Towy
- Champion River for Big Sea-trout and Salmon
The Towy (Tywi in Welsh) is one of Britain’s top sea-trout rivers, its annual rod catch consistently at, or near the head of the league table for England and Wales. Towy sewin (as thesea-trout is known in Wales) are famous for their size - five and six-pounders are common and each year a number of double-figure fish are landed. The river’s runs of salmon are also among the best in the Principality.
As a spate river, the Towy produces excellent daytime sport to anglers spinning or fly fishing when the river is running off after rain. However, it is for the night-time sport it offers with sea-trout that the Towy is most famous. Given reasonable stocks of fish, fine sport may be enjoyed by the fly-fisher on any night from May to August when the water is running clear.
The Towy is noted for its early run of big sea-trout. These fish are already arriving in the river when the season begins in early April, and they make up in size for what they lack in numbers, with 6lb-plus fish the norm, and fish well into the teens of pounds taken most years.The main run, with sewin of all sizes from herling to double figures, follows in June and July, with some fresh fish still appearing in August.
Though occasional salmon are picked up in spring months, the Towy’s salmon fishing really begins with the grilse that run the river with the first high water of summer, from July on.The main salmon run may be expected in September, by which time the sea-trout are preparing for spawning.
Golden
Grove - The Heart of the Towy
Much of the Towy’s finest fishing is to be found in its middle reaches,
where the river winds its way through gentle pastures and water meadows to
form the deep holding pools and long, gently-shelving glides that make fly-fishing
so rewarding and productive.The firm gravel bottom generally makes easy, safe
wading.
It is here that the angler will find the Golden Grove (Gelli Aur) Fishery and the cream of Towy fishing. Once the private preserve of the Cawdor Estate, Golden Grove’s nine miles of mainly double-bank fishing are now available to the discerning angler on a season or weekly basis, with limited opportunities on part of the water for shorter lets.
The exclusivity of Golden Grove - numbers of rods are strictly limited - means the angler can expect to take his pick of the many fine pools and runs in peace and near-solitude, with none of the crowding and competition for space associated with many day-ticket and club waters.
The fishery extends from a short distance below Llandeilo Bridge, roughly the midpoint of the Towy’s course, down to near Llanarthne. All the beats are well supplied with holding pools and lies and there are several deep pools where in the summer the sewin hole up in their hundreds.
Golden Grove also has much excellent salmon water and makes a significant contribution to the annual Towy rod-catch.
Choosing
a beat
There is little to chose between the various Golden Grove beats - all offer excellent fishing at favourable times for both sea-trout and salmon.
The top four beats, from Llandeilo down to Dryslwyn Bridge, are each of about two miles in length.Of these, Beat 2 (Cilsane) and Beat 3 (Ro Fawr) are available to season rods (no weekly or day tickets). Beats 1 and 4 are run by private syndicates.
For those happy to walk some distance from the car, both Cilsane and Ro-Fawr offer secluded fishing well away from the bustle of human activity, while for the less active angler there is easy access to those stretches of water which lie close to bridges, tracks and farmyards. Beat 2 extends from just above Pentrecwn Farm to Cilsane Bridge, while Beat 3 runs from Cilsane bridge down to below Ro Fawr Farm.
Beat 5 (Bridge Beat) is from Dryslwyn Bridge downstream to the confluence
with the Dulais brook, and is just over a mile in length. Here the fishing
is let on a short-stay basis to suit the needs of the visiting angler. Rods
are let on a minimum of three days. No more than five rods are let at a time,
so early booking is advised.
Fishing
the Towy
Fly, spinner and worm are all permitted on the Towy and all have their place
in the angler’s armoury. When rain has raised the river level and there
is colour in the water, spinners such as the Mepps and Flying C account for
many sea-trout and salmon. When the water is too high and coloured for fish
to run, a worm worked through the quieter corners may winkle out a fish or
two which have taken refuge from the spate.
Once the river has run down and the colour has faded, the fly rod begins to come into its own. As long as there is a good flow on the water, some fine fish may be taken In daytime by the skilful angler working the faster pools and broken water. When the river has cleared fully and run down to summer low, the night fly takes over . The usual approach is to explore the pool tails and deeper runs with a lure such as a Waddington or tube on a floater or sink tip, perhaps turning to a full sinking line later in the night. In the watches of the night, the surface lure is well worth a try. If the water is very low, it pays to scale down to lighter lines and smaller flies. With these big, wary sea-trout a cautious approach is essential, both day and night.
The current bag limit for sea-trout is four per day. In the interests of
conservation, anglers are asked to exercise restraint in the number of fish
they take, particularly the larger fish. No salmon may be killed before June
16 and the maximum for a day is two and a maximum of three for a week.
Checking
the conditions
Anglers will find the Environment Agency Wales Rivercall Information Service
on 09066 197 7553 useful in checking conditions before departure. The recorded
message gives water height twice a day at Manorafon, above Llandeilo, though
it is a good guide to conditions downstream. Typical summer low for the Towy
is 0.90 - 1.00 metre, at which height the water Is usually clear. If the level
is above 1.10 metres the water may well be coloured and daytime fishing may
well be preferable. Much above 1.50 metres, the river is likely to be brown
flood. However, the angler who can wait for the water to run off to fishable
level can enjoy the finest daytime sport the Towy has to offer, with the chance
of superb night fishing a few days later, once the water has fully cleared
For more information
Ian Jenkins, Golden Grove Fishery, Afallon, Dryslwyn, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8QY
01558 668180 (day); 01558 668373 (evening); 07768 790847 (mobile)