Llyn Brenig Tel: 01490 420463

Llyn Brenig Fishing Report – week ending May 12^th 2013.

A week of contrasting weather conditions was experienced at Llyn Brenig this week. From a beautiful bank holiday Monday to a windswept cool and showery end of the week it seems as if this type of weather is what we can now expect and those illusions of long hot summer months are perhaps just a distant memory. With the water temperature at only 7 degrees C and with the bright sunshine at the beginning of the week the fish are tending to stay away from the top of the water. The preferred method seems to be a DI 3 or DI 5 with small red and white lures. With the consistent 1,000 fish a week stocking policy there are plenty of fish in the lake and the fishing has been of a very high quality since the start of the season. The rod average this week has been 3.4 fish per angler, slightly down on the previous two weeks but this is understandable when you consider the bright sunshine at the start of the week and the fierce winds at the end of the week, not ideal conditions for the fly fisherman!

The fish being caught at the Brenig over the last few weeks have been of a good size and this week was no exception. Mr Farnworth from Liverpool recorded the biggest fish of the week, a 4 lb 8 oz rainbow caught on a green fritz  and he also recorded the biggest bag not only of the week but also for the season so far when his  bag weighed in at 18 lbs. Another very happy fisherman was Marcus Williams from Llanrwst who claimed the top prize for a tagged fish which wasn’t a week’s snorkelling in the Caribbean but a five day fishing permit with a boat. So congratulations go to both men.

Llyn Brenig was privileged to hold the annual WIGFIC event on Saturday. This is when all the Water Authorities from around the country compete on a yearly basis. Thirteen teams took part in challenging weather conditions with strong and cool westerly winds and sunny intervals interspersed by heavy showers. 78 anglers caught a total of 191 fish for a weight of 351 lbs (averaging 1 lb 13 oz.).  The rod average was 2.45 fish per angler with Nant Glyn being the best section. The winning team was Northumbrian Water with Natural Resources Wales in second place and Anglian Water in third place. The individual champion was John Keeley of Yorkshire Water. The heaviest trout was 3 lb 3 oz and was caught by Bernard Sanders of Yorkshire Water. The whole day was a great success and we look forward to hosting the tournament in the near future.

In a busy weekend Llyn Brenig also held the Wirral Game Fishing Club’s annual competition on Sunday. Thirty Two anglers took part and they caught 72 fish with an average weight of 1 lb 8 oz. The biggest fish of 3 lbs 0.25 oz and the biggest bag of 12lbs 11 oz were returned by Mr Martin Dixon.  It was heartening to hear the positive comments from the competitors who as a group praised the high quality of the fish that have been caught here this season.

The main hot spots for the week for bank fishing have been Nant Glyn shore and Tower Bay and for the boat fishing there have been some good drifts in Sailing Club Bay.

Top flies for the week have been red and white lures, black and green boobies and blobs, daddy long legs, orange and green fritz, montana, and cats whiskers.

Whilst whiling away a relaxing day on the shores of the Brenig, the peace and solitude surrounding you as you are absorbed in a moment of time, a family of Grey Lag geese pass, the mother taking her little ones for their first swimming lesson. You stop and ponder and think I recall the same moment last year and you realise then that you are indeed a part of that amazing Circle of Life and there’s no better place for that experience than the wild moors and shores of Llyn Brenig.

The main gates will be shut at 8.15pm and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 7.30pm. 

Tight Lines Jim Jenkins – seasonal Ranger

Llyn Brenig Fishing Report – Week ending May 5^th 2013

As I was driving to work over the moors towards Llyn Brenig at 7.30am this Thursday morning it made me realize how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world. The sun was warm, the lambs were chasing each other across the fields in some mysterious game of their own making, a hare twitched its ears and sniffed the air before it bounded out of sight and two buzzards were gliding across the sky totally at one with their surroundings and it was a moment when you realize that we are truly blessed to be a part of this world. The week on the whole has been quite changeable with some sunny days interspersed with fairly strong winds and overcast skies. The wind once more doesn’t seem to be able to make its mind up and has blown from almost every direction apart from the East. This has resulted in some good fishing this week with a rod average of 4.0 fish per angler. The water temperature has moved up to 7 degrees C and the fish are definitely being caught nearer the surface of the water. The warmer air temperature has also meant that there has been far more fly activity and there have been a lot of fly hatches this week which has also increased the activity of the fish. Intermediate and floating lines have been successful with some fisherman having success using a booby with a dabbler on the dropper.

