September 19th and 20th 2025
As the 2025 Trout season drawers to a close, I thought I would have a final fling at two remote, little known brown trout waters locations, in the Hills of the Ceredigion County, 10 miles south west of Devils Bridge area.
Both can be found in the book written by Ceri Thomas and Alan Parfitt, “Wild Lakes of Wales” which I recommend. Llyn Frongoch 18 acres, and Pond Rhosrydd 19 acres, are numbered 29 and 45 in the book on OS map 147, grid ref 708764 & 725754 and are only a few miles apart from each other. These waters/reservoirs were part of a set of five waters all feeding the main Frongoch mine and a few smaller ones.
Both these two of the original five small reservoirs were built circa 1900, to collect and store water for the local Lead, Zinc, Tin, and Silver mines, to drive and operate water wheels, steam engines, washing materials equipment and pumps, which in the case of the Frongoch being the biggest producing 100,000 tons of minerals. The water wheel was 40ft diameter and in later years the depth of the mine was 825ft. I persuaded Tony Mitchell to join me on this 2 day fishing trip as we like so many of us, this year have struggled with the catches due to the weather conditions and lack of rain.
This area although mountainous is more like rolling hills of grass, the lower levels being mostly grazing and dairy fields, and as the land rises it turns to gorse and heather only 920ft above sea level, so quite rich in flies and especially in September, Daddies and Heather flies, being blown of the hills along with Beetles, Hoppers and Nymphs. We are fishing Pond Rhosrydd first, using traditional Welsh flies.
My choice are on the point a colourful wet Scottish/Welsh Loch fly on a 10, on the middle dropper is a “Y Fachddu“ Welsh silk fly on a 10, and on the top another Welsh fly, the Red Heather fly on a 10. I am on a 10ft 7w rod, Rio dry line and an 6lb leader as probably will be battling with the weeds.
As for the conditions, water temp 15.5-degrees, light wind and dry, and clear water with plenty of dragon flies around.
Pond Rhosrydd
Tony’s 1st choice is on the point a small purple bead headed colourful nymph and a black spider. It’s fair to say we both changed flies many times and had a few pulls but none connected to the net. The location was beautiful but not the most easy of walking around, too many tussocks, reeds and mounds to navigate and much swamp and marsh ground around the edges of the water, along with the reed beds making it difficult to cast. Then add the 1and half mile track round the field to the parking area (at least 5 spaces) this site is only for the adventures and brave. If we had fished this location on Saturday with the rain, we would have had to fit chains on to get out, slippery slate rocks and wet grass combined with the slope.
We both fished off the old dam wall, as it was in its day but now only a raised ridge of grass bank. Behind us as we were fishing of the dam wall is another Pond, Pond Glandwgan which is a short walk on a lower level. This is fed by Pond Rhosrydd another AAA water which has a good selection of Brown Trout.
Llyn Frongoch
These waters are controlled by AAA – Aberystwyth Angling Association and day tickets from the passport office. Both these waters are about 14 miles from our town hotel in Tregaron.
The second day we are fishing Llyn Frongoch, water temp 15 degree, misty and continual rain all day, originally stocked with Loch Leven Brown Trout in the 1900 and that strain is still evident to day. I class this the best water I have fished in Wales for some time, AAA has 2, I expect 4/6 berth caravans 30ft long in tidy surrounds with a walk way to its own pier and boat mooring oars only, but you can take your own electric motor, the boat is included in the caravan rent (approx. £475 per week). This water is also with reeds and weeds. We fished the same set up as the day before, Tony switched to a smaller single fly and was rewarded with a stunning 2lb Brown trout and 2 Rainbows all excellent fish. This location is stunning, rolling hills surrounding it, plenty of vegetation, trees, bushes overhang the water, ideal for boat casting. Easy accessible with good access steel gates, tidy paths and seat benches scattered around. Unfortunately for us it rained all day and very heavy from 11.00, so we gave up at 2.00pm, all clothes, boots, hats in the boiler room till the next day when we were informed to be careful going back as Tregaron is in dip and most roads are flooded and roads closed.
Wild Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
But overall a great weekend with Tonys brilliant catches, I blanked again! Getting a bit of a habit so we come to the end of another season what a strange one, dry rivers, very low still waters, and reservoirs on their knees, then in a toss of a coin were are in floods and rivers are in flood mode. For me I now look forward to the Grayling season and let’s hope that’s better.
Llyn Frongoch is in the diary for next year as it was so good but with a boat and a boat seat for me and a single or 2 fly set up for me, as it worked well for Tony.
Andrew Ayres
Worcester FD, Gloucester & Cheltenham FD, Grayling Society and Ludlow FD & FDG member.
September 19th & 20th ,2025.
Worcester Fly Dressers 