Wales has been renowned over the years that I have been fishing for producing top class fly anglers. These people have in the main been fishing for trout and salmon. Over the years coarse anglers began to fish for their favourite quarry the carp with floating baits, bread, and dog biscuits in the main.
A few enterprising anglers from the game side have now been looking at this and using their fly tying expertise have designed, with modern materials, some excellent flies for carp fishing. On some waters when carp anglers are fishing the traditional carp methods, they are using a fly. The fly in the broadest sense is designed to look like a dog biscuit or similar. One such person is Jason Williams, a former disabled international angler who has turned his fly fishing skills to great advantage when carp fishing. Using deer hair that floats well on the surface, as well as a white egg fly and yellow blobs that are taken while sinking, he has made it his passion. So much so that on occasions he does better than the bait angler.
Another popular large fish that readily takes what is called a fly is the most highly efficient predator the pike. This fly needs to be at least between three and nine inches. The best areas are where weeds grow up in strands from the bottom on still water as well as along the edges of reed or weed beds. The pike is a specialist at ambush and the take will be violent when it comes. You will need a rod capable of casting a weight 8 line or heavier. A wire tippet is essential to tie the fly on to prevent a break.
I mentioned in the July/August issue the launch of the new Fishing in Wales social media and website. Due to the coronavirus the launch was held back. However, the site and social media is now up and running with regular updates and features from well-known angling journalists and anglers who are experts in their field. Go to fishingwales.net for all the up-to-date information and fishing advice. The launch of this has really given the anglers of Wales the best platform I have seen in many years for: where to go, who to contact, tips and advice, with a continuous stream of information at regular intervals. The most important point is that information covers the whole of Wales, a great advantage for our visitors.
In a recent report from Environment Agency England, embarrassingly, there has been no improvement in the ecological health of water bodies since the last time they were surveyed, in 2016, when just 14% of rivers made the grade. They’ve been in decline for years – in 2014 the proportion of rivers in good condition was pegged at 17%, but this dropped to 15% in 2015, and then to 14% in 2016, where it has remained. The assessments were undertaken annually until someone decided it would be better if the frequency was switched to once every three years instead. No prizes for guessing why that might be! Funding. But perhaps the most shocking aspect of the results is that all watercourses failed on their chemical condition. In 2016, 97% were classed as being in good chemical health compared with 0% last year. The agency has explained that this is simply because it has better ways of identifying a wider range of chemicals this time, as though that would provide any comfort.
We can look at this and think Wales! Particularly in our rural areas where sad to say it is agricultural pollution that is causing the worse problems. Some of the problems are ones we ourselves are creating with our changing habits towards food. The building of large poultry units has been in the news and press recently. This, together with the spreading of slurry on the fields, is a major problem in Wales at the moment and the Welsh Government seems unable to find a solution. The river Llynfi that runs into the Wye at Glasbury has suffered a catastrophic pollution event that is being investigated. Over several miles of the river it is looking like the total fish population as well as the river invertebrate life has been killed.
The current reports on salmon catches for 2020 are on a par with 2019 on most rivers. The trout fishing however across Wales has been exceptional in 2020. Some will say we missed the best months of April and May, but even so, when we were able to start fishing the angling fraternity came out in force. Rod licence sales surged and some clubs also saw their membership increase on the back of this. Let us hope that this increase in angling carries on into 2021.
Compliments of the season to you all.
Feature image: Carp taken on the fly by Jason Williams