The fish caught this week have been of a very good size with a lot of fish over 3 lbs being caught however the biggest fish of the week were two 4 lb trout caught by  Mr Dave Williams from Wrexham and Mr Waltham from Denbigh. As you would expect from the size of the fish being caught there were also some very pleasing bag sizes with Mr Martin Davies from Corwen recording the biggest bag which weighed in at 14 lbs 15 oz. It is always very heartening to see youngsters taking up the sport of fly fishing and I was delighted to speak to Rowan Hayward who was fishing with her father Chris and her Grandfather. Rowan, on her first ever fishing trip, had been fishing all day but without success and was probably thinking that maybe this fishing lark wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be when on the very last cast of the day she managed to hook and land a lovely 2 lb rainbow.

Thursday saw 14 competitors from the North Wales police taking to the water. The weather was favourable although the wind did pick up quite considerably in the afternoon but a good day was enjoyed by the fishermen. First place was taken by Mr Chris Webster with a bag of 13 lbs 4 oz. Congratulations go to all those mentioned above.

With the wind being very changeable over the week the hot spots this week have varied.  The hot spots at the beginning of the week tended to be the Brenig Arm, Watersports bay and Sailing Club Bay whereas by the end of the week the hot spots were Nant Glyn shore, the Ring of Stones , Hafod Lom and Tower Bay. Top Flies have been Diawl Bach, Cats Whiskers, Black Fritz, Devon Diver, Nymphs, Goldhead Damsel and Montana. The main gates will be shut at 8.15pm and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 7.30pm.  The Brenig will be shut for bank fishing this Saturday due to a competition. The management would like to apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Tight Lines Jim Jenkins – seasonal Ranger

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The weather at Llyn Brenig this week has been variable and we have seen some warmer sunnier days but also some cooler and windier conditions with some light rainfall. The wind has also been changeable with winds coming from the South at the start of the week and moving towards the North by Saturday. Saturday gave us the promise of warmer times ahead with some really glorious sunshine but Sunday brought us back to reality with the return of cooler and wetter weather. Fishermen will tell you that as the wind changes direction the fish will stop feeding and this has been evident during the week. However the week overall has been an excellent one for the fly fishermen of Llyn Brenig. With a rod average of 4.9 fish per angler, the best so far this season, some really positive comments about the fishing from experienced fishermen and with some excellent catch returns we can look back on this week as a high point in the fishing so far this year. The water temperature has increased to 5 degrees C and the fish are definitely more active and are being caught on both intermediate and a floating line. Although the fishing has been good I think that the catch return of one fisherman who claimed that he caught a Blue Marlin weighing in at 140 lbs using squid as bait in Tower Bay was slightly optimistic.

There have been some very nice fish caught during the week with a number of fish over 3 lbs being landed and the average has again been around the 2 lb mark. Mr John Williams had the biggest bag of the week weighing in at 16 lbs 8 oz for six fish caught. The biggest fish of the week was a 4 lb rainbow caught by Mr William Reiminitz from Swansea whose total bag was again over 16 lbs. Once more a number of tagged fish have been caught with Mr Darren Davies from Llanwrst claiming two prizes , a full English breakfast followed by a free boat, the perfect combination.

The fishing has been good in most parts of the lake this week. The hot spots for the boats have been the Brenig Arm, Sailing Club Bay and Water Sports Bay and for bank fishermen it has tended to be Tower Bay, Nant Glyn shore and by the Visitors Centre.

Top flies have been Montana, Diawl bach, various Boobies and Blobs, Cats Whiskers, Fritz and Viva.

