Hi Everyone hope your all well.

I finally managed to break my duck at catching reservoir trout on Saturday with a trip to Llyn Crafnant by catching two lovely brownies, the wind was blowing hard and I fished a dry in the foam.....!!!!

The problem is over the years I have had pretty good successes on rivers and streams but Llyn Crafnant was my first success on any kind on a reservoir...!!!

Today freshly spurned on by my success in Snowdonia I headed over to Bewl water for and evenings sport......the water was flat and the Trout (and roach) were really active splashy rises from the trout, bulging and even saw a few trout cruising, and lots of roach being chased about!!!!

But try as I might I could not get a trout.....had about 6 roach in quick succession the cruising trout would just ignore my fly (regardless of what I tried) I was fishing from the bank which I always do (can't afford the boat option!!!)

I usually fish with one or at a maximum two flies always seem to struggle with any more!!!

Please please please has anyone got any advice or suggestion or even fly patterns to try anything really to help me do better on reservoirs!!!!

Many Thanks

The Saintly One

I only really fish rivers, so am in no position to offer general advice as I find the whole 'reservoir thing' a bit of a black art... Or at least that's what I tell reservoir flyfishers to make them feel better about flogging the banks

In my particular case I find that a team of three wets, to include at the very least a diawl Bach seems to sort things out.... Of course there can be no absolutes.... But there had to be more than chucking dries at the fish.

I am sure someone with some real hard and fast knowledge will be able to help you along, I just thought I might illustrate that you are not alone

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Time is a stream I go fishing in.

Hello mate,

Did you try a cats whisker at all? It's one of my starting flies I always try at anywhere new and have been really successful with it. The fact hat the fish were chasing I think is a good sign for using a lure like a cat.

Try it on the point on an intermediate line and mix up the retrieve. Pull it fast, slow, short sharp tugs and try long draws of the line. Vary the depth until you get some interest. If you get tugs/knocks don't slow down the retrieve thinking it will give the fish a chance to grab it, do the opposite and speed up the retrieve. The fish thinks it is getting away and will generally hit it quite hard and you will connect up with it.

Hope this helps a bit. Tight lines!

Nick.

If the trout were chasing roach you would have been better using a fry pattern. If you still prefer to fish "on top" try a floating fry. Otherwise use a lure such as the ubiquitous Cat's Whisker - the lure angler's panacea. My own preference is for an old-fashioned, American streamer pattern called a Black Ghost.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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Thanks for the advice so far

I havn't got any cats whiskers but will definately be picking some up, in all honesty I didn't really realise the trout were feeding on the roach thought it might be Pike or Perch and the trout were just honed in on the caddis!!!!

The Saintly One

Hello again,

I tie my own flies. I've made some cats whisker type flies recently. More of a nomad style. (Look it up). If you want to send me your name and address on a private message I'll send you a couple for free. If you're not happy about doing this then that's no problem. This pattern has been very successful for me and for the friends I have given them to as well.

Tight lines,

Nick.

Thanks for the offer Nick, PM sent

Best Wishes

The Saintly One (): )

I don't know the water you refer to in your post- and do not in any way claim to be any sort of expert but from my own experiences this last year I would say. Its not all about pattern- though clearly this is important, location and finding the fish is critical to success and is by no means easy on bigger waters. Then despite what they are doing - splashing etc- this does not mean you will catch. Be prepared to try lots of different methods and patterns in a session, give it 20 minutes and change. As someone else said- vary retrieve , depth etc and if possible watch what gets the best reaction- as well as speeding up- don't forget also the "hang" amazing how this works sometimes! I would add- that my Rainbow catching performance has been woeful this summer- so take what I say with that cautionary note :-)
If it was easy- it wouldnt be fishing!

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