Fishing in Wales – November 2024 Update

Shwmae Anglers!

With a spell of dry and mild weather November has brought excellent conditions for fishing across Wales so far, and there’s still plenty more to look forward to this month.

With grayling thriving in our rivers, stocked trout providing excellent sport in our fisheries and some super sea catches, the winter season has started strong. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s been happening:

River Fishing – Grayling Galore

So far, our rivers have delivered exceptional fishing for grayling. Steady water levels have provided near-perfect conditions, drawing anglers UK wide to Wales, to experience the delight of catching these “ladies of the stream.”

Rivers such as the upper Wye, Irfon, Dee, Severn and the post-industrial rivers Taff and Rhymney have been particularly fruitful, producing  grayling in very high numbers, either fly fishing or with coarse angling techniques such as trotting. Rob Redman (below) with some stunning river Dee grayling.

It seems from various reports that the stocks of grayling this year are particularly healthy on the rivers mentioned. For those looking to enjoy classic winter river fishing, this is a fantastic time to get out there, before wet weather returns. A list of notable grayling rivers to try can be found here.

Trout Lakes & Reservoirs – Winter Sport Holds Strong

Our stocked trout stillwaters are also offering anglers great opportunities. Many of our trout lakes have fished incredibly well, with catches reported on a range of tactics, from deep lures to slow-retrieved nymphs. Ideal water temperatures and calm overcast days have kept the fish active, making for consistent action throughout the day.

Reservoirs like Llyn Clywedog have been delivering quality fish, from boat or bank, with some large rainbows landed this month, best of the bunch being 10lb 4oz by G. Hogg (below)

To top it off, Llyn Trawsfynydd lake has produced two gigantic trout – a brown of 21lb and a rainbow of 22lb (below). Both fish were caught by pike anglers on dead-baits and returned, showing the vast potential of the lake for grown on fish; trout are not stocked at this size.

Our numerous small stillwaters have also kicked into gear, with relatively new venues such as Dare Valley in Aberdare and Foxhill near Haverfordwest drawing in anglers from all over the country, in search of quality trout and often frantic fly rod bending action.

Pike and Perch – Prime Time for Predators

As the water has cooled, pike activity has picked up, creating ideal conditions for our lure anglers. Lakes and canals across Wales have produced some impressive pike, with reports of good-sized fish responding well to lures. Bogdan Pascaru (below) with a pike at lower Swiss Valley reservoir near Llanelli from a kayak.

Perch, too, have been on the move, a lovely example being the 45cm fish (below left) from Llangorse Lake captured by A. Adamiec. Some cracking perch can be caught right in the heart of our Capitol City, Cardiff, with Lloyd Prytherch (below right) finding success fishing soft plastic jigs in Cardiff Bay, with a string of quality perch exceeding 3lb.

Sea Fishing – Bass, Rays, and early Cod

November has brought productive sea fishing along the Welsh coastline, with bass, rays, whiting and the occasional cod giving saltwater anglers plenty to get excited about. Believe it or not, mackerel are also still about, and in good numbers. The bass fishing time has also been extended, thanks to higher than usual sea temperatures.

Sizable bass are moving inshore, with great sport available for lure, fly and bait anglers. There have been some solid bass catches made around Pembrokeshire, Cardigan Bay, Anglesey, and from the South Wales coast. Andy Smith (below left) with an upper Bristol Channel bass of 77cm caught on crab, and Ceri Thomas (below right) with a lure caught 55cm bass from Aberystwyth.

Rays are also still present in good numbers, especially around the Bristol Channel marks, producing consistent sport for shore and boat anglers alike. In promising news, a few cod have started to appear as well – an encouraging sign for the months ahead. Kyle Williams (below) with a cracking Cardiff cod of 11lb.

Overall, November to date has been a rewarding month for anglers across Wales. Whether you’re targeting grayling in rivers, casting for trout in stillwaters, working the coastline for bass, or chasing predatory fish on the lures, there’s plenty to aim for and a lot more to come.

Llinellau Tynn / Tightlines