04:27 > 0:04:29She's so impressive.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Morris and Teg seem very pleased with themselves.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39These days, Welsh hill speckled face sheep are a rare breed.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Back at the yard, I see why Delyth is so passionate about keeping
0:04:43 > 0:04:45them going.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Now, the first thing I would say is
0:04:48 > 0:04:52these are the most gorgeous-looking sheep.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Oh, thank you. You know what to say to the farmer!
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I know it always sounds a little bit frivolous,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but I don't think there's anything wrong in wanting beautiful sheep.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- They smile.- They do!
0:05:03 > 0:05:07These sheep smile and they've got their make-up on correctly.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- They have.- They've got their lipstick on correctly.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11We told them you were coming
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and they just thought they'd spruce themselves up a bit.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Let's just hope that all their beauty efforts will help them sell
0:05:17 > 0:05:19well at the market tomorrow.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26The following morning, we load the sheep onto the trailer...
0:05:29 > 0:05:33..and head to one of the last traditional livestock marts
0:05:33 > 0:05:34in the country.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The Devil's Bridge Market is a meeting hub for the farming community.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46Farming is quite a lonely job, and therefore this is a place where
0:05:46 > 0:05:50they can come to socialise and pass on information, too.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55But, for Delyth, this is also a weekly reality check.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59The price of her produce has not increased in 20 years.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02You've been crunching numbers.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Have you got a sense of what you might hope to get today?
0:06:05 > 0:06:09This lot here are coming in at somewhere around the £41, £40 mark.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- Yeah.- And then this lot here are slightly lighter...
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- Right.- ..so we'd be looking at somewhere around £36 for them.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19That's the price per sheep, based on their weight.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The disparity between what farmers get for the raw produce,
0:06:22 > 0:06:27if you like, and what we pay still seems to be enormous.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I've played around with just how much land costs on the internet,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33so you're talking about an average there of about £10 a kilo,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and we're coming here and talking around the £1.50 a kilo mark.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Yeah.- There's so many other people between us and the plate.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- Yes.- There are so many people between the field and the plate, unfortunately.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Yeah, and everyone does need to make a living, don't they?
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Everyone does need to make a living and we're at the bottom of the pile.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Delyth, now, I think, one, two, three, four, five...
0:06:53 > 0:06:55It's our turn to enter the ring.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Five male lambs for you, there we are, what are you going to say on these, then?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Who says what, where are we?
0:07:00 > 0:07:05£30 to start them, then, £25 everywhere, £6,
0:07:05 > 0:07:087, 27, 27,
0:07:08 > 0:07:1127, 27 at £27, 27 and a half...
0:07:11 > 0:07:17Delyth is looking for £36 a head. All I can do is cross my fingers.
0:07:17 > 0:07:2228 and a half, are you all done, then, at 28 and a half?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Did you say 38?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26That's fine!
0:07:26 > 0:07:3028 and a half they go, 28 and a half.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34That was quite a lot less than Delyth was hoping for.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37These next ones are the heavier ones.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39She's hoping to get 41 for these.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Here we are, give me 35.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Bid £35, 35, 35, 35, 35,
0:07:47 > 0:07:5435, at 35, good fresh lamb at 35 all out in the ring, then, that's £35.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Can't we have a little bit more?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- Ooh!- You've got two ladies in the ring.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02You've got to split it two ways, do you?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06I've got to split it today. We need more than that!
0:08:06 > 0:08:07At 35.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10They've got to be worth 37! Come on, gents!
0:08:10 > 0:08:15At 35 and a half, up by half, 6, 36, 36 and a half.
0:08:15 > 0:08:1936 and a half, all done, then, 36 and a half.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22He helped you again, Delyth.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23Thank you, Daniel.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Good pal.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Wasn't a great price, then.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Wasn't a good price at all,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32quite a lot lower than we anticipated before going in.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Yeah.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37It just feels so wrong and so heart-breaking knowing the work
0:08:37 > 0:08:40that you and Dafydd put into those sheep to get, you know,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43what was it, 30, 36 and a half they got?
0:08:43 > 0:08:47- Yeah.- Per sheep. £36.50.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53And you always feel a bit of a sort of let down in the ring because you
0:08:53 > 0:08:56come from home and you've done your best for them and you bring them
0:08:56 > 0:08:59here and you've got a price in your head and then you don't get there.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Yeah.- Sometimes, perhaps, it's best not having a price in your head.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Yeah, maybe, maybe. They're still the nicest sheep here, I think.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- They were smiling.- They were.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Thank you for your help, Kate.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I don't think I helped at all!
