The Gwent Angling Society has two tree-lined beats covering several miles on the lower Afon Llynfi (Powys) near Glasbury  and, if you like intimate small river fishing, then these are definitely for you, and a short brook rod from 7ft to 8’6’’ is ideal.

Our shorter upstream beat is faster flowing with a mixture of bedrock, gravel- bottomed gutters and pools separated by short falls, tails and necks. In contrast, the downstream beat has much less bedrock. It is more pastoral and is characteristic of a more mature, meandering river with bends, riffles and larger and longer pools.

The Llynfi is a wild brown trout fishery but the river also has a grayling population sustained by the population in the Wye, allowing it to be fished in the winter months. As well as other insects, because the lower Llynfi is also quite silty, it has an excellent classic Mayfly (Ephemera danica) hatch between May and July. Dipper, kingfisher, heron, buzzard and red kite will keep you company, with the backdrop of the Black Mountains not too many miles distant, and a pub selling excellent Butty Bach just down the road!

Sadly, with the river recovering really well from a fish kill in 2016, it suffered from another catastrophic fish kill in July 2020, so please be reminded that both beats are catch and release only. Also, as with the club’s other fisheries, please use barbless hooks and treat every fish with great care – they are the Llynfi’s future and we need every one of them.