A taste of the wild in Wales
By Simon Everett.
WHEN the temperatures soar, the weeds grow and water starts to go green with algae as it warms up, that is when the hill lakes and lochs offer some much needed respite. The trout go deep for most of the day, sometimes becoming very active just as the fishery staff want to shut the gates and go home. These upland fisheries also provide good sport when the rivers and lower lakes are short of water, or even if the river is unfishable due to flood conditions.
At higher altitude in the hills the water remains cooler for longer and the wild trout fishing comes into its own, especially if there is some cloud cover clinging to the mountains. Cloud cover reduces the light level and keeps the temperature more stable. Bright conditions are not the best for trout unless there is a good ripple on the water.
A bit of breeze helps too. A mirror flat calm makes life very difficult and a bit of wave is always good to give the trout confidence to feed. So it is worth watching the weather forecast local to your destination but bear in mind the mountains don’t always listen to the forecast and the weather can often vary from the predicted outlook. It pays to go prepared for a change in the weather too.
The mountains of North Wales offer some splendid trout fishing prospects for the more adventurous fly rodder, especially the high altitude lakes in and around the Cambrian Mountains of Snowdonia. Many of these are off the beaten track and require a healthy walk across the moors to access them. There are a few close to the road but the best fishing is found where the access is the most difficult and the most effort is needed to get there, but that effort is balanced out because the rewards are greater.
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