Clive Williams fished the Neuadd on Friday 3rd September. Fishing black hoppers and a Griffith’s Gnat on a floating line Clive landed 17 brown trout, the largest weighing approximately 1lb.

Liam Price visited the Neuadd the following day and also used hoppers on a floating line and landed 12 brown trout, the largest weighing approximately 2lb.

Talybont Reservoir

Adam Davies fished Talybont on Wednesday 1st September. He used a slow sinking line with a muddler on the point and a Black & Peacock on the dropper to land 3 brown trout, the largest weighing approximately 3.5lb.

River Taff

Antony Sayce fished the Taff last week at Aberfan using a small Mepps spinner and landed six brown trout, the largest of which weighted approximately 2lb.

Cyfarthfa Lake

Daniel Jones and Daniel Davies fished the Lake on Sunday 5th September and, using a pole with sweet corn and luncheon meat hook bait (whilst feeding their secret ground bait mix), landed a good bag of skimmer bream and crucian carp.

Pontsticill and Dolygaer Reservoirs

Kevin Lewis fished Pontsticill on Wednesday 1st September. He fished at the Cwm car bay area and landed 3 pike using ledgered lampreys and sprats, the largest pike weighed approximately 10lb.

Nathan Evans fished Dolygaer reservoir recently using a ground bait feeder with worm and corn hook bait to land around 100lb of bream, the largest of the latter weighted approximately 7lb 9oz.

Competitions

Junior/Senior/Coarse – Brecon Canal: Ladies Competition (04/09/2010)

• 1st Place – Janice Farr (3lb 9oz)
• 2nd Place – Katherine Brown (1lb 12oz)
• 3rd Place – Anya Earp (11oz)

Senior/Coarse – Brecon Canal: Ansells Cup (05/09/2010)

• 1st Place – Dave Couzens (4lb 3oz)
• 2nd Place – Stewart Wilkins (3lb 3oz)
• 3rd Place – Berny Farr (1lb 12oz)

Catch Returns/Fishing Reports

To submit any catch returns or fishing reports for the Merthyr Express’ Reely Hooked column and to appear here within the web site’s News and Forum areas, please contact Julian Burns (Press Officer) with the relevant details on 07850 901 356 or, alternatively, submit your catch returns via the website’s Contact Us page.

John Lewis fished the Neuadd on Friday 27th August and, using a floating line and nymphs fished on a long leader, landed seven brown trout, the largest of which weighed approximately 1lb.

River Taff

Kerry Thomas fished the river last week at Quakers yard using a spinner and landed and returned a 2lb sewin.

Cyfarthfa Lake

Mark Richards fished the lake on Tuesday 24th August. He used a ground bait feeder and maggot hook bait to land approximately 20lb of skimmer bream, tench and crucian carp.

Pontsticill and Dolygaer