Living in the West Midlands, the Elan Valley network of lakes and streams has been something of an elephant in the room since I first visited there as a flyfishing teenager and salivated over its potential. Many other venues seem to have got in the way over the years but now I've taken the plunge and booked a cottage there for a week next May. But the place continues to worry me.
The local streams, the Wye, Elan, Claerwen, seem promising and straightforward enough challenges, but the reservoirs -- from memory and now looking online, look very inaccessable. Barbed wire fences everywhere, steep, narrow, rocky and dangerous-looking banks pitching seemingly into impossibly deep water. Then there's the absence of anglers, of boats, and of much practical information or anecdotal info from fishers who go there. Searching this forum, others seem to have come up against the same 'dam' wall. Help anybody!

I fish the elan valley a fair bit each season. I know how daunting it is on your first few outings. Tackle wise 9 1/2 ft or 10ft # 6 rod is fine. Leader no more than 5lb required. Most of my fishing is done on a floating line. I usually fish 2 - 3 small traditional flies but also have the option of buzzers and terestrials. You can catch fish anywhere but my favourite places are,

1)Craig Goch (the top dam) at the far end this has some very nice fish and not too bad to wade. The walking is ok if the dam is down a couple of foot. The far side of Craig Goch is also very good. Be prepared to walk and try not to spend too much time in one spot if you're not catching.
2)Another place i like to fish is the top far bank of Garreg ddu (second res) known as tynllidiart. Go past the viaduct over the hump back bridge through the gate on the left just after and along the track. This is a lovely place to fish.
3)If you stand on the viaduct facing the church and look to the right that bank is very good if the water is low enough to alow casting (its heavily treelined). It is a bit steep in places. The bay to the right of this bank is called 'shelley's bay' as the ruins of a house the poet lived in for a short time can still be seen.
4)The far bank of pen-y-gerreg is also a good place.
5)The far bank of Caban Coch which has no road is a good place in low water.
6)Also if you go over the viaduct and follow the road to the left carry on until you reach and old saw mill down on the left. This can be a good spot.

Claerwen is a very nice place to fish. I like to go on the non road side walk up to the bay at the far end and spend the day fishing back. These are all wild fish and a fish of 1lb is a monster in here. If you don't want to walk be prepared to wreck your car if you don't have a 4x4 and fish the bays on the road side. The claerwen river from the dam is very difficult to fish with fly as its so deep and has a strong flow and is heavily treelined in most places. I usually fish it with worm or spinner.

The river elan and wye hold a good head of grayling and wild browns but are also stocked with browns. I have had grayling to 2lb.

Hope this helps you.

Good description Zulu, never fished it drove around hundreds of times.

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Just the sort of 'hands-on' info I'd hoped for. Many thanks. If you care to turn your knowledge into a book, I'd be on the shortlist for a copy...if reasonably priced!

No problem. May is a great time to fish the dams. Following a cold winter the fish take a bit of time to switch on to surface food and May is about the start. The trout are usually hungry at this time of year and if you can cover a rise theres a very good chance the fish will take. Make sure you don't just restrict yourself to the places i've mentioned. If the wind is strong and in the wrong direction for your casting arm you may want to try somewhere else. As you drive round you'll see lots of more suitable areas.

All the best.

Clywedog a lot closer and the dogs dangles

TT

Thanks again Zulu. I know what you mean about battling the wind on some of these upland waters. Is it me or has this year been exceptionally windy? I tried a few gorgeous mountain lakes behind Harlech in June this year but it felt like March most days. I was nearly blown off and came home early, but wouldn't have missed the trip... marvellous places. Feel free by the way to mention any other likely spots around Elan which come to mind, then maybe I'll write the book!