Fishing in The South Wales Valleys

Gone fishing in The Valleys? Then we might not see you for some time.

Water isn’t in short supply in The Valleys, we have a myriad of  rivers, lakes, streams, canals and ponds so fish are never far away. Excellent fishing is yet another unexpected Valleys activity. Visiting anglers are invariably surprised by the quality and quantity of our game and coarse fishing. The River Taff, for example, has staged a remarkable post-industrial renaissance, so much so that it is becoming noted for its brown trout. For useful links and a photo gallery showing the hidden hot spots for fishing, visit this South Wales Fishing website.

Champion fisherman Dave Mee reckons that the Taff is one of the fishing world’s ‘best-kept secrets’ but, he adds, not for long thanks to its ‘fast-growing reputation’. And it’s not just the Taff. The Cynon and Rhondda tributaries as well as the Taff’s own upper reaches above Pontypridd are so rich in insect life that fly fishermen can look forward to good catches throughout the season. There are grayling too, on the southern stretches of the Taff and parts of the Rhymney and Ogmore rivers.

Please click for a list of fishing facilities in the Valleys

Coarse fishermen are spoilt for choice, with a number of well-stocked fisheries, lakes and reservoirs (not forgetting stretches of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal) that offer good conditions and catches – everything from prime carp over 25lb to trench and bream, pike and perch.