Stillwater · Silurian Mudstone Shale · Wales / Cambrian Mountains (Ceredigion/Powys border, above Talybont), GB-WLS

Llyn Nant y Cagal

A small white and blue rowing boat resting on the grassy bank of a calm upland lake, with bare moorland hills reflected in the water.

Nant y Cagal is the odd one out among Talybont's lakes — part-owned with another party, which in practice means you'll find stocked rainbows mixed in among the wild browns rather than the strict wild-only rule that governs Conach and Dwfn.

Fair · Trout
Minkie · 6-10
Fairlive now
Sedge evening rise expected on Llyn Nant y Cagal
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
64% confidence

Llyn Nant y Cagal is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindNW 8 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
NW 8 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp12°C
CloudClear
Pressure1026 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Trout
When
The sedge is on. Daddy Longlegs may also come into play as the day warms. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. Keep a sedge-style dry or emerger on a short leader for the evening rise. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point. Keep a sedge-style dry or emerger on a short leader for the evening rise. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

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 4 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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
Trout fly box
Bays & launches · 1
Day ticket via Talybont Angling AssociationAccess varies
Part-owned hill lake above Talybont with wild browns and stocked rainbows.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. A small white and blue rowing boat resting on the grassy bank of a calm upland lake, with bare moorland hills reflected in the water.
    A skiff at the old Miners Dam, Llyn Nantycagal
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Nant y Cagal is the odd one out among Talybont's lakes — part-owned with another party, which in practice means you'll find stocked rainbows mixed in among the wild browns rather than the strict wild-only rule that governs Conach and Dwfn. That blend makes it a slightly more forgiving water for a day when the wild fish aren't playing along, without losing the upland character that makes these hill lakes worth the walk. Same club, same ticket bought at the garage or pub in the village, same April-to-September season. It's a good option to keep in your back pocket if the more austere lakes nearby have you blanking — there's usually something willing here.

  • Lake
  • Silurian mudstone shale
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Sedge is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
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