One of Wales’ most important rivers, the Dee is a major salmon fishery. Salmon, the biggest usually about 30 lb, are most often caught in the section lying between Shocklach up to Bala Lake, the huge water where the Dee has its birth. They are also taken in tributaries like the Alwen and Tryweryn. The spring run begins in January with peak catches coming from March through to June. Summer runs begin in July with fish being caught further up river as the season progresses.
The sea trout tend to be small, their main run being in July and August. Brown trout do not run large in the river though big fish have been taken in Bala . The river also has a large population of coarse fish. Grayling predominate in the upper reaches with pike, some more than 20 lb, being found throughout. From Llangollen downstream, coarse fish, especially chub, dace, and roach increase. Bream are more likely below Bangor. The Dee is one of those rivers rumoured to have been illegally stocked with barbel. The WNWDA recently issued strong warnings that serious action would be taken against anyone found committing this offence.
From its source in Bala Lake, the Dee flows north-east to Corwen then on to Llangollen and Bangor where it swings north to Farndon and Chester below which it enters its long estuary flanked by Walesto the south-west and the Wirral peninsula to the north-east. Ticket facilities vary enormously on the Dee, ranging from the easy to the impossible. In some areas, visitors would seem to have been misbehaving for though ticket facilities are known by us to exist their controllers have insisted that absolutely no publicity be given tothem in this Guide. In fairness, it should be added that other organisations seem to adopt the friendliest of attitudes to potential visitors. Rod Licence: WNWDA (Dee and Clwyd Rivers Division) Bala, GwyneddM700 yards from Bala New Bridge (ie point where Dee flows out of Bala Lake) BB DT: ATS (W. E. Pugh, High Street, Bala or R. E. Evans, Bradford House, Bala)e
Bangor-on-Dee, ClwydM4 miles from Overton Bridge to Bangor
BridgeBB
DT: K or AITS (H. Jones, Ruabon
Road, Wrexham or V. Guest, Bryn-
Hovah, Bangor)!
Cefn, ClwydCT1 J miles from
Pontcysyllte Bridge to Viaduct
Pool,NewbridgeBB
DT: AK (Mr. Parry, Queen’s Villa,
Queen Street, Cefn) or AAA (MaelorAA)
Chester, CheshireCFrom kissing gates down to suspension bridgeLB
Free fishing
Chester, CheshireCFrom
Queensferry Old Bridge to seaBB (whereaccessible)
Free fishing
Chester, CheshireCFrom Chester
Weir to Old Dee Bridge, Chester (BB), between Greenway Street and River Lane (LB), from one meadow below Grosvenor Bridge to Railway Bridge (LB) Free fishing where accessible
Chester, CheshireC13 miles from meadow near old water intake above Dirty Lane down to Chester Weir (known locally as The Meadows). NB: Therearesome gaps and where they occur, fishing isfree.LB
DT: ATS (Martin’s, Bridge Street, Chester)
Chester, CheshireCTS2 miles from Holt to Lower Hall and J mile atBerwynRB
DT: AAA (Liverpool and Dist AA)
Chester, CheshireC5 miles from
Chester Weir to Queensferry Old
Road Bridge. NB: There are some gaps butwhere these occurfishing isfreeBB
DT: ATS (Martin’s Tackle, Bridge
Street, Chester)
Chester, CheshireC3J miles from
Crook o’Dee to Chester Weir
Free fishing
Coed Llwyd, ClwydT “ 11 mile from Brickworks Pool, Little GleisiadtoSun Pool, Coed LlwydRB DT:(L2)AAA (Chirk AA)
Erbistock, ClwydCTS200yards in front of Boat Inn LB
DT: AP (Boat Inn, Erbistock)
Erbistock, ClwydTS1] miles in areaRB
DT: AP (Golden Pheasant Hotel,
Llwynmawr)
Farndon,CheshireC400 yards upstream of Farndon Bridge (bordering car park)RB
Freefishing
Farndon, CheshireC1 mile extending upstream from Farndon
BridgeLB
DT: ATS (Martin’s, Bridge Street,
Chester)
Glyndyfrdwy,ClwydC(Grayling)
TS — (forT) 1J miles on former
Glyndyfrdwy Preserve
DT: AH (Berwyn Arms Hotel,
Glyndyfrdwy)e
Llangollen, ClwydMExtent of hotel gardensRB —-Hand. T:Llangollen 860303. 60 rooms (254 l)
Llangollen, ClwydTS Section in area, mainly consisting of Major
PoolLB
DT: (L2)TO (premisesadjoining bank) or ATS (Llangollen)Mar 1-
Oct
Llangollen, ClwydCTS400 yards nearhotelLB
DT: AH(PonsonbyArms,
Llangollen)
Llangollen, ClwydCTSj mile below Old Vicarage LB
DT: ATS (Cambrian Fly Fishery,
The Old Vicarage, Trevor,
Llangollen)
Llanuwchllyn, GwyneddT4 miles from source to lakeBB
DT: ATS (Bala)PO (Llanuwchllyn)
Newbridge, ClwydM2] miles from Tallyho Bridge to Ram Brook (known as the Wynnstay Waters)AB
DT:(L20)AP(Roya10ak, Newbridge)
Dee (Welsh) Records
Match Catch Record: 57-6-0 K Bean in Chester AA match Sept 1
Chub: 6-14-0 Wharding (flake) Nov 1
Grayling: 2-13-0 J Shepherd (worm) Dec 1
Pike: 25-4-0 T Webster Mar 1
Salmon : 42-0-0 captor & date unknown “thisfish was officially recorded by the former Dee and Clwyd River
Authority
Sun Trevor, ClwydCTS13 miles from Golf Links Bridge AB DT: (L3forS)AAA(MaelorAA) Worthenbury, Denbighshire, ClwydCT25 miles from a point mile above Horseshoe Bend down to Shocklach. NB: This northern AA fishery excludes two sections leased by Llay AS which are marked by notice boardsRB DT: B or AAA (Northern AA) Associations: St. Helen’s AA; Warrington AA; Llay AS; Liverpool & District AA; Dee Anglers’ Association.
