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Welsh Dee 2020

28K views 192 replies 20 participants last post by  gbanjo  
#1 ·
Hi all and especially those who fish the Welsh Dee, I thought I’d get things kicked off for 2020.

Anyone been out, I know the river was a bit high for the 17th - but anyone had a go?

After the multiple high water / flood conditions (over 2+ metre on Manley Hall gauge a number of times) how much has it changed the river?

I’m hoping to get out next week for a cast (salmon and trout).

Anyway, all the best and tight lines

Patrick
 
#2 ·
Hi all and especially those who fish the Welsh Dee, I thought I'd get things kicked off for 2020.

Anyone been out, I know the river was a bit high for the 17th - but anyone had a go?

After the multiple high water / flood conditions (over 2+ metre on Manley Hall gauge a number of times) how much has it changed the river?

I'm hoping to get out next week for a cast (salmon and trout).

Anyway, all the best and tight lines

Patrick
For the first time in 20 odd years, not taking out a salmon licence. Largely due to NRWs punitive restrictions rather than lack of fish.

Good luck to all those having a go this season.
 
#4 ·
Hi all and especially those who fish the Welsh Dee, I thought I'd get things kicked off for 2020.

Anyone been out, I know the river was a bit high for the 17th - but anyone had a go?

After the multiple high water / flood conditions (over 2+ metre on Manley Hall gauge a number of times) how much has it changed the river?

I'm hoping to get out next week for a cast (salmon and trout).

Anyway, all the best and tight lines

Patrick
I like happy days have renewed my licences will give it a proper go this year at the salmo trout and grayling it's a lovely place to fish all methods soon as current events pass hope to get some quality time on the beats tight lines to you and all for the season ahead??
 
#5 ·
I've renewed my club membership. I'm waiting to see what restrictions Boris puts on being able to travel, before I by a rod licence.
He may impose strict lockdown, because of the idiots arriving in great numbers in Bala, Snowdonia and on the Welsh beaches. Plus similar events in Cumbria, Scotland and Cornwall.

I'm passing time fly tying, at least it takes my mind of the chaos

Keep the faith.
GB.
 
#8 ·
On the LMAA site - assume since Midnight Monday:

Following the advice of H.M. Government, Welsh Government and the Angling Trust we have decided to suspend all fishing on our waters with immediate effect. This is to prevent the spread of COVID 19 and restrict non-essential travel.

The decision will be reviewed on 21st April 2020 or earlier if Government advice changes.
 
#10 ·
So has anybody changed the hooks on their spinners yet?
I’ve ordered some flying C’s with a single hook but I’ve got loads of spinners with trebles on still including countless mepps flying Cs
I was wondering is the best way to change the hooks just to cut off the treble and attatch a single via a split ring?
I would assume doing it this way their will be a bulge in the skirt where the split ring goes.
The other way I’ve thought is using open eye hooks but does anyone have any experience with these,I don’t want to hook that “bigun” then the bloody hook eye straighten out?
Any advice would be great
Hopefully we’ll be back on the river in time for the seatrout arrival
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the reply and the advice
For some reason I can’t open/see the attatchnents!
How have you attatched the hook to the spinner,just with a split ring?which ones?

Thanks for the advice on hook sizes at least I know I’ve ordered the right size (I only use 15g flying Cs) and I’ve got an 11cm countdown so they’ll do for that too.

Would you use a size 2 or 4 hook on mepps size 2 and 3 spinners too?
Also I guess the size 5 mepps use a 1/0? I’ve got loads of these but rarely use them I’ll just convert a couple over but the 2s and 3s are handy when it’s really low especially for seatrout in the evening.

Thanks again
Tim
 
#14 ·
Hi Tim

For flying Cs, you will need to remove the treble by cutting the eye of the treble, and using a split ring to attach the singles. Try to use small split rings with sufficient strength. On rapalas, you can just remove the trebles from the existing split rings and attach the singles. I would probably use size 1 hook on a size 3 long and a size 2 on a size 2 mepp. I don’t have any size 5 mepps, but would probably use a size 1/0 as you have suggested.

I don’t know why I can’t attach photos.

