We have a wealth of wild brown trout and grayling fishing in Wales. We are also fortunate to have a myriad of different rivers on offer on which to target them; usually being able to offer some form of fishing no matter how bad the weather gets. Whether you are looking to fish a small stream, or a larger main river we have it on offer at Fishing-Wales.
Season & When to Visit; the brown trout season does vary slightly on certain rivers. However, in general it starts on the 3rd of March and ends on the 30th of September. Each month and period has its attraction and peculiarities, especially if you’re looking to target particular hatches. In addition, certain periods are better for dry fly in general, so please do make contact to explore suitability. Windows for dry fly fishing can be short during a given day, so please do factor that in to your expectations.
The beauty of having grayling in Wales is that many of our rivers are open twelve months of the year. The brown trout reproduce in the winter whereas the grayling reproduce in the summer, dovetailing well and allowing year round sport. The grayling season opens on the 16th of June and ends on the 14th March. Great fishing can be had in the depths of winter. Indeed, cold snaps will often lead to the grayling shoaling, providing fantastic sport once found. They are often found feeding on the surface under these conditions too, but the window for this will short – usually at the warmest part of the day; midday to around 2pm.
Location; for brown trout we offer guiding on revered rivers such as the Usk, Teifi and Wye and also on lesser known, but certainly not inferior rivers, such as the Taff, Ebbw, Irfon and more. We can create an itinerary that allows you to experience a few different sections and rivers during your stay or tailor in advance according to your experience level and requirements.
For grayling we cover the Wye, Irfon, Taff and more. It is possible to combine multiple rivers during your stay or focus on one in particular. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Inclusions & Terms; guides can offer a transfer service to/from your accommodation if feasible (i.e if where you are staying is close to the river) and if required – this does not incur an additional cost. You do, however, travel in the guide’s vehicle at your own risk.
Techniques & Equipment; your guide will be there to put you over fish but also to explain, teach and help you absorb the latest techniques. This will undoubtedly maximise your experience and also our chances of catching throughout the day. These are also techniques that will serve you well for future trips and seasons. Your guide will be proficient in all modern nymphing techniques, such as French / Euro nymphing and then short line Czech nymphing. They can also help your understanding of indicator fishing, should you wish. Dry fly techniques will also be covered and can be the focus of the day, depending on the time of year and prevailing conditions.
The setups and equipment can be relatively specialised. The guide will help you with leader construction as needed, explaining why certain elements are required for particular techniques. The guide can also bring rods and reels as needed for you to try throughout the day. We do, however, ask that you respect their equipment and compensate for any damage or breakages caused.
Guides will utilise their own fly collection during guided sessions, helping you maximise your experience and time on the water. This is provided free of charge – flies to be returned to the guide. We would ask that you respect this service and offer to financially compensate for lost flies at the end of the day. We do offer suitable selections prior to your arrival, which are well received and popular requests – they make a nice gift if you are planning on treating someone and the number/cost can be tailored accordingly.
Schedule; a typical guided day for trout or grayling involves the guide meeting you at your accommodation or at a prearranged location. The meet up time will vary according to the time of the year (for example, there may be a key period that needs covering late into the evening, which may call for a later start to enable this) and your package. As a rule, the guide will be with you for a seven hour period (from meeting to departure). This usually involves meeting at around 1000 then fishing through to around 1700. This can, however, vary according to the time of year e.g. winter grayling fishing usually dictate shorter sessions due to the amount daylight hours. Please note that lunch is necessary and does form part of the seven hour session.
If fishing late into the evening when an evening rise is expected, for example, guided sessions may continue beyond the scheduled seven hours, but this is at the discretion of the guide – arrangements can be made directly with the guide.
Season & When to Visit; Good trout and grayling fishing can be had throughout the season, especially for anglers willing to vary their approach and techniques. If you have something specific in mind or if you’re looking to target a certain hatch then please contact us to time and plan your trip accordingly.
Whilst the trout fishing does begin on most rivers in early March, the best of the fishing is not experienced until the rivers start warming up in late April. Some of the best hatches of the season and some of the best fishing can then be experienced in May, June then throughout the summer and autumn.
Good grayling fishing can be found from the start of the season in mid-June throughout the summer, autumn and then into the winter. The approach and fishing does, however, vary significantly from the summer to the winter fishing, with particular emphasis given to dry fly fishing throughout the warmer months whereas nymphing is very much a first approach in the cooler months.
Cost; the costs for a day guided session fishing for trout and/or grayling are as follows:
1 person: £240
2 people: £320 (£160 each)
3 people: £390 (£130 each)
If you would like to be guided personally by Steffan Jones, then the following costs apply:
1 person: £380
2 people: £540 (£270 each)
We can provide a riverside lunch for an additional £10 per person – please request when placing your booking or with enough time for this to be facilitated prior to the day.
Tipping; all tips go directly to the guide and are appreciated, no matter how small. A typical guideline is £20 per angler per day. This is, however, purely at your discretion.
Please note that costs do not include permits nor do they include your government migratory fishing licence, which can be purchased online for a daily, weekly or annual basis. Fishing permits for the water to be fished will be discussed in advance and can be purchased independently or through us.