Fishing Wales: River Teifi - Fishing Visit Wales

What this article will present is basically the; ‘how, when, where’ of sea-trout fishing, and, when possible, money saving tips for those desiring the ‘sea-trout on a shoestring’ option.
Faced with the tackle dealers and the; ‘boy in a toyshop’ scenario, you may be lead to believe with the plethora of tackle specifically designated for the sea-trout angler, that a fortune must be spent on re-kitting to enter this branch of fluff chucking. In earnest this couldn’t be further from the truth.
“The majority of the lines and rods possessed by the average Stillwater trout angler are more than adequate for sea-trout angling.”
Undoubtedly the thought of fishing moving water with a greater flow than a pond-inlet, along with the trepidations involved, sows seed of serious doubt and inability in some. The thought of doing so in complete darkness would then seem insane; ‘Russian roulette with a fly-rod’. A sensible suggestion would be to start off daytime fishing on your target rivers, slowly progressing into the blackness as confidence and exuberance slowly exceeds your prohibitions and uncertainties.
To quieten the cynics, and to prove how easy it can be for the small Stillwater or reservoir angler to enter this sport, Cliff Waters was invited to spend a couple of days on the Teifi in West Wales. Cliff, although being a well travelled and hard-wearing angler, had never tried this type of angling before thus making him an ideal candidate.
Arriving at the riverbank, Cliff seemed well togged. One of the first tasks was going to be to describe to Cliff what the ideal gear for sea-trout fishing is, and to check if what he had brought with him was suitable. As a recommendation the ideal rod for the job would be a 10ft for an 8 line with a middle to tip or tip action, this calibre of rod not only enables you to control and beat heavy fish but would also assist you in turning over some of the heavier flies. Saying that, however, a rod-length between 9ft-10 ½ ft rated for lines between 7 and 9 would suffice.

Like most fly-anglers nowadays, I have a preference to arbour reels, but any reel with a decent drag system capable of holding a wf8 line and 100yds of backing is ideal. As for the fly lines, there are only 3 basic fly lines you really need to get you sea trout fishing; a floating, sink-tip and intermediate line. One line that I wouldn’t go sea-trout fishing without is a Cortland 15ft ghost tip, with its green running line it enables you to partly monitor the position of your flies at night even though the tip is submerged. If you prefer not to indulge in a new fly-line, however, an attachable intermediate leader will suffice. A tip for the newcomer, in regards to fly lines, would be to overload your rod by one line weight when night fishing. As casts are rarely made exceeding 15 metres, doing so would have no repercussions on your rod, it would however definitely aid your night casting as the rod will load quicker and handle the heavier flies better.
A few other essentials that should be carried are; a minimum of 2 torches, one of which should be easily accessible on a lanyard or zinger (avoid excessive use of the torch as it destroys your night vision, also avoid shining the torch over the area to be fished for prolonged periods as this can affect the fishing). Some strong nylon, a minimum breaking strain of 10lbs is recommended for night fishing (No need for expensive fluorocarbon, I tend to carry a bulk spool of green carp leader; it’s strong, reliable and cheap thus new leaders can be made for each session). This heavy nylon is essential not only for standing a chance of landing a decent sea-trout, but also to assist turnover of heavy flies, minimise tangles and also to maximise your chances of getting your flies back from the hungry trees.
The last few pieces of essential kit would be a pair of chest waders and some form of buoyancy aid, rivers can be dangerous even in summer low conditions so don’t take the risk. Even though you probably won’t be wading in over waist deep, a decent pair of breathable chest waders and some wading boots offer unparalleled comfort and stability. Another essential piece of kit is a salmon and sea-trout rod licence. If you’re intending to fish for only one or two days for sea-trout then it may be cheaper to get day licences, if however you intend to pursue them for longer then you should upgrade your trout licence (take your trout licence into your post office and then you only pay the difference between the costs of the two).
On inspection what Cliff had brought with him was adequate, even though some of his ‘budgie-imitating’ flies were politely banished. As we settled on the riverbank waiting for the sun to set and for battle to commence I gave Cliff a general rundown on the quarry, discussing some points that would aid any newcomer to the sport.
Sea-trout, as proven by scientists, are genetically the same species as brown trout. Due to the need for richer feeding, or the lack of food in their native streams, however, they turn seawards gorging off the British coastline on all manner of crustaceans and baitfish. Their instinct then draws them back to their birth-streams for the sole purpose of reproduction. Spawning takes place from November onwards yet their return may begin as early as March, the main body of fish, however, don’t tend to enter most river systems until May-July. Come July/August any sea-trout river worth noting would have a fair head of fish in them, thus making them prime months to target the quarry (the main run may vary from river to river, therefore it’s advisable to contact the angling club or tackle shop near the respective river for clarification).
Perhaps stemming from feeding habits obtained at sea, although is should be mentioned that brown trout do feed at night too, sea-trout take the fly far more readily under the cover of darkness than in the daytime on most rivers. As such this is the best chance of making contact, but beware don’t start too early as you may see your chances diminish rapidly. As a rule of thumb when you can’t make out the foliage on the opposite bank, give it ten minutes then start, sunset is not counted as darkness. As for river and weather conditions; a clear river recently subsided from a spate is ideal, complimented by a cloudy sky, and warm, muggy conditions. In stark contrast coloured water, combined with a moon and mist make for very unfavourable sea trout conditions.
Another factor, which I tend to watch quite closely, is atmospheric pressure changes. I monitor this to such a degree and think that it can affect fishing sufficiently that I have a watch that monitors pressure change as I’m fishing. Different pressures, rising or falling etc. can position sea-trout in different parts of the pool, and indeed bring them on the take or put them off. As a rule of thumb a rising barometer outfishes a falling barometer, and an unsettled barometer usually means unsettled fishing. Best of all is a constant barometric pressure with minimal fluctuations usually equating to a period of settled weather.
Following this brief introduction, and before it got too dark, it was time to assemble the cast and choose some armoury. Luckily sea-trout aren’t leader shy, neither is there any need for long leaders to be used. For a 2 fly cast a 9ft leader would more than suffice, indeed for sink-tip or any sinking line work an 8ft leader is ideal. To begin the night a single hook fly is chosen for the dropper, suitable patterns to try are; teal blue & silver, butcher, silver sparklers, conemara black, dunkeld etc. alternatively try one of the patterns shown; the ‘Tangent’ or the ‘Deuoni’. As a few fish were seen moving in some fairly shallow water the Deuoni was opted for on the dropper and a small black and silver ½ inch tube fly on the point. Point fly choice can vary from a normal single hook pattern, double or treble hook patterns through to tube flies, the secret is to ‘chop and change’; avoid fishing the same run with the same flies more than once, especially if the fish are stationery. For your first few sea trout sessions, if you find that the 2 fly cast is a bit too much to handle, limit yourself to a single fly on a 8ft leader and progress to a 2 or 3 fly cast as your confidence increases.
As the water to be fished firstly was a glide and a tail of a pool, with a depth not exceeding 4ft, a floating line was chosen with a 9ft 12lbs leader. Everything attached, Cliff was ready to make a cast into the now perfect darkness. As we approached the riverside I talked Cliff through some final pointers on how to fish for sea-trout and maximise his chances of hooking one. Firstly get your bearings, try to visualise what’s in front of you if you’re night vision isn’t great, remembering some landmarks like the end of a tree etc would help this. Fishing through the pool in the daytime would also aid this and would also help you to uncover any dangerous wading points. Start by casting a short line, as sometimes sea-trout lie very close in and lining them may just send them running for cover. If you are faced with a moderate to fast current then the cast should be aimed slightly downstream, if there is very little flow then the cast is better aimed straight across to maximise the natural movement of the fly.

