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
Good drifting conditions on Llyn Nant y Cagal
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
58% confidence

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

What moved it
  • WindNW 22 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 32 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 32 km/h
NW 22 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp11.3°C
Air temp7°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftNW wind
North-western end

A northwesterly has held for 9 hours, running colder than the water (9°C air against 11°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered north-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 Trout
When
The lake olive is on. Sedge 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. 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. 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

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

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 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
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
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Llyn Nant y Cagal — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Llyn Dwfn
2.0 km
Brown trout
Llyn Conach
3.0 km
Brown trout
Nant y Moch Reservoir
4.0 km
Brown trout
Llyn Penrhaeadr
4.0 km
Brown trout · Perch
Llyn Craig-y-Pistyll
5.0 km
Brown trout
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
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Lake Olive is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
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