Hi All

Myself and a friend are planning a holiday in Wales first week in September, based in Dolgellau and have access to beats on the Mawddach/Wnion/Dysynni/Dulas/Dovey/Banwy.
We ususally fish for rainbows in stillwaters, or salmon in Ireland but have done little or no sea trout fishing previously... now is the time to start learning !

I have read through a number of threads and take onboard suggestions of say 10' rod with #7 or #8 lines...

Can anyone offer advice on these rivers and suitable flies/tactics for that time of year... I'm afraid we probably won't be fishing in the dark - until we know the surroundings a lot better..

Many thanks for reading

Keith

For daytime fishing you really need high/coloured water as seatrout are generally hard to catch during the day in low/clear water. You certainly would want to be using 7 or 8 weights in low water during the day, more like a 5 weight with small sombre trout flies.

If you don't fancy night fishing and the water is low I would fish at dusk until as late as possible, staring in the streamy water at the head of a pool. Use your 7 weight and size 10-8 singles at this time and you should get into some school fish. The later (darker) you fish the bigger the fly you can get away with (tubes etc) and this is when you would need the 8 weight. Patterns I'd use are teal blue and silver, butcher, silver stoat and variations, dunkeld etc. Also dawn can be good using similar tactics.

As you get more confident try staying later as this is when the best sea trout fishing happens. In fact there are several night fishing guides in wales who can give you a really good start to your sea trout career.

far better to fish at night the dyfi is a top river lots of big fish your set up will do fine

Another problem with only fishing during the day is that the locals will probably get a bit peed off if you go wading/casting through the pools in low water as it can ruin the fishing for the night time. If people are waiting for dark it is bad form to go and fish those pools beforehand especially as you probably won't catch anything. Daytime fishing is Fine in high/coloured water though...

Sounds like you are fishing the Albert water. A 10' #7 or #8 outfit would be fine but you are seriously limiting your chances by not fishing at night unless there is some colour in the river. Night fishing is better and as others have said it is considered very bad form to fish the pools in daylight if the river is low. If you must fish a low river in daylight then make sure you are off the river at least an hour before sunset in order to give the pools a chance to settle. Why not go and have a look at a beat in the daylight, work out safe wading lines and access/egress points for the pools and give night fishing a try - there's nothing quite like it.

On the assumption that you are fishing PAAS water I'd go for the Gwernhefin beat on the Dyfi, concentrate on the "S" bend at the top of the beat as both bends have a good pool.

The Dysynni is also good for night fishing, you'll probably find the bottom of the beat better although the top can also be good but the pools are much deeper there and the wading and casting can be tricky.

If you fish the Mawddach/Wnion, even although the river has been very poor for a couple of seasons, you are probably going to have company so be prepared for that.

Any from a floater, sink tip or intermediate line will be fine, if you use a floater I'd put a sinking polyleader on it. In terms of flies you will get a huge amount of varied advice but in normal or low water conditions something like a Dunkeld, Medicine, Sweeny Todd or Butcher on a L/S No. 4, 6, or 8 will get you fish. If the water is coloured go a little bit bigger, maybe trying small tubes, snakes or waddingtons, if it is very low then try No.10 and 12 "traditional" wet fly patterns in a simple team of three fished across and down. Don't use anything less than 12lb b.s., I use Riverge Grand Max in 12.5lbs although you won't need to use fluoro unless it is very low and clear.

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“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

Many thanks for the replies, really appreciate you taking the time..

Sewinbasher - you may well be right, but I couldn't possibly comment ...

All comments duly noted about daylight hours... the last thing we would want to do is upset anyone.

Keith

If you are planning to fish the association water on the mawwdach and winon i can give you some pointers to places to go and a number of overlooked spots in the upper reaches that can produce a few fish during the day. I d agree with the other comments on here though unless its a summer spate I d be using a five weight during the day in the shady over hanging little streamy bits of water rather than a 7/8.

PM if you want some pointers for these waters.

Ed

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birdsnest

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Thank you for the information, sewinbasher. It will come in very handy when I get my campervan!! I hope you don't give away too much information though as I don't want to find all the best places filled when I get there! Cheers