Season Rods

Many anglers prefer to secure their fishing for the season, safe in the knowledge that they are guaranteed fishing on a beat of their choice. Traditionally, season rods have been for a named day per week and many Wye and Usk fisheries still operate on this basis. New, more flexible systems are becoming more common, however.

For details of season rods on specific fisheries, please see the links below.

River Dee (North Wales)

Bryn-y-Pys

Bryn-y-Pys water encompasses four beats between Erbistock and Bangor-on-Dee on the middle reaches of the Welsh Dee. It has some of the most productive salmon water on the river but it is also renowned for grayling and trout. 25 salmon were caught in 2021 and the average weight was 12lb. The heaviest fish caught was 25lb. The length of the beats exceed 200m and the majority of the beats have excellent fly fishing water with a range of high and low water pools. All the beats have good fly fishing and wading is relatively easy. The vast majority of the beats are prime double bank fishing and most have off road fishing.

Since the rod numbers are limited to two rods per beat, it ensures that the water is never over-fished. Rods rotate beats each week.

Please contact us if you are interested.

River Wye

Abernant

Just under 1 mile of mostly left bank fishing on the upper Wye, a few miles downstream of Builth Wells. Abernant offers the salmon anglers two excellent high water salmon pools: Lady Alexander's Catch and Abernant Stream. The Edw Pool and Stone Catch are well worth a cast too. Abernant also holds good numbers of trout and grayling and for the coarse anglers some sizeable chub and dace.

The riverbed is a mostly gravel so wading is relatively easy for an upper Wye beat. The Stone Catch and Edw Pool are more boulders and bedrock so wading is difficult in places there. Chest waders are required to get the best out of the fishing, with stud or stud/felt soles mandatory. There is a 200m (218 yard) walk from the parking spot to the mid section of the river.

Season rods can fish every day of the week, subject to availability. Rods can book their day in advance or on the day using the online booking system.

Please click here for more information.

Please contact us if you are interested.

GLLR; Gromain & Upper Llanstephan, Llangoed & Lower Llanstephan, The Rectory

GLLR comprises three adjacent upper Wye salmon beats which have been some of the most productive on the whole river. They are ideally suited to fly fishing but, in common with all upper river beats, are dependent on favourable water flows to give a good chance of a salmon.

All three beats offer excellent trout and grayling fishing too. The Bridge Flats and Gravel Catch of The Rectory are two of the best places on the river to cast a dry fly. There are plenty of riffles and pocket water too for those that like to fish with nymphs or spiders.

The fishing is let in a novel way that overcomes the problem of "never being there on the right day". Season rods are able to access the beats on any day of their choice (availability allowing) using the Fishing Passport’s self-booking system. The maximum number of daily rods is fixed on each beat to allow plenty of fishing and guarantee some exclusivity. Consecutive days can be fished under this system to accommodate those who live a distance away and want stay over. The nearby Griffin Inn at Llyswen is a great pub that offers rooms and there is Llangoed Hall for those that like something very upmarket.

The three beats offer a good mix of high and low water pools. Gromain has a number of platforms to enable fishing some of the tougher bits of wading (Gromain Top planks, Bachawy boards, Spout, Spring pool, Ferry (left bank) and Bridge pool). Elsewhere, most pools can be fished from the bank or wading, given normal care. Wading is not easy on the upper Wye although The Rectory has some gravel sections that are easier to negotiate.

Two of the beats have well maintained fishing huts to rest or take shelter in.

In all, there is over 3.6 miles with 44 pools available with some of the best fly fishing on the river. Season rods are allotted three free guest rods at no additional cost that they must accompany. A ghillie service is not provided for GLLR but the syndicate managers are happy to show new rods the water.

Please click here for more information.

Lower Symonds Yat

This fishery comprises of around 2½ miles of double bank fishing a couple of miles upstream of Monmouth. Flowing through a picturesque gorge, it has vehicle access along the entire length of the left bank via an old railway line. It is of mixed wading difficulty, with some great fly and spinning water and including the famous Martins Pool, an historic mid/lower Wye salmon catch. The beat has more than 20 salmon lies and pools in total.

Note : The owner reserves the right to fish the beat although this should not affect your fishing.

Please be aware that during school holidays, bank holidays and warm weekends especially, this fishery is in a busy part of the Wye and there will be other river users. It is worth concentrating your fishing early morning and evening during these periods.

The Carrots Fishery

Approx. 2.5 miles of mostly double bank salmon fishing on the middle Wye. Historically a productive beat, as fish run past the Lugg in high water and rest up in the Carrots pools. The fishery consists of Upper and Lower sections which are fished on alternate weeks. There is good fly water fished from both right and left banks and bank side vehicle access. No resident ghillie.

Please contact us if you are interested.

Ty Newydd

1 ¼ of double bank fishing with 10 pools of very attractive fly-fishing. This is available on the same basis as GLLR above enabling a season rod to fish on any day of the week and book themselves in accordingly. Ty Newydd also has top quality trout and grayling fishing.

Please click here for more information.

Please contact us if you are interested.

Wyesham

Wyesham and the Duke's water is the first beat downstream of Monmouth. (The Monmouth to Estuary section is where the majority of Wye salmon are caught). It comprises 2½ miles of prime double bank salmon fishing, on the border between England and Wales and it has good fly fishing throughout. Set in the beautiful lower Wye Valley where the steep wooded banks begin to narrow forming the lower Wye gorge, this lower section of the river Wye below Monmouth benefits from being close to the tidal limit. Rotating beats with excellent fly fishing on all.