The rod tip should be positioned very close to the water surface, and retrieves should be a steady but constant figure of eight retrieve. Generally speaking; a moderate retrieve rate for slow moving water and a slow retrieve rate for a moderate to fast flow. Sea-trout swipe at a fly very quickly, thus one must be on their guard at all times, if a take is felt strike fast! If not chances are you’ll miss it. The take from a sea-trout can be so ferocious at times that it can rip the line from your hand as you are retrieving it, rendering the angler’s strike useless.
The first evening passed fairly uneventful, with Cliff trying to make sense of this peculiar sport. Cliff, as the majority of newcomers to the sport, found it hard to judge distance at night and also monitor where the fly line was. In summer low conditions, sea-trout like nothing more than to hide under overhanging trees, at such times it is imperative to get your fly as close as possible to them, a task that is only effectively achieved after many a sea-trout outing. Some casts would land a couple of metres short other a few metres too far, with obvious consequences. A tip that I passed on to Cliff was to start with a short line then gradually extend you line until you just clip the tree. By the end of the first night’s session Cliff had made some drastic improvements and confidence was high for the second night.
Arriving at the riverbank the following night, well rested, the conditions mimicked that of the night before but the results were to be very different. Armed with the same fly set-up as the night before, Cliff was brimming with confidence and rightly so. Left to his own devices, I stood a couple of paces to Cliff’s left gripping the net expectantly. It wasn’t long before the action began, and within the first half hour Cliff had hooked 4 sea-trout; landed 2 and lost 2 including one which looked 3lbs+. We fished the glide through in a cast and step manner, starting at the top making a cast then taking a step downstream covering the water efficiently.
As you progress into the night, sport can dry-up on the smaller flies you began the night with, at such a time a change should be done. I tend to carry a second rod ready equipped with such a setup, equipped with either a sink-tip or sinking line. After changing Cliff’s flies for some larger alternatives I headed for some deeper water with the sinking line teamed with 8ft 15lbs nylon cast, a 1 ½ black and red tube on the point and a ‘tangent’ on the dropper (so named because of the many tangents you can go off on when tying it, all of which mentioned will catch sea-trout). It wasn’t long before I joined in on the sport, latching into a few smaller sea-trout before landing a more sizeable one of some 2 ½ lbs. Cliff hadn’t peaked to early either and made contact with a few more, missing a few and losing a few more.
All in all it turned out to be a very successful first sea-trout experience for Cliff, and with the glint in his eye I need not have asked if he would return to try night fishing in the future.
The underlying beauty of sea-trout fishing is its accessibility, they can be found in nearly every corner of the UK, or within a short driving distance. Get in touch with the clubs on these rivers and see if they offer a guiding service, or offer open days to new/perspective members or have kind-hearted members who may be willing to show you the ropes or the river. Who knows with a little help you may have night fishing coursing through your veins like many a convert has experienced.
More information.
Steffan Jones operates a guiding service in the summer months, and can also be contacted for further advice or recommendations.
Contact:
steffan@fishsport.co.uk
mobile: 07879 898 344