It is important to remember that after the six fish catch limit has been achieved then fishermen are only allowed to catch and release twelve more fish using barbless hooks. When a fish is caught it is a very traumatic experience for the fish and therefore great care is needed when returning the fish back to the water.  The relationship between the hunter and the hunted is a very complex one and I believe that it is very important that the hunter should respect the spirit of the animal that is being hunted and treat it with the utmost respect as in so called primitive societies of the past.

A new era began at Llyn Brenig this week with the grand opening of the new extension of the Visitors centre on Thursday. The centre was opened by Edwina Hart AM and Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science. The day was a great success and the highlight was when the guests were entertained by the choir of Cerrig primary school. This was followed up on Saturday and Sunday with a Country Fair. The sun shone on Saturday and a great day was had by all and despite the weather taking a turn for the worse on Sunday it was still a very successful and enjoyable day. I can’t wait for the next one!

The Cuckoo was heard at last on the North shore of the Brenig this week and it is always uplifting to hear this distinctive cry as it heralds in the start of Spring. A Hen Harrier was also seen during the week.

There will be no bank fishing at both Llyn Brenig and Llyn Alwen on Saturday 11^th May due to the WIGFIC competition. The café will also be shut this Thursday due to a disruption in the electrical supply.

The main gates will be shut at 8.15pm and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 7.30pm. 

Tight Lines Jim Jenkins – seasonal Ranger

Llyn Brenig Fishing Report –week ending April 22^nd 2013.

The weather this week at Llyn Brenig has been very changeable. The start of the week saw milder air moving up from the South bringing with it much needed respite from the cold conditions that had existed over the past few weeks. However by the middle of the week the wind had become extremely strong with gusts of up to 25km per hour resulting in a number of trees being blown over during Wednesday night. Obviously this made fishing very difficult. However there were some sheltered spots in the bays on the Western side of the lake and the weather didn’t deter those fishermen who were determined to enjoy their day. The end of the week was a huge contrast to what had gone on before and it appeared as if those warm balmy spring days that we so look forward to during the dark days of winter had finally arrived. The water temperature has increased to 4.2 degrees C, still well down on last year but warm enough to see the fish starting to move towards the surface. 

There has indeed been plenty of fish activity this week with the rod average standing at a very respectable 4.3 fish per angler. The fish have been caught using a variety of methods from fast sinking lines using boobies and blobs to intermediate lines.  The fish have been of a good size averaging out at over 2 lbs per fish. The biggest fish of the week was caught by Mr D. Jones from Chester and weighed in at 3 lbs 4oz. Mr Jones also claimed the biggest bag of the week which was 15 lbs 10 oz for six fish caught.  The Brenig trout are good fighting fish and are gaining somewhat of a reputation for their fighting qualities. It’s not always the biggest fish which give the best sport and the analogy can be drawn with Rocky Marciano, not the biggest heavyweight by any means but pound for pound one of the greatest boxers ever to have graced the ring.

Hot spots for the week were to a large extent dictated by the weather with the sheltered bays of the West shore, particularly Sailing Club Bay, Water sports Bay and the Brenig Arm proving to be productive areas. Also the sheltered area of the Dam also provided some good fishing. Top flies this week have been various Boobies and Blobs, Vivas, Orange and Black Fritz, Buzzers, Cats Whiskers and Black Gnat.

This Sunday saw the start of the Brenig Trout League. It proved to be a really excellent day of fishing and by the end of the day first place went to Team Foxons, in second place came Forty Plus and in a close third came Sgotwrs Ogwen. It was really good to see everyone having such a good day of competition and it is still not too late for other teams to enter. If anyone is interested then please give their names to either myself or Paul Cawley as soon as possible.

The long anticipated opening of the Visitors Centre extension will be taking place this week. To mark the occasion there will be a Country Fair at the lake this weekend. It will be a great day of family entertainment and all are warmly welcomed.

For those that are interested we have a disabled wheely boat for sale. All reasonable offers will be considered.

The main gates will be shut at 8.00pm and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 7.15 pm.

Tight Lines – Jim Jenkins – Seasonal Ranger 

Llyn Brenig fishing report – week ending 7^th April 2013.

