Fishing with new friends at Rhagatt Hall on the wonderful Dee

Rhagatt Hall on the wonderful Dee

I was invited by Richard and Mark to fish Wirral Game Anglers beat of the Welsh Dee at Rhagatt Hall.

Initially, we planned to fish the river in March, but this was cancelled because floods had made the river unfishable. Due to busy schedules, it took a while to rearrange the trip but we finally made it on Monday 15^th July.

We met in the lower car park at 4 pm and after a chat about fishing tactics for the evening they gave me a tour of the beat.

It had been a warm, sunny day (24^o) that had turned quite humid. Cloud cover had started to roll in and if the thunder clouds on the horizon kept their distance, I was optimistic that we would have a good evenings fishing.   

Walking up river we passed the Signal, Dynamite and Bench pools but only saw a few small fish rising close to the far bank.

Mark and Richard explained where they had caught and lost salmon in each of these pools. I could see why they would fish well for salmon when the river was higher (0.6m and above @ Corwen).

Anyway, back to our focus of the evening, which was trout and grayling….

Fly fishing the Lower Bonwm Pool

In the tail of the Lower Bonwn Pool, we noticed a few bigger fish rising. 

I stopped to admire the view, while Mark covered the rising fish with a brown sedge. He had a couple of offers, but was unable to connect with any.

Afterwards, I quickly fished the tail of the pool with the team of wet flies (point: size 14, pheasant tail nymph; middle dropper: size 14, black hopper; top dropper: size 16 treacle parkin with red tag).  

I missed a couple of takes before catching a lively, salmon parr. The commotion it made spooked the other rising fish. Therefore, we continued our journey to the top of the beat.

Fly fishing the Railway Pool

On reaching the Railway Pool, Richard and Mark decided to target the fish rising above the island with the dry fly (point C). Therefore, I moved to the head of the pool and fished the fast water (point A) with the wet flies, but this just produced a few trout and salmon parr.

It was still bright, but I was convinced there was a least one decent fish lurking in the deep, shady run under the overhanging trees. Therefore, I switched to fishing a team of Czech nymphs spaced 18″ apart on 4lb fluorocarbon (point: size 12, red collar black nymph with a 3.5mm tungsten bead; middle dropper: size 16, Hare’s ear with a 1.5mm gold tungsten bead; top dropper: size 16, Hare’s Ear with a 1.5mm tungsten bead).

Start at the head of the pool, I fished down the run with a particular focus on the band of water close to the far bank (point B). Just above the small bush on the far bank….

I had my 1st take and the rod bend round into a decent fish.

After a short struggle, I guided a beautiful, wild brown trout to the net, which had taken the black nymph on the point.

After safely releasing the trout, I continued fishing down the run. On casting the nymphs into the slack water behind the bush the line darted sideways almost immediately. 

On lifting into the take a decent grayling surfaced.

Unfortunately, during the struggle, the grayling threw the hook and it was gone.

I continued fishing downriver until it was too deep to wade but didn’t get any more takes.  Therefore, I went to see how Richard and Mark were getting on…

They’d caught a few fish above the island but were now fishing the tail of the pool below the island (point E). 

On my way down, I noticed that the riffle along the island had a deeper channel (3-4ft) close to the near bank (point D). It felt like there should be a couple of fish held-up there…

I started fishing at the head of the riffle with the team of wet flies. After only made a couple of casts when the line tightened, and the rod bent round as a trout headed off downriver.

After a couple of short runs, I netted a lovely brown trout that had taken the black hopper.

I missed the next couple of takes before catching another trout, which had found the black hopper irresistible.

Next, I waded across to the end of the island and fished the deeper run close to the far bank.

Mark had been fishing down through the run with the dry fly and had caught grayling on his way down. I switched to fish the team of Czech nymphs down through the run to see if I could pick up any fish that were feeding on the riverbed.

Initially, I caught a few small grayling. Then, as the nymphs drifted alongside a large patch of weed, the line stopped and on lifting the rod it bent round into a nice grayling that had taken the Hare’s ear nymph.

I continued fishing down through the run but the takes dried up, but Richard and Mark were still catching fish on the dry fly. Therefore, it was time for me to change my approach…. 

Fly fishing the Upper Bonwm Pool

Earlier, on our way upriver I liked the look of the deep water by alongside the grones at the head of Upper Bonwm Pool. Therefore, I left Richard and Mark to fish through the remainder Railway pool and walked down to fish that area.

Starting at the head of the pool (point A) I fished down through the fast water with the team of wet flies. In the fast run, just passed the rock outcrop I caught a small brown trout on the black hopper and missed a few takes.

Then I hooked a nice grayling in the slacker water close to the far bank, which took off downriver. Eventually, I guided it into the near bank where I netted by best grayling of the day so far. It had fallen for the treacle parking on the top dropper.

Next, I went over the style into the lower field to fish from the rock groyne (point B). There were a few fish rising close on the far side of the main flow, which I covered with the wet flies. 

On the first cast a fish swirled at the flies, the line tightened and the fish made off into the main flow. Once under control, I guided a beautiful, wild brown trout to the net which had taken the black hopper.

Over the next half-hour, I fished down to point C. During this time, I caught several grayling, all of which had taken the treacle parkin.  The last grayling had tangled my leader and because it was nearly dark, I called it a day.

Shortly after packing up, Richard and Mark came down from fishing the tail of the Railway Pool where they’d had some good grayling sport on the dry fly. Then we headed back to the car park.

Overall, it had been a great evening fishing the Rhagatt Hall beat with Richard and Mark. Once the light had the grayling and trout started to feed freely at the surface on a hatch of small flies.

Anyway, tight line until next time, Andrew

PS. If you have fished the Rhagatt Hall beat of the Welsh Dee it would be great to hear of your experiences…