Flyfishing on the River Taff in Wales

The South Wales Valleys rivers rise in hilly terrain. They are relatively short, steep and 'flashy', and drop back rapidly after spates. The South Wales coalfields are silent now, and their marks on the landscape are healing. In many places the narrow valleys remain unaltered by the industrial heritage of the area. Cleaner waters now flow down from the hills, and all of these rivers have trout stocks in their upper reaches. But one of the greatest fisheries achievements in Wales has been the restoration of salmon and sea trout runs on the River Taff. This recovery has been greatly assisted by a programme of fish-pass construction.

Nymph fishing on the middle reaches of the River Taff

The Taff rises on the Old Red Sandstone escarpment of the Brecon Beacons at 975 ft. above sea level and flows some forty miles through Merthyr Tydfil, Abercynon, Pontypridd and Cardiff before entering the Severn Estuary. A barrage constructed by the former Cardiff Bay Development Corporation, has a fish pass that is intended to allow salmon and sea trout to access the river. In the lower reaches trout and grayling thrive in a mixed fishery; the upper river is a very productive trout fishery.

Tributaries
The Ely rises just to the north of Tonyrefail and flows south-east through Talbot Green, Pontyclun and Miskin before veering to the east past Peterston-super-Ely, through St Fagans and into Cardiff Bay at Llandough. Salmon and sea trout run the lower reaches, which also hold mixed stocks of trout, grayling and coarse fish, and with a fish pass operational at Treforest Weir they are now able to gain access to much more of the main river and its spawning streams. The headwaters are home to wild brown trout.

The Taff Bargoed rises near Merthyr Tydfil and joins the Taff near Treharris; it holds stocks of wild brown trout.

The Rhymney rises two miles north of Rhymney Reservoir and flows south through New Tredegar, Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach and Caerphilly before veering east to join the Severn Estuary in East Cardiff. This river holds trout, grayling and the occasional sea trout.

Trout and grayling fishing
Much of the land of the South Wales Valleys is quite fertile, and so the rivers harbour a good range of insect life. Trout grow to reasonable size - 3/4 lbs is about average - on the lower and middle reaches of many of the rivers, feeding on a mixed diet of aquatic and terrestrial life. In spring there are olives and iron blues, while summer brings the blue-winged olive and pale watery as well as large sedge flies, most noticeably in the evenings. Beetles and heather flies are important summer food sources for the wild trout of the headwaters.

Dry-fly fishing on the Taf Fechan, a small tributary of the River Taff

For trout and grayling fishing, a 9 ft. rod rated at AFTMA #5 or #6 is ideal. Lighter tackle and preferably a shorter rod are recommended for the smaller tributaries such as Taf Fechan, which flows out of Pontsticill Reservoir, above Merthyr Tydfil. In low-water conditions, the water runs very clear in the upper reaches, and so a fine leader is advisable if you want to tempt the wily wild brown trout, some of which are well over the pound mark.

If you need detailed advice on river trout flyfishing, our Beginners' Guide to Trout and Grayling Fishing is available online...

Salmon fishing
In all but the heaviest of spates the Taff can be fished for salmon with a single-handed rod. As the water is usually fairly clear and not particularly deep, flies in sizes 10 to 6 are usually big enough. Dark flies seem to work well in clear water, but an orange fly, such as Ally's Shrimp, is often preferred during spate conditions. (Incidentally, our introductory Guide to Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing is available online, and of course we recommend it unreservedly if not altogether impartially!)

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