The wintry conditions that dominated the opening week of the season have remained with us during this week. Icy and strong Northerly and Easterly winds have been sweeping across the lake for much of the week making it feel as if we are in the midst of winter rather than on the cusp of Spring time. The Nant Glyn shoreline and much of the Eastern side of the lake has been inaccessible due to the drifting snow. The temperature of the lake is a bone chilling 2 degrees C and we can’t be very optimistic about the temperature of the water rising very much over the next few weeks due to the thawing snow. The fish continue to lie deep and once more a fast sinking line is needed to lure them onto the fly. The Brenig does have a micro climate all of its own and it is sometimes hard to imagine when you are basking in warm sunshine in the Vale of Clwyd that not very far away up on the moorland conditions are very different. 

This week’s fishing has seen contrasting fortunes between the bank fishermen and the boat fishermen.  Generally fishing from the boat has seen some good catch returns but fishing from the bank has proved to be quite a challenge. This has been largely due to the bank fishing being limited to the Western side of the lake and also due to a very fresh North Easterly wind. Despite this there have been some nice fish caught and some good bags to be had from the bank. The rod average has been 3.5 fish per angler with a number of fish returned. The biggest bag of the week was recorded by Mr David Lea from Wrexham which was 13 lbs 10 oz. There have been a number of fish over 3 lbs caught but the biggest fish, a very impressive 4 lb 4 oz rainbow, was caught by Mr E. Jones from Llandudno. Once again there have been a number of tagged fish caught with Mr Chris Bradshaw claiming a gift voucher for a boat. Congratulations go to all those mentioned. There have been some significant changes to the fishing terms and conditions this year and it is advisable that all fishermen should familiarise themselves with these. Copies of the terms and conditions can be obtained from the fishing shop.

Hot spots for the week have been Sailing Club Bay, Duck Island, Rhosddu Shallows and Tower Bay.Top flies have been various boobies and blobs, Cats Whiskers, olive lure and Black and Gold Head Damsel.

May I remind all those that would like to take part in the Trout League to give their names to either myself or Paul Cawley.

The new cafe has now opened and is proving to be a great success amongst both visitors and fishermen alike. To celebrate the opening of the Visitors Centre extension there will be a Country Fair held on the weekend of April 27^th to the 28^th. Visitors will be able to enjoy watching chain saw carving as well as charcoal making, a bird of prey display, a fly fishing display and Duck Racing. There will also be a children’s face painting stall alongside a number of other stalls. There is also an opportunity for visitors to use the mountain bike tracks.

With the promise of a better week ahead we can hopefully start shedding our winter layers and look forward to some warm sunshine on our backs and once again thrill to the rainbow rising to the fly.       The main gates will be shut at 7.30 pm this week and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 6.45 pm.

 Tight Lines – Jim Jenkins – Seasonal  Ranger.

Llyn Brenig Fishing Report – week ending March 31^st 2013.

The start of the fishing season is always met with great excitement and anticipation and this year was no exception. However, as with most of mans best laid plans, natures hand intervenes and turns them into dust. The opening day of the fishing season saw Llyn Brenig covered by a blanket of thick snow with biting Siberian winds sweeping in from the East. All hope for any fishing was gone and the only visitors to the Brenig were the returning Canadian Geese who probably thought that they had lost their way and ended up in the Arctic Circle. These disruptive weather conditions have been with us for all of this week and despite the snow letting up the cold wind has remained and the thaw is only very gradual. The water temperature was recorded at 2 degrees C and at times parts of the lake have been covered by sheets of ice.  Despite this grim picture things are starting to return to normal and a few very hardy fishermen have braved the elements and refused to accept that anything will stand between them and their beloved fishing. The cold water temperature has pushed the fish deep but with the lake being stocked with 2,000 fish on March 18^th and using a fast sinking line there has been some good fishing to be had. The rod average has been 4.5 fish per angler with Mr A. Gower from Colwyn Bay recording the biggest rainbow of the week which was 2lbs 8 oz. However the biggest fish of the week was a 3lb 5 oz brown trout caught by Mr Mark Parry from Rhuddlan.  Paul Robinson recorded the biggest bag of the week which was 10 lbs 8 oz.  This year has seen the introduction of fish tagging whereby for an extra pound on the price of your permit you are eligible for a prize if you catch a tagged fish. There have been a number of prize winners already with Mr Ian Williams winning a gift voucher for a day permit and a boat. It’s a pity we can’t offer a week’s tuna fishing with Robson Green in the Pacific but a slice of cake and a hot drink is enough for anybody.

