THE EDWINSFORD FISHERY

Season 1st April - 17th October (mandatory catch catch & release after 10th October)

Permitted methods: Fly - all season, day and night. Spinner - daylight hours all season in high or coloured water. Worm - daylight hours June 16th - August 31st - only if all else fails! The owners encourage the return of spring fish although anglers have the ultimate choice (new bylaws permitting). All coloured fish should be returned in the interests of conservation. It is hoped that fishermen will always try the fly before using other permitted methods. All fishermen must be in possession of a valid fishing licence for salmon and sewin and must use knotless nets.
All visiting fishermen will be provided with maps of the river together with some detailed notes outlining the best tactics to be used in each pool. The owner or a part-time ghillie will be on hand to give an introduction to the river to any anglers fishing for 3 days or more. 2 part time ghillies are usually £45 per day plus lunch and a tip (must be booked in advance).
With nearly five and a half miles of private double bank fishing this is probably the most significant and varied fishery on the River Cothi - the Cothi is thought to provide around 40% of the total run in the Tywi (Towy) system. Salmon can enter the river in April (although the first fish is not normally caught before June) with grilse runs on any summer spate and an autumn run throughout September until the end of the season. Sewin (sea trout) will run the river from the beginning of the season with the main run starting during or after the first good spate in May, and from this time they will be present at Edwinsford throughout the season although they may be difficult to tempt in low water. There is no doubt that the autumn salmon has improved in recent years - 5 salmon to 14lbs were taken and released on 17th October 2006.

Although a spate river the Cothi holds up remarkably well after a flood with sustained fishing possible for a week if the ground is not too dry. Needless to say on nearly 5 and a half miles with over 60 named pools there is lots of variety with plenty of good fly water and some more inaccessible pools where bait fishing is easier.The lower beats, purchased in March 2006, now offer more variety in low water conditions.
Edwinsford made the national angling press in early 1997 after the remains of a hen salmon estimated to have weighed in excess of 50lbs was found on the bank on the Home Beat. Scale readings indicated that this remarkable fish had spent year 1 in the river before returning to spawn on five separate occasions. Commenting, Dave Mee, the Environment Agency's Environmental Appraisal Officer for Fisheries in Llanelli, said: "This is quite an exceptional fish because the majority of salmon die after spawning, with generally less than five per cent of the population returning to spawn for a second time - a one in 3 million chance. Current available information suggests that no salmon has been recorded in the UK that has completed more migrations than this fish". A cast of the fish (shown below) has been made using photographs taken at the time with the help of an outline traced onto a board scarcely large enough to register its size. Who will catch her brother?

Beat 1 (10 named pools)
The top of the beat is just below a weir approximately three and a half miles north of Talley. The Weir Pool nearly always holds fish in the faster water while the pools down to Dolbont (one of the best night pools) often produce fish before the lower river after a spate. Here the river flows through a wide valley and is generally fished from the north bank with access from the road which follows the south bank or from a track across the fields. Red kites are usually seen in this area, and otters are frequently seen at dawn and dusk.

Beat 2 (7 named pools)
Starting with Nikos, constructed in 1999, which almost immediately yielded its first sewin and salmon and has transformed a featureless run which never produced fish in the past. Six further pools - including fast streamy water, slower glides, The Black, one of the most productive pools at all water heights, and a deeper holding pool in front of the derelict mansion - give variety to this stretch. Below the Upper Garden pool is a private stone bridge, which was rebuilt in 1788, provides useful pedestrian access to the left bank and adds charm to the beat which has always been the most fished due to its proximity to the Edwinsford hamlet. Goshawks sometimes fly across the valley in this area.

Beat 3 (12 named pools)
Williams, another new pool constructed in 1999, adds another dimension to this beat and has already produced some large sea-trout although it was made to improve the salmon fishing! Matthews, below the weir, has now become one of the leading pools. The Moelfre and Brynabon (improved in 2003) pools often produce fish before dark in the evening as the sun sets behind the hill above this stretch. These and the Oak Pool consistently produce fish in most water heights and are straightforward for night fishing.

Beat 4 (8 named and many unnamed pools)
Starting at The Willows, a wonderful streamy pool which has recently been modified, the beat extends down to Upper Hippies. After The Willows the river enters a deeper wooded valley of exceptional beauty and solitude, a private track along the river from Edwinsford being the only access. There are a number of smaller pools and runs waiting to be named after a successful captor. Gordons, a streamy run, was only named in 1999 and has proved a revelation in low water. A new bridge makes this and Beat 3 much more accessible in high water when many of its pools fish well.

Beat 5 (9 named pools)
Probably the most attractive part of the river as it skirts round the edge of Cwm Gwlaw wood, this beat has a very special feel to it. Although access is good from the estate track, there is a sensation of total isolation in this part of the valley. Five new pools have created some deeper streamy water which are now producing fish at night as well as during the day. Poor Colin Parry had his rod broken by a very large fish on this beat in 2000!

Beat 6 (8 named pools)
As this beat is the furthest from the hamlet it has been fished less than the other beats although there is now vehicular access to the bottom of the beat. A number of more adventurous fisherman have already been rewarded with sewin from all of the new pools. This beat fishes longer after a spate although wading is tricky in high water. The new bottom pool, The Stump, is the first real stopping place on the river for nearly half a mile. A new bridge at the bottom of this beat will give better access to some of the best pools on this beat.

