BEST METHOD
The Teifi Pools is wild brown trout fishery nesting high in the mountains of Mid
LLYN TEIFI, the biggest of the three lakes is well stocked with wild brown trout. Even in March the fish will be near the surface, and the old Welsh 'lake fishing' technique of having the bob fly slurping in the surface still is an effective method of taking fish. The custom of a cast and two steps working around the lake was the recognized method of fishing many of the mountain lakes in days of old. In high summer the windy days give the best sport. The lake is open to all legal methods of fishing and the areas near the dam gives the best bait fishing.
LLYN EGNANT, is an interesting fly fishery, giving trout averaging between half and three quarters of a pound. It fishes well from early March with nymphs and traditional standard wet flies. The Harry Tom, Mallard & Claret, Black Pennel and Greenwell do well. In the summer the red sedges gives great sport in the evenings. The dry fly is an exciting form of taking fish especially on windy days. It fishes well even in hot sunny days. The bob fly gives great sport and the Coch a Bonddu time can give memorable fishing with the fish really bubbling in the surface. Watch also for the daddies here, which tend to appear quite early in the year. The age old Welsh custom of fishing one's way around the lake with a cast and two steps is quite productive in that all the water is covered, which is a good approach as the fish tend to be evenly spread over the lake with no apparent hot spots.
LLYN HIR, the smallest of the three lakes in the Teifi Pools complex certainly holds by far the best trout. Tradition has it that the fish in Llyn Hir were far tastier that those held in the other lakes. The best fishing here is in summer after the Coch a Bonddu bonanza, which bring the bigger trout into good condition. It is a great dry fly fishery and the clarity of the water demands a refined approach. It is the best evening lake, probably the reason why the fishing lodge of the Lord of the Manor was on its banks, where he used to fish the evening rise. This lake is spring-fed, and an easy lake to fish from the bank and is ideal for anglers who do not care for too much physical demand.
When fishing Teifi Pools the age old method of a cast and two steps works wonders. The way to fish this method is as follows: Have a three fly cast with a very bushy fly on the top dropper, personally I prefer a Claret Bumble, middle dropper is usually a standard winged wet fly such as a Mallard and Claret. The point is usually a bushy black fly with a bit of flash. Floating lines are all that are required on the lakes. A 10ft rod allows the angler to bob the flies in from a longer distance though shorter rods are fine. To fish the cast and walk method you first reach the waters edge cast out at 90º to the bank a distance of about 8yards, it is common to think that all the fish are way out but fishing further than 10yards out on these lakes and you will catch nothing. After casting out you pull 3 times on the line then gently lift the rod up and in to the bank so that your top dropper comes out of the water and 'BOBS' along on the surface. Takes are very savage and can come from nowhere so be prepared for anything. Even trout jumping onto the bank while trying to take your fly!
THE RIVER TEIFI
The CPTAA waters extends from Pontrhydfendigaid to Lampeter although there are considerable stretches along the river which are in private hands. The water in the upper reaches, centered around Pontrhydfendigaid are easy to fish and give good fishing to dry fly and worms in high water.
Below the Tregaron Bog the river matures and becomes well rounded. The fish here are best fished in early months when the Grannom (The Teifi equivalent of the Mayfly) is hatching. March is a wet fly month and of late the Hare's Ear Nymph and Pheasant Tail Nymph do well. In May the dry fly offers great sport and the Sun Fly, Alder and Imperial do the job. In June and July the sedge season is in progress and the small red sedge or Paragon is the answer. The high water offers good wet fly fishing or spinning with a small quill or lane minnow. The odd salmon is taken in the Autumn depending on the level of the water. The fishing from Tregaron to Pontllanio is great for the fly fisher and trout seems to be enhancing in recent seasons.
One of the best parts for Brown Trout is the Penrallt and Trecefel beats. It is catch and release only on these beats, And the best method here is to either fish a small dry fly in accordance to what is hatching. Or to fish a team of 3 wet flies. Personally i prefer the second option and to prove it one day on the river I caught no fewer than 40 trout on the beat 15 in the 4-6" category 10 fish just under a pound 10 fish of around a pound and above, and 4 fish around a pound and a half. And an excellent quality 3lb fish. I also lost a fish of around 4lb but nobody believed me. I have caught the same 3lb fish three times now from the same location. And if you ever catch a 3lb fish with a slit in its dorsal fin from that beat, I caught it first!
LLYN BERWYN LAKE
The Berwyn Fishery is something of a miracle in that the lake died in the seventies, when one day all the fish in the lake were found dead on the banks. The acidity of the water was found to be around four and was considered to be the cause of the fish kill. Then after some three years of experimentation with adding lime to the water it was discovered that the fishery could be resurrected, provided lime was added to the water and the pH kept at five plus.
The association has continued with the liming and the quality of the fishing has been exemplary. For the last decade
The early months of April and May give normal fly fishing in the upper water layers. In June and July the Coch a Bonddu period gives an added impetus to the fishing. The evening is the more productive period in high summer.
Llyn Berwyn has over the centuries provided good quality fish and this is true today despite the problems of having to continue to doctoring the water.