• Full Time Ghillie
• East Access
• Good Fly Fishing and fishes well at a wide range of water heights
• 2½ miles of double bank fished with 2 rods on each of three beats which are rotated at 1pm

2024 : Fully Let. Please contact us 01874 712074 if you have interest for 2025

River Irfon

Cefnllysgwynne

Approximately 2miles of double and 1 mile of single bank fishing on the River Irfon at Llanynis some 4 miles from the confluence with the Wye and 3 miles from Builth Wells. The beat averages 30 yards in width and has an excellent variety of water. The wading difficulty also varies - relatively easy in the gravel sections but more difficult over the bedrock.
Cefnllysgwynne offers good trout and excellent grayling fishing, with the possibility of occasional salmon later in the season (The Salmon season ends on 17th October on this river). The Irfon rises and falls quickly after heavy rain, usually being fishable within 24 - 36 hours of a flood.

Season rods are flexible and not tied to one day per week. Season rod holders must be aware that day ticket anglers may also be booked onto the water.

Please contact us if you are interested.

Season rod availability:

Excellent self-catering accommodation in a 2 bedroom cottage or a 5 bedroom farm house (sleeping 4 or 10 respectively) is available close to the fishing. The 5 bedroom farmhouse includes one double bedroom and en-suite shower/wet room with full disabled accessible facilities.
Please click here for more information.

River Usk

Dan Y Parc

1½ miles of double-bank fishing just downstream from Crickhowell. Excellent fly-fishing for salmon and trout; straightforward wading; easy access from highway to the river banks; part-time keeper; fishing huts; up to four named members may fish each day of the week throughout the season. A few vacancies for membership are still available.

Please contact us if you are interested.

Breconshire Fishery

A 2km stretch of River Usk fishing downstream from Llanfaes Bridge in Brecon. The river here mostly flows over gravel meaning that wading is easier than other parts of the river. Along with some good trout fishing, this stretch also has some decent salmon pools. The wild trout population is also supplemented by occasional stocking.

Llanover

The Tyr Afon, Fro Isaf and Bryn beats in the middle reaches of the River Usk constitute some of the finest fishing on this famous Welsh river. In beautiful and varied scenery, the fishing extends to 2 miles and the rights to fish are mostly from both banks. The estate lets out three trout and salmon beats on a seasonal basis. The rights to fish are mostly from both banks. The beats provide interesting and varied salmon and trout water in delightful surroundings. The Usk is noted as an early season river for wild brown trout with the occasional sea trout (although the latter are rarely targeted). In most years the occasional salmon will have taken up residence at Llanover in March although the best of the salmon fishing is from April onwards. The banks have easy access and as this part of the river flows mostly over gravel, the wading is relatively easy. Llanover also has a resident ghillie on hand to advise. The river is a notified Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and European Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Please contact us if you are interested.

Chainbridge

Just over 1km of mostly right bank (0.5km of double bank) mid/lower river Usk salmon and trout fishing, a few miles upstream of Usk town. This is a rare chance to fish a very exclusive part of the river on a day ticket. The beat has 6 named pools with the Rock Pool probably being the best of the salmon lies. The Upper Rocks and Wood Stream are also productive pools with the Bridge Stream and the Cables being worth a cast with a fly in higher water. All the pools fish well with a spinner (please note that at the request of the owner, the beat is fly only until June 16th).
The wild brown trout fishing in this part of the Usk is excellent with good numbers and average size. Chainbridge offers good opportunities for trout anglers throughout its length.
Access to the fishery is excellent with a private car park next to the water, although some sections are a short walk (350m - 500m). The wading is of mixed difficulty - a large part of the fishery has a gravel river bed but there are sections of bedrock and stones that are a little more difficult underfoot.
A pool of rods is able to access the beats on almost any day of their choice using the Fishing Passports self-booking system.

Please call 01874 712074 to purchase.

Llandetty

Three quarters of a mile of double bank fishing. The whole beat provides excellent trout fishing in a gloriously secluded location. In addition, there are two excellent salmon pools and another noted catch.

The beat starts with a deep slow section that comes down to sharp turn, the run out of which is a great place to find a salmon resting on one of the rock ledges along the far bank. This is also brilliant trout dry fly water.

Below there is a section of pocket water before a long shallow glide suited to wetfly fishing for trout, or dry fly when they are rising. You can easily ford the river at the tail of this run in low and medium water to fish the rock pool below. There is a small section of shingle beach opposite the gauging station that those unable to wade. The river then bends left and falls into the deep rock pool that is a prime salmon holding pool. It then smooths and glides to the end of the beat. There is a third salmon catch above the croy that marks the bottom of the beat.

The lower section is great dry fly water but difficult to bank fish for trout, and it is best fished by getting in the river and wading. It is mostly gravel with the odd rock to make your way around. Rods can book their day using the online booking system.

How it works

• Season rods will be limited to 8 persons.
• Up to 2 salmon rods or 3 trout rods each day.
• Season rods can fish every day of the week, subject to availability.
• A Fishing Passport login means you can book yourself in advance of your preferred day(s) and you can book three dates in advance. When each one is fished, you can book another and so on.
• You could in theory fish on every day. However, please only make bookings that you will definitely use and cancel any you can’t make as quickly as possible.
• The system does not permit sending a locum. No Dogs allowed. Fly Fishing only for trout. 1 fish limit for trout Catch and release for salmon at all times as per byelaw.