After 20+ years of fly fishing on the Welsh Dee, it’s my pleasure to share how I achieved my first ‘Grand Slam’ in September fishing report, i.e.
catching a grayling, trout, sea trout, and salmon in a single day
On many occasions I’ve caught 3 of the 4 species in a single day on the Welsh Dee but until now the 4th has eluded me.
Welsh Dee – September fishing report
At the start of September, heavy rain rolled in over North Wales and flooded the Welsh Dee; the river level peaked at 1m Manley gauge. This coincided with high tides that hopefully encouraged salmon to migrate upriver.
4th Sept – Salmon fly fishing at Llangollen
On Friday the river had started to clear but had only dropped a little to 0.95m Manley Hall gauge. At this height, Dee Farm is one of the pools at Llangollen that is worth fly fishing for salmon.
So, that was my first port of call…
I could only see the riverbed in about 2-3ft of water. Therefore, I decided to fish a 4″ Monkey copper tube fly on a 10ft sink-tip line using my 11ft 7# Ovris switch rod.
I started fishing about half-way down Dee Farm because higher up the current was too fast for the fly. To slow the swing of the fly around, it was necessary to put upstream mends into the line.
This approach worked a treat…
The line loop was pulled out of my hand, and when I lifted the rod it bent around into a solid take.
Initially, I thought it was a salmon but a lovely sea trout surfaced and made a dash for freedom. Fortunately, the hook held and I guided it safely to the net.
I fished the pool a couple more times but didn’t have another take. Therefore, I went back to the car for lunch and then downriver to try my luck fishing the pool above Horseshoe Falls.
Only the lower section of the pool was fishable with the fly. I felt a couple of plucks at the Monkey tube fly and then a solid take…
On lifting the rod, a greedy brown trout surfaced with the Monkey tube fly in its mouth.
I ended the day fishing the remainder of the pool but only felt a few trout pluck at the fly.
11th Sept – fly fishing at Llangollen
A spell of dry weather had allowed the Welsh Dee to fall to 0.65m (Manley Hall gauge), which opened up more pools to fly fishing.
Earlier in the week, reports of salmon being caught on the Welsh Dee had made me hopeful of finding silver. Therefore, I planned to first fish each pool for salmon and then for trout and grayling.
Fishing Duncans Pool
It was a windy, overcast day and I’d decided to start by fishing Duncan’s Pool because it afforded some shelter from the wind and I hadn’t fished there for a while.
The river running crystal clear I decided to fish a black & silver Ally’s shrimp of a sink-tip line using my Orvis switch rod.
A set-up that had worked for me under the aforementioned conditions.
Fishing the full length of Duncan’s Pool with the salmon fly only produced one take, which turned out to be a beautiful wild brown trout.
Before moving on, I fished the pool for trout and grayling with a team of nymphs (point: #12 olive tungsten jig-back; middle dropper: #16 claret nymph with 1.5mm purple TB; top dropper: #16 quill nymph with 1.5mm TB).
In the fast water at the head of the pool, I caught a couple of small grayling on the claret nymph.
Then, in the drop-off zone opposite the 2nd rock outcrop, my line darted sideway and on lifting into the take the rod it…
bent double a fish shot off downriver.
Carefully, I got the upper hand and guided a beautiful grayling safely to the net, which had fallen for the claret nymph.
Fishing on to the end of the pool with the nymphs produced two smaller grayling that fell for the quill nymph on the top dropper.
I returned to the head of the pool and fished it again with the salmon fly but to no avail. Therefore, I retired to the car for refreshments and planned my next move.
Fishing the Ddol Isad beat
In the gusting westerly wind, I decided to fish the Ddol Isaf beat because its tree line bank offers shelter from the wind.
I walked downriver and fished the Mill Run, which is a great pool for the fly when the river level is between 0.6 and 0.8m.
At the head of the pool, I started fishing by casting over to the far bank and allowing the fly to swing around to the dangle. In the fast current, it was necessary to put upstream mends into the line to slow its swing.
Immediately after mending, the line shot sideways on lifting the rod a trout surfaced.
