Alex Jardine packed his rod and headed to Wales to take part in a friendly competition for trout on the Teifi
The rivers of Wales, as in other areas of the United Kingdom, have for many years been the venues for anglers chasing sea run species. Wales is famed for its Sewin, a sea-run brown trout, but it is the brown trout that have been somewhat overlooked by fishermen except for the odd wandering rod here and there.
At the end of May 2014, the Llandysul Angling Association and Steffan Jones invited a short-list of trout anglers from all over Wales and England to come and test their waters for brown trout. The River Teifi, runs through the beautiful west Wales hills and each town, village and hamlet along its course is home to avid anglers. Most of these anglers speak of salmon and sewin but few show any interest in the brown trout. This lack of interest has several factors but one that was most concerning was a slurry spill in 2010 that wiped out at least 25,000 fish, see more here: http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.
The goal of the day was to find out just how good the Teifi trout fishing is and whether it was on a recovery course after 2010. When my invitation dropped in from Steffan my first response was to say yes. This was the opportunity to fish almost virgin trout water along with a list of great trout anglers.
The next step was; jump in the car, travel up the Welsh motorway, wind in and out of small valleys until I reached the small town of Llandysul. We were greeted by glorious sunshine, Steffan and several club members who had very kindly given up their day to help out and measure the days catches. 12 anglers took part in the day and our fishing efforts were focused around Llanybydder and Lampeter.
We each fished in pairs drawing different beats so each location got fished twice in the day by separate pairs. Everybody was itching to get out on the water, so after some coffee and a quick catch up we all went off to our separate locations.
On arrival at the river, it was immediately obvious that it was in good condition. There were Yellow May Duns on the wing and ranunculus weed beds gently swaying in the current. We now just needed a few trout to help prove the point.
I started on a nymphing set-up but it was soon chopped and change to fish spiders down and across. These fish were looking up and wanting to chase. We did not struggle picking fish up, but we were finding it hard to reach the 20cm minimum length for the day. Other anglers however faired better landing some really nice fish.
Throughout the day 47 trout were measured over 20 cm with the two biggest reaching a nice 36 cm and both caught on dry fly. Although it was a shame not to find more larger fish it was hugely encouraging to see such healthy signs. Lots of parr & small trout, good fly life and all things pointing towards a great recovery.
It is the work of clubs like Llandysul Angling Association, its members and Steffan Jones who actively promote and care for their waters that will see our rivers recover from unfortunate disasters. In most cases these fisheries will not only recover but will gradually improve. It is in our interest as anglers to help these clubs and people who are helping to improve our own fishing experiences.
Day tickets can be purchased through Llandysul Angling Association, see here for more details: http://www.fishing-in-wales.com/
Photos: Steffan Jones
Alex Jardine works at fly fishing outfitters Aardvark Mcleod