Kind regards
Sewinboy
 
#16 ·
Hi Tim,

Glad your still posting. I am not aware of any clubs open at present. We cannot drive into Wales from England at present. This would be an offence. I have read,Welsh residents can only drive to the nearest local fishing.

If you lived in a remote part of Wales, your nearest fishing may be a fair distance away. The Welsh government have implied, common sense is needed to decern what is local to the individual.

Obviously the clubs have the final decision on their waters opening. They may have to consider the riparian or landowners opinions.

Which clubs are open? That's of course you are at liberty to give the info.

Keeps Safe.

GB.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hi GB

It’s good to hear from you.

Did you manage to get out fishing before all this started and In between the floods at all?

Theirs a few clubs open on the Dee, llangollen are open, BYP is open and WGFC are opening from tomorrow along with the other two north wales clubs VACAC and RSAAC. Also the Dee stretches at worthenbury/shocklach are open for Warrington and BODSA village beat is open, their just waiting for permission off the landowners for the other beats, their are a couple of beats closed throughout the various clubs but the majority are open/will be open.
Obviously though members are asked to only fish the closest beat as per the government’s “guidance” which I think it’s safe to say has been confusing at best these past few days.

Hopefully it won’t be too long before travel from England into wales is allowed but depending on where/what you read it could be a while, the rivers really low at the moment anyway so I doubt anyone is missing much.

I’m going out tomorrow for a couple of hours so I’ll report back how I get on.

Tim
 
#19 ·
Hello Woody,

Even if Llan is open to all members. English residents wouldn't be able to fish. We would be breaking the law by driving into Wales. I think the Welsh residents also have to travel to the nearest fishing to where they reside. They are still banned from driving anywhere they please.
EXERCISE.
I think the people in the British Government, like so many people I know, if fishing comes into conversation. Think automatically we sit on are backsides all day watching a float.

How course fishing in most venues is discerned as exercise, baffles me. Other than loading and unloading as much tackle as a small dealer sells,into vehicle. Including at times a wheelbarrow or trolley. Then sit on their backsides for hours.

This mass use of tackle course, mainly applies to match fishing on canals and rivers. The big craze is night fishing for Carp. Requiring ,bivvy, bed, bit alarms. Most important are Bacon Butties and beer. Call that exercise, oh and don't forget the names of fish you have previously caught.



Exercise! My pal weighing about twenty stone can't convince me.


STAY SAFE everyone. Hope my observation on exercise, has made you smile during this difficult, and tragically for some who will never fish again because of this Virus.

Tight lines whenever you deem it safe to fish.
G.B.
 
#20 ·
Thank GB thought as much hopefully things relax in the next week or two in both wales and Scotland ?couldn’t agree more on your course fishing observations they bear no resemblance to the hobby I grew up enjoying spent many a night digging worms before early morning hikes or bike rides to secret swims or spots to fish drew me into a new world which thankfully through fly fishing keeps my mind and body fulfilled each time ??KEEP SAFE
 
#21 ·
GB
You’ve hit the nail on the head their, I always say carp fishing is “camping with a rod”,each to their own I guess but it’s not my idea of fishing anyway.

WOODBANK
All the clubs are open for “local” fishing I think, I don’t think the clubs are policing how far people are driving but obviously just don’t take the p**s.
It’s the driving into wales from England thing that’s the problem,especially if you live on the border which to certain parts of the Dee is probably closer than living the wrong side of wrexham.


I went for a couple of hours this morning but the rivers really low, I didn’t even see a fish rise in the 3 hours I was their let alone a salmon, we just need some rain but looking at the forecast it doesn’t look likely for a while, I don’t think anyone’s missing anything at the moment anyway

Take care
Tim
 
#26 ·
I’ve been out the lower Dee the last couple of days/nights and although I’ve not caught anything I did see 6 or 7 salmon moving through on Saturday,I know theirs been similar numbers seen further up too by different people on various beats up as far as erbistock, their seems to be a lot of salmon in the river at the moment and one was even caught up at corwen yesterday and one was lost and landed near chirk last week so this water doesn’t seem to be hindering them on their journey.
I’ll be out again towards the end of the week