A few meters below the Mill, a fish swirled at the fly, as I mended the line, and took some line. I thought it was another trout but on lifting the rod…
a salmon that boiled on the surface.
With the reel singing, the salmon took me to the backing before it turned into the deep water close to the far bank. Eventually, I got the upper hand and played it safely into the net.
After a quick photo, the salmon was safely released to continue its migration.
Landing my first salmon 2020 was an excellent feeling, especially after losing 3 salmon earlier in the season.
I moved back upriver and again started fishing opposite the Mill. Just in case, the cock salmon had been lying with a partner.
Using the same approach, I fished the run again which resulted in another light take below the position of the previous one. When I lifted the rod, it bent into…
another salmon
The hook held and after a few minutes of ‘cat & mouse’ I netted my 2nd salmon of the day.
After returning my second salmon, I continued fishing the remainder of the pool to try my luck at catching a third salmon.
This was not to be but…
I ended an astonishing day’s fishing with a sea trout taking me to my first ever…
grayling, trout, sea trout and salmon ‘Grand Slam’
Catching all four species in one day, was a feat that had taken me over 20 years of fly fishing on the Welsh Dee to achieve.
26th September fishIng report Llangollen
After a couple of weeks without rain, a spell of wet and windy weather produced a small spate on the Welsh Dee (0.65m @ Manley Hall), which should have encouraged a few salmon to run into the lower Llangollen beats.
Therefore, for my final salmon fishing trip of September, I ventured out to fish the Ddol Isaa beat below Llangollen.
I started by fishing the Cottage Pool with my trusty black & silver Ally’s shrimp on a sink-tip line but didn’t feel any takes.
To get off the starting block, I fished the pool again for trout and grayling with a team of nymphs (point: #12 black nymph with a 3mm gold TB; middle dropper: #16 olive nymph with a 1.5mm TB: top dropper: #16 claret nymph with a 1.5mm TB).
This did the trick, I caught a grayling on the olive nymph in the drop-off zone, opposite the overhanging tree on the far bank. Fishing the remainder of the pool produced two small grayling, both of which fell for the olive nymph.
Next, I fished the glide below the wood with the salmon fly but only caught a small brown trout. So I moved on to fish the Sludge Pool.
In the tail of the pool, a fish took the salmon fly but when I lifted the rod a grayling splashed on the surface.
After seeing a few more grayling show, I reverted to fishing the tail of the Sludge Pool again with the team of nymphs, which produced a couple of small grayling.
Then, I caught a much better grayling on the claret nymph in the tail of the pool.
While returning the grayling, I heard an angler shouting something from downriver, so I went to investigate…
That is where I met Dafydd, who’d just caught his first Welsh Dee salmon on the fly and he wanted me to take a photo of him holding the salmon.
September fishing report round-up
Overall, September was a great month of fishing for me. I caught my first grayling, brown trout, sea trout, and salmon ‘Grand Slam’, which saw me get off the mark on the salmon front.
Also, there have been reports of salmon being caught on the Welsh Dee from Chester to Bala during September. Hopefully, this will continue until the end of the season.
The improvement in the quality of the Welsh Dee wild brown trout caught during 2020 in a good sign for the future.
A number of wild brown trout in the 2lb bracket have been caught. Also, I know that a…
4lbs brown trout was caught and returned at Llangollen.
Therefore, next year’s brown trout season on the Welsh Dee should produce some great sport.
If you are interested in fly fishing on the Welsh Dee there is some excellent day ticket water at Llangollen and Bangor-On-Dee.
Tight lines, Andrew
PS. If you have some Welsh Dee fishing moments to share please add them to the comments section. Finally, I hope you’ve enjoyed this September fishing report.
Interesting article and congratulations on the slam. I fish a very industrial river, which has a small run of salmon and sea trout but plenty of brownies. But I have never found anyone able to tell me, for certain, how I know I have caught a sea trout rather than a brownie. Any infallible hints?
That is a good question. If sea trout haven’t been in the river too long then they are normally bright silver with black spots. Once they have been in a while they start they turn grey and sometimes pick up a brown tinge and start to look like brown trout. After all brown trout sea trout are genetically the same.
Also, thanks for the feedback on the blog. Cheers, Andrew