Beats 7 & 8 - formerly Ty Mawr

We have recently purchased the adjoining estate giving us just over a mile of additional double bank fishing. Originally part of the Edwinsford Estate this was a particularly productive part of the fishery particularly in low water during the summer months. Being lined with trees and with much broken water there is certainly a good chance of a fish during daylight hours. Some mprovements have been made to these beats and fuller notes will be provided once we are completely familiar with the pools. An extension to the estate track is being made to give better access to these beats.

The fishery was bought by the present owners at the end of the 1997 season. Records prior to this date are somewhat sketchy; one owner part-let the fishing to a syndicate while the most recent owner mainly fished only at weekends and the normally productive method of night fishing for sewin was seldom practised. In 1992, a wet year, over 350 sewin were caught with over 40 salmon in addition - it is encouraging that Dan Hawkins’ sewin in ‘98 was the earliest recorded sewin caught on the Edwinsford water within recent memory, and the first fish in ‘99, 2000 and 2004 were caught on the same date. However, being a smaller river the Cothi should have good water to fish well during the day and the fishing may be very challenging in daytime in low water - in 1998, our first letting year, catches started in earnest in early June although many fish were in evidence in May, with most sewin coming to the fly even if the worm might have been more productive. 1999 also started well with the first fish in April and a number of big fish, some in double figures, lost in the first half of May - this is undoubtedly the underestimated month and offers the best chance of a monster sewin. It has been noticeable that the stealthy and innovative fisherman has managed to catch more fish, especially in the most difficult conditions - an employee from the Environment Agency, fishing here in June ‘99, described the tail of Dolbont on beat 1 as “heaving with fish” and then proceeded to catch a lot! Sizeable shoals of good-sized sewin can sometimes be seen in several pools in low water and they are often catchable at night except on misty evenings - a decent sized sewin caught on the fly at night must rank as one of life’s greatest excitements! Settled water produces the best night fishing, and August is becoming the most productive month, possibly because anglers on family holidays can only escape after dark! The odd salmon is sometimes caught if we have decent water after mid-June although the main run is during September and October. The largest fly-caught sewin in ‘99 weighed in at seven and a half pounds, with one of six and a half pounds in 2000 and fish of over 9 pounds in 2003 and 2004 and a "monster" already lost in 2005. Many others in the 4-6 lb bracket have been caught caught. 2 sewin of over 7 pounds were caught in 2001 although fewer smaller “schoolies” were caught until the back end. Needless to say all fishermen are now required to record details of their catch and we have learned considerably from anglers’ reports.

Most of the river is now perfectly accessible to those unable (or unwilling!) to walk far. The track along the lower river has been considerably improved, with any car able to reach the top of beat 6 - a 4-wheel drive or car with better clearance is advised to get to the very bottom of beat 6.

Anglers are usually given 2 beats per day (one upper & one lower) on a rotating basis at dawn - single anglers may be asked to share 3 beats with one other angler.
The river is seldom more than 20 yards wide and is easily fished with an 11’ single-handed rod. A 12’6” double-hander gives more line control for salmon in high water, while a brook rod is easier to handle and adds to the excitement in the wooded areas. Even a one and a half pound sewin is fun on light tackle. Light lines (preferably 6 or less) and long leaders (12ft+) are advised during low water conditions. Chest waders are stronly recommended on beats 4, 5 and 6 and as it is easier to stay in the river rather than climbing in and out to avoid the deeper parts.

Very small conventional sea-trout flies can work during the day, with small 1” tubes, tandem flies, Waddingtons and Surface lures being especially successful at night.

Edwinsford is also ideal for non-fishing family members. Being close to good accomodation the river is convenient if the rest of the family want to go sightseeing, visit the coast or go on expeditions. In the summer months the fishing tends to be better early in the morning and for the last hour and a half before dark and into the night. This leaves the middle of the day free for the family. Evening barbecues by the river have been known to ruin intentions for night fishing!

Gyrodactylus Salaris. Anglers will no doubt have heard of the effect of this disease which has decimated stocks of many rivers in Norway and is believed to be present in many other countries. The only form of eradication is the destruction of all fish stocks in the river - such a thought does not bear contemplation! At a time when many anglers travel far and wide in the pursuit of their quarry, the risk of transfer from one river system to another is great. As far as it is known the spores can only survive under damp conditions, and it is now common practice to require all anglers to dry all their equipment when moving from one river to another - at Edwinsford we must insist on this. In practical terms this means that waders, wading sticks, lines, flies and nets must be thoroughly dry before fishing commences. This may seem pedantic but it is only by demanding and publicising safe practices that we can protect our precious resources.

Visiting anglers should be aware of a relatively new bylaw requiring knotless landing nets to be used from 1st April 1998. There were no prosecutions in 1998 but EA bailiffs have been enforcing the new rule since 1999 - you have been warned!

The owners retain the right to fish 2 rods at all times but this right is seldom exercised and usually only when the river is not being fished to its true potential.

The cost of fishing at Edwinsford is:
April 1st - April 26th £25 per 24 hours (£130 per week)
April 27th - May 26th £27.50 per 24 hours (£175 per week)
May 25th - October 17th £37.50 per 24 hours (£225 per week)
Fishing is usually let on a weekly basis although shorter lets may be arranged if it is possible to arrange for keys and beats to be allocated.