Llyns Blaenmelindwr and Rhosgoch

Each year at Easter we aim to explore more of the Aberystwyth Angling Association waters and decided to try Llyns Blaenmelindwr and Rhosgoch this year.  I think the drive into the llyns is quite spectacular as there are few places in the UK where you get the feeling that you are in the “outback” and this is certainly one of those places.  Once at Blaenmelindwr it can be a bit busy with plenty of cyclists, many of whom have cycled up from Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre, as well as walkers. While this may not be an issue for many I would prefer solitude in this kind of a location. On this occasion while I was fishing along the dam wall a family walked passed with the kids merrily chucking rocks into the water and the adults throwing a stick into the water tor their labrador to fetch. Needless to say I moved and didn’t bother fishing the remainder of that section.  Being close together and within easy walking distance of each other the two llyns can be fished on the same day and offer quite different settings.

Blaenmelindwr is 6 ha in size, a rounded figure 8 in shape with about 1 km of shoreline. While the drive into the lake is uphill and the llyn is at an altitude of 328 m it does not have has that upland feel, probably owing to the surrounding forestry. Its 96 ha catchment is dominated by coniferous woodland with moderate acid grassland and small pockets of shrubland.  Consequently, the water has a low alkalinity but is gin clear.  The water level in blaenmelindwr was lower than I recall when I last visited, so much so that you could walk the entire length of the wall at its base. The lake has an average depth of 3.1 m and with the low water situation is probably much shallower than usual.  The margins were also accessible to wading in most parts and obstructions/spurs on the bank that would ordinarily have required leaving the water could be waded passed. Wading was a little tricky as the base of the lake is comprised largely of slate shards and rocks which were not always stable. While I didn’t take a line tray it would have been helpful to prevent the line getting snagged on rocks with sharp edges at your feet.  It was a bright day with a light SSW breeze but no action was visible on the surface despite there being a small hatch of stone flies. Wet flies likewise yielded little response. I took heart from the fact that 3 other anglers, who dabbled there for an hour or two, likewise came away empty handed.

I moved up to Rhosgoch given it is a short 5 minute walk up the hill from Blaenmelindwr.  The weather was turning with thick cloud rolling in and the wind had picked up which made fishing interesting on this much more exposed lake.  Rhosgoch is a smaller llyn at 3 ha and is elongated along an axis running SSE-NNW.  Its 15 ha catchment is dominated by acid grassland with small pockets of shrubland and consequently has a low alkalinity.  The wind was howling right down the lake from the SSE.  Local advice had been to give the west bank a try which made for interesting casting for right handers.  The bank was easily accessible albeit in parts the bank behind you is steep requiring careful casting. Nothing doing here either. The shallow margins of the lake were packed with frogs seeking partners while the banks were littered with their body parts (the predator was not in evidencee). A quick chat to a local who had fished all round the lake for several hours and had no success indicated that it just wasn’t the day and everyone had drawn a blank.

While rural in location both llyns are fairly close to amenities should they be required – Toilets are available at Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre which is 15 minutes drive away, where there is also a café for a brew and to warm up along with a number of short walks that are worth exploring, e.g. the miners trail, as well as red kite feeding daily at 3pm (summertime; 2pm winter time). Other activities that the family might enjoy:

1. Walk devils bridge falls circular walks (30 mins to 2 hours)
2. Have lunch at the railway café, station at Devils Bridge (1 hour)
3. Have an ice-cream at Devils Bridge falls (20 mins)
4. Visit the chocolate shop at Devils Bridge (20 mins)
5. Explore local geocaches on the way in or out (30 mins to 1 hour)
6. Walk circular route – Blaenmelindwr, Llyn Pendam, Llyn Syfydrin (1.5 – 3 hours)
7. Catch the Vale of Rheidol steam train to Aberystwyth (2 – 3 hours)
8. Visit the butterfly farm (1 hour/visit; combine with StatKraft Visitor Centre)
9. Visit the StatKraft visitor centre (30 minutes if you get out before the kids spot the café)
10. Have a lemonade (pint for dad) on the Hafod Hotel patio overlooking Devils bridge (Duration depends on how many “lemonades” you have)

Tight Lines

Greg