Stillwater · Old Red Sandstone · Wales / Brecon Beacons (Taff Valley), GB-WLS

Beacons Reservoir

Beacons Reservoir venue image

Beacons is the highest of the three Taff Valley reservoirs and the most properly wild — fifty-two acres of upland water mostly populated by wild brown trout, with a handful of large rainbows still circulating from older stockings.

Good · Rainbow
Minkie · 6-10
Goodlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Beacons Reservoir
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Fishable ripple — drift the productive shore.
69% confidence

Beacons Reservoir is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 23 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 49 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 49 km/h
SW 23 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp12.7°C
Air temp13°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1026 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
South-western end

A southwesterly has held for 7 hours, running colder than the water (11°C air against 13°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Beacons Reservoir.
Where
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

If the main plan stalls, drop to a size 14–16 midge — switch to a washing-line or suspender rig and change drift line before you change food group.

Watch for

Sedge should come on through the afternoon as the water warms.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
Bays & launches · 1
Beacons Reservoir — day ticket via Fishing PassportAccess varies
Day-ticket catch-and-release fishing for wild brown trout and a few surviving stocked rainbows on the highest of the Taff Valley reservoirs.
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What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Beacons Reservoir's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
Llyn Cwm Llwch
4.0 km
Brown trout
Llwyn-on Reservoir
7.0 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Talybont Reservoir
11 km
Brown trout
Afon Cynon
16 km
Brown trout
Llyn y Fan Fach
19 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Beacons is the highest of the three Taff Valley reservoirs and the most properly wild — fifty-two acres of upland water mostly populated by wild brown trout, with a handful of large rainbows still circulating from older stockings. Fly only, which is the right rule for water like this. The reservoir opens 20 March and runs to early October. Bookable on day-ticket via the Fishing Passport — £14.50 catch-and-release, £9 juniors. The setting is what makes it: high Brecon Beacons sky, the cwm steepening behind you, and the kind of wind that decides what kind of day you'll have.

  • Reservoir
  • Old red sandstone
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 20 March → 12 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Boards & regulators