The main hot spots of the week have been on the West side of the lake for bank fishermen largely due to the fact that the Eastern shore has been mostly inaccessible. However Sailing Club Bay and Water sports Bay have been the most productive area of the lake for boat fishermen. Top flies of the week have been Gold Head Damsel, Brown Fritz, Devon Diver and Dabblers.

We are very keen to reintroduce the Trout League again this year. This has been very successful in the past and we already have a number of teams that have put their name forward for this year’s competition. However we would like to encourage more teams to participate  and if you are interested could you please get in touch with either myself or Paul Cawley on 01490 420463.

The extension at Llyn Brenig is almost complete and the new cafe will be opening this Saturday. With a balcony overlooking the lake we hope that when the weather begins to warm up visitors will be able to spend many a happy hour there enjoying the views and the excellent cuisine. I can’t imagine anything more pleasant than to put your feet up after a bracing walk around the lake and watch the sun slowly sinking below the horizon as the birdlife of the Brenig swoops low over the shimmering water. A perfect end to a perfect day.

With that in mind we can look forward to a fantastic year ahead. The fishing prospects are looking good and the infra structure at the Brenig is improving all the time. All we want now is that warm sunshine on our backs and a balmy southerly breeze to chase those winter blues away.

Tight lines - Jim Jenkins – seasonal ranger.

Llyn Brenig Newsletter 2013

Dear Angler

When I started here in March 2012 in my new role as Manager at Brenig, a Nationwide drought was being widely predicted and hosepipe bans were in force over large areas of the UK. Never would I have guessed that it would go down in history as the second wettest year on record. The conditions in 2012 certainly made the fishing challenging. I’m amazed at how many of you braved the weather. Those that put in the hard work were rewarded. Some big fish were taken, including a 9lb 10 oz Rainbow in late July.

We are aiming to maintain a similar stocking level to last year, of approximately 1000 fish per week at Brenig and 300 per week at Alwen. However, the precise pattern does depend on how they fish. For that we rely on your catch returns. Many thanks to the overwhelming majority of you that filled in your catch returns last year. As I’m sure you know, they are crucial to getting the stocking right.

Back by popular demand in 2013 is the trout league. Jim Jenkins will be running this competition throughout the year. The dates are as follows: 21 April; 19 May; 16 Jun; 21 July; 18 August; 15 September; 20 Oct. Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for an entry form.

For a bit of extra interest, we are trying to develop a tagged trout competition. We haven’t yet figured out how this will work but we expect that for a small optional extra charge, you will be able to enter and qualify for a prize if you catch a fish with a tag.

We have also been investing in new boat engines. Paul Cawley and Ian Lavender have been working hard this winter to fully service all the remaining older engines and we expect to see a good improvement in engine performance this year.

Key dates for 2013 are: Opening 23^rd March; Closing 31^st October. However, I anticipate that we may well allow bank fishing in to December, the same as in 2012.

On your first visit in 2013, please take the time to pick up and read a copy of the new rules. We have made some important changes, including putting a stop to the sale of fish and a limit on the number of catch-returned fish. I have been in touch with trading standards regarding the sale of fish and we will be running a joint project in 2013 to target businesses selling our fish.

Throughout the year, we will continue to offer fly fishing tuition (dates yet to be determined). We have a number of competitions already booked and will also be running the popular Pike Week in November.

Finally, to finish on a very positive note, we are not making any increases to the prices for fishing in 2013. I look forward to seeing many of you at Brenig this year, either at the Visitor Centre, or when I’m out fishing myself.

Nick Kite

Area Lands Manager, Dwr Cymru Welsh  Water