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Oh, it certainly did.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Farmers like Delyth are constantly trying to strike a balance
0:09:22 > 0:09:25between financial challenges and land management.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29As we venture deeper into the largely unpopulated Cambrian
0:09:29 > 0:09:33mountains, I discover that life here also offers some
0:09:33 > 0:09:37spectacular rewards in the shape of the night sky.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50I meet with Les and Kris Fry, two amateur astronomers who left
0:09:50 > 0:09:55Bournemouth for Mid Wales to roam the countryside in search of
0:09:55 > 0:09:57the best spots to contemplate the stars.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02What you're looking at is quite a magnified view of the moon.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I mean, you can actually see the craters.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I don't think you can ever, ever get bored of looking at the moon,
0:10:08 > 0:10:09- can you?- No.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12And is there a man in it, and is it made of cheese?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Well, if it was, he'd be eating it!
0:10:17 > 0:10:21How many of us are guilty of forgetting to look up, letting
0:10:21 > 0:10:24our eyes adjust to the darkness and contemplating the universe
0:10:24 > 0:10:26around us?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Well, as I discover this night, the Welsh countryside is one of
0:10:29 > 0:10:32the best places to do just that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38In Wales, we have the world's most protected percentage of dark skies.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- In the world?- In the world.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41- In Wales?- Yes, yes.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45- Really?- Yeah, we have three areas, and possibly the fourth has just
0:10:45 > 0:10:48come onboard now with the IDA status, yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49And IDA status is?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51International Dark Skies Association.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So it is an international accreditation?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- It is international, it is. - It's an international recognition.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00So, yeah, Wales should be proud of it, it is a world leader,
0:11:00 > 0:11:0418% of its landmass is under protected dark skies,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07so you can go outside, look up and go, "Wow."
0:11:07 > 0:11:09The one thing I can show off - well, I'm not really showing off,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13because I jolly well ought to know - but there is one constellation
0:11:13 > 0:11:17I know about which is up there, and it's known as The Plough, which
0:11:17 > 0:11:21I always think is slightly wrong. Because it should be The Saucepan.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I know that The Plough tells you where north is,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26but I'm not quite sure how.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Well, to the right-hand side...
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- Yeah.- ..of The Plough, there's two stars.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Yeah, slightly at a diagonal from each other?
0:11:32 > 0:11:33- Yeah, just going up.- Yeah.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36If you follow that up and slightly over to your right,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38you'll see another star, and that's the Pole Star.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41There? So that is the North Star?
0:11:41 > 0:11:42That's the North Star, yes.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46If you do time-lapse photography and set your camera up with that
0:11:46 > 0:11:50in the centre, that's how you get all your star trails going around.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Wow.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53But that star will always stay there, will it,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and the rest of the stars basically move around it?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- That's right. - In this rather wonderful dance.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Is there anything in the night sky at the moment worth people
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- coming out?- Well, at the moment, Saturn's still on view.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09OK. Wow me. Come on, Les!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Let's see what we can do!
0:12:12 > 0:12:14That's... It's like a flying saucer.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's one of the objects you can point out to
0:12:17 > 0:12:19somebody in the night sky, yep, that's the planet Saturn
0:12:19 > 0:12:22over there, and it just looks like a point of light.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Yeah. It's got that kind of... what I would call Mona Lisa status.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30It's so familiar, but when you see the real thing...
0:12:30 > 0:12:32With your own eyes.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34..with your own eyes, it is just extraordinary.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I mean, the Mona Lisa actually made me cry when I saw the real
0:12:37 > 0:12:42thing and this... I'm sort of close, I feel a little bit emotional.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44I'm very soppy.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49But is there a way of lighting up what we need to light up,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53you know, making people feel safe, making roads safe,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57that kind of thing, that still allows this magnificence?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Yeah, absolutely.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03It's not about we want all lights switched off, it's about controlling
0:13:03 > 0:13:06the light so the light is actually directed down where it needs to be.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Any light that's going out above the horizontal is just pure
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- wasted light, it's going up into space.- Right.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- That affects astronomers...- Yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16..from a personal point of view.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18It also affects wildlife, flora and fauna...
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Yeah.- ..so it's not purely astronomers.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24We've all got a 24-hour day-night rhythm built into us,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27so it makes sense, actually, for you to make the tiny little
0:13:27 > 0:13:29adjustment to actually angle the thing down.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35- End of problem.- And if everyone could just come out of their door and look up and see that...
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Yeah.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38..I mean, you'd smile.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40That's why you two are so smiley, isn't it?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I've got the secret now!
0:13:42 > 0:13:47You really have got stars in your eyes, it's amazing.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Well, thank you. What a treat to be here.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Glad to have you out here with us.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Can I just indulge in my favourite thing to do in a sky like this...
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Sorry...
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Let's do this.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Cos that's the best way.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Yeah, absolutely.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09No, Teg, you're in the way. No, Teg, you're blocking my view!
0:14:15 > 0:14:18As the day breaks, we reach roughly the midway point between
0:14:18 > 0:14:24north and south Wales, entering the historic market town of Rhayader.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31In an age of national chain outlets on the high streets, I'm drawn
0:14:31 > 0:14:33to one of the oldest independent shops in town...
0:14:33 > 0:14:35The ironmongers,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40who have been supplying the residents with all sorts since 1895.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Fantastic shop!
0:14:42 > 0:14:43- Thank you.- Are you Tom?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- Tom, nice to meet you. - You must be Pauline.- Yes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48This is the sort of shop, my husband,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52if he walks past something that says "hardware" on, he can't resist it.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- It's a little treasure trove, isn't it?- Yes.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57How have you managed to keep going?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59We're fortunate that we're in a small community
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and we do get a lot of support from the locals,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03they love the old little shops.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And in the summer, tourism,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08it makes a big factor for us.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Tourism is very important to us.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11- Really?- Outdoor people.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- Right.- They seem to make a beeline for us.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Well, it does sell pretty much everything.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22You even have things to supply Harry Potter.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Yeah, we've got the wands in the back.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29I don't see any wizards popping in, but behind the counter,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33I discover there's a spell on the town to lure people into fishing.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Are these supposed to imitate something in real life?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41They are, yeah, they're all designed around an actual fly.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46Tom, I've never seen a fly like that in Wales, or indeed anywhere else.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I think you'd be hard-pushed to find a fly dressed like that for a carnival.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Well, these flies are very good for rainbow trout,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55which are originally from America.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Ah, so they like something a bit flashy.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Yeah, they do like it a bit flashy.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Oh, shall I do some... Can I help?
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Can I have that, please?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Rose clear ultra gun. I'm sure you can.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I'm still trying to sell beautiful... Look,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11don't you need one of those?
0:16:11 > 0:16:15No, I don't. Sorry!
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It's only been there for 300 years.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Thank you very much.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23There you are. I know you don't need a bag.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25No. Thank you very much.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- Thank you, bye.- Bye.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I feel a new career coming on, bit of selling hardware
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and a bit of fishing in the afternoon.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36It's a nice way to live.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I've done the selling, now Tom bravely volunteers to give me
0:16:41 > 0:16:45my very first fly fishing lesson on the River Elan, that runs
0:16:45 > 0:16:46along the family's smallholding.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Oh, it's beautiful, look at this!
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Yeah, really nice.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Wow!
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Right.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00So I think before we get down there and do some fishing, I should give you a quick casting lesson.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- I think that's a very sensible idea. - Yeah, let's do that. Let's have a go.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07We're going to do the scene from Ghost. OK?
0:17:07 > 0:17:09I was hoping you were going to say that!
0:17:09 > 0:17:14- Right, OK, so, nice and low to start.- Yeah.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- OK, and then we're going to bring it back.- Yeah.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And as it gets to about there, you're going
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- to let it run through your hand.- OK.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23- OK, ready?- Yeah.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24- So, back there.- Yeah.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Out. Wait a second. Look at that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32It's amazing what you can do when you've got a ghost helping you.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Shall we give it a go?
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Yeah, why not?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Let's do it.- OK.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Normally, the river has a healthy population of wild brown trout,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46but with a certain ginger monster lurking in the water,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48we might end up going hungry this evening.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54So here we are, nice and slow, off you go.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Oh!- Oh!
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Where did that go?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01There, but it didn't go anywhere that I thought it was going to.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04This is really hard.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06It is a bit difficult, but it's all right.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08It's a lot easier on dry land.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Yeah, it is - the fly stays still, doesn't it?
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Yeah, it does!
0:18:11 > 0:18:14So, we just flick it around to start.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19OK. That's it, nice and slow. And again.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26Come on, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy. There's no fish, Tom.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They're here somewhere, I swear.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35See, my family have been in the Elan Valley for over 12 generations.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36Really?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Yeah, hundreds of years,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and we've been fishing the River Elan for as long as we can remember.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45My grandfather used to bring me down here as a kid,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and I've got great memories.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49And I hope to bring my son, Arthur, down here
0:18:49 > 0:18:52when he's a bit older and teach him to fish, too.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53I'm quite sure you will.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I'm going to get one good cast if it kills me.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- That was rubbish.- Oh, that's shocking.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07It doesn't take me long to understand why Tom is so
0:19:07 > 0:19:09passionate about fly fishing.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15To me, this is about finding a rhythm while immersed in an
0:19:15 > 0:19:19idyllic landscape with the power to soothingly wash away all the
0:19:19 > 0:19:21stresses and worries of life.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28The fish might not be biting, but I'm hooked.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Ah! It is intoxicating, isn't it?
0:19:31 > 0:19:35- Yeah.- Every time you bring the line back in, you think this could be it.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Got that bit of hope!
0:19:37 > 0:19:38This could be the time.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I came here last night and I did catch a couple of fish.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44- Did you?- I did, yeah.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I caught some lovely brown trout just in the pool over there,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and I came prepared.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Really?
0:19:50 > 0:19:52In the eventuality that we didn't catch any fish.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Part of me is delighted and part of me thinks, "Gosh, he really did have so little faith in me!"
0:19:56 > 0:20:00No! It can happen to the best of anglers, don't worry.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06So Tom introduces me to his catch and treats me to an al fresco dinner.
0:20:06 > 0:20:12And food cooked outside in the sunshine always tastes 100% better.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Definitely. It's the best way of doing it and you don't get much fresher than this.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21- No, exactly. No food miles, no refrigeration.- No.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Even the hardware only came from down the road.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- Exactly! Yes!- Yes.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26I'd say that's good to go.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I'd say that's absolutely good to go,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30mainly because I don't think I can wait any longer.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- No.- There you go, fisherman, you did the hard work.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Thank you very much. - Cheers.- Bon appetit.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44- Mm.- Mm.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Our next stop is a personal trip down memory lane.
0:20:55 > 0:21:02Two years ago, I discovered that Teg is a Welsh sheepdog, a rare breed we almost lost.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07We found 80 of them, but of the 80, 20 were too old to breed.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Extinction would have occurred in the next five years.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14For Teg to contribute to the future of the breed, she was assessed
0:21:14 > 0:21:16by the Welsh Sheepdog Society.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Oh, you all look quite intimidating.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- Morning, Kate, lovely to see you. - How are you, Ian?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25These farmers have spent the last 20
0:21:25 > 0:21:28years bringing this breed back from near extinction,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30so they have very high standards.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32We're both a bit nervous.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36To earn her credentials, Teg had to work in a way unique to this breed.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Tail up high, always on the move and never fixing her stare.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Steady.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Although Teg impressed the judges with her working style, sadly,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51she failed on her heritage, as her grandfather was a border collie.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58There was, however, a chance that if we bred from her, the pups
0:21:58 > 0:22:02may be able to be registered and contribute to the breed.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Enter the handsome Tango, a hardworking feral sheep-catcher,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09100% Welsh sheepdog.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12There's another potential husband.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Not Simon, obviously, he's married, I'm not... For Teg.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Tango, I mean.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23A few weeks later, Teg gave birth to a beautiful litter,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25four girls and a boy.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Cute as they were, we gave them away to working farms.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30That was 18 months ago.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40Now it's time to see if everything I put Teg through was worth it.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44The family is meeting up at the same farm Teg was assessed two years ago.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52Today is their very own judgment day. Meet Dolly...
0:22:52 > 0:22:54She's a big dog, isn't she?
0:22:54 > 0:22:55..Shaun...
0:22:57 > 0:23:00..and the aptly named Kate Humble!
0:23:01 > 0:23:05In the hope of gaining their registration, three out of Teg's
0:23:05 > 0:23:09five pups are here to be assessed by the Welsh Sheepdog Society.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Adeline Jones reminds me of what they are looking for.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14We are just looking at how they work, and whether they set,
0:23:14 > 0:23:15and whether they've got eye,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19and whether they are doing what their owner asks them to do.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21The set and the eye that you are talking about,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23those are the very collie traits, aren't they?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Those are the crouching and what we call the fixed eye,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29where they are staring at individual sheep.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And that's what you don't want to see.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33We don't want to see any of that.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36No, and we like to see their tails up.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42The moment of truth is here. The first to take the field is Dolly.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- This one takes after Dad, doesn't it?- Yep.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48She's a bit like a bull in a china shop.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It's not a great start, because after every move, she keeps
0:23:51 > 0:23:53coming back to her owner.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- Too much under control.- Yeah.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57You forget how scary you lot are.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I remember this day, two years ago.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I was absolutely terrified.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06That dog's all right, there's nothing wrong with that dog.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Here she goes, here she goes.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Oh, that's lovely.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Oh, no, don't go back.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17That dog has been working alongside a bike.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20That means that Dolly is used to following her owner alonside
0:24:20 > 0:24:25a quad bike, moving the sheep forward, instead of rounding them up.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27But you wouldn't mark a dog down?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30You wouldn't say that's not a Welsh dog?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- No.- Well, that's good to know.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Next, Simon Mogford brings in my namesake, Kate Humble.
0:24:37 > 0:24:43- Simon says she's a bit... mad as a box of frogs.- Headcase.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Keen, she is. That's what it is.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Keen, yeah, just like her mum was all those years ago.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Likes to split one, doesn't she?
0:24:53 > 0:24:57That's a trait.... That's Teg.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00That is definitely Teg genes in that, isn't there?
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Simon will sort that.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Teg tries to help by distracting the judges.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Hello, you, yes, I know.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- She says, "Oh, don't look at her, look at me!"- Yeah, I know!
0:25:14 > 0:25:17In the same way that the judges picked on Teg, they follow
0:25:17 > 0:25:19suit with the daughter.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24She isn't working, she's only having fun.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28But the key thing - is she having fun in a Welsh way?
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- Yes, I suppose so.- Yes!
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Well, that's good enough for me.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Last on the field is Shaun, the only boy of the litter and the
0:25:39 > 0:25:41heart throb.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Haven't you turned out to be a handsome boy?
0:25:43 > 0:25:45You were so round and fat.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50I must say, Tango's crossed that perfect.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52He has, hasn't he?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Because Welshes are held so much,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59you wouldn't think there was any border in them at all.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Steady now, that sounds like a compliment!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Shaun seems a bit distracted.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- He seems more interested in the thistles at the moment.- Hm.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14So the panel allows his mum, Teg, to show her son the ropes.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19OK, go on. No, Teg, come on! Well, there you are.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- You can assess her! - Show him how to do it!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24She's showing him how to do it, yeah.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28To my pride, the judges are wowed by her.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30She's improved since we seen her last, hasn't she?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Let her carry on, she's at them perfect.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Not only that, but guidance from Mum worked.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40This is like my happiest moment is standing here watching her work.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Proud granny!
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I am, I am, and look, he's doing all right now, isn't he?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47He's going now.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50He's starting to get his confidence now, isn't he? Yeah.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Yeah, there he is.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Teg's job is done.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Good girl, good girl.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Well done, showing your boy what to do.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Well done, Shauny.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08We nervously leave the judges deliberating for a moment,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10but it doesn't take long for the results.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13We've looked at your dogs today.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17On the basis that they don't show set and they don't show eye
0:27:17 > 0:27:22and they're seven eighths Welsh, that we've established as fact...
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Yeah.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26..we're happy to register and give green cards.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30At this stage, we feel that their training isn't advanced
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- enough to give them a breeding certificate.- OK.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36That...I don't think will be a problem, but
0:27:36 > 0:27:40they just need a bit more done with them to have the breeding licence.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45- Well, I'm delighted, thank you very, very much, indeed.- Well done.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49And well done, Teg and Tango. New Welsh line.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54That's really exciting, because it means that Teg, together with
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Tango, have done their little bit to keep the Welsh Sheepdog going.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Next time, I try my hand at trotting.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Oh, Matthew, I'm loving it - you're not having your horse back!
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I meet the aquatic rodents making a comeback in Wales.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Wow, that's fantastic!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17These are true Welsh beavers, born and bred.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And we take to the water to reach the end of our journey.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23With Kate, then, gentlemen. Make her look good.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Oh, come on, Kate!
0:28:25 > 0:28:27And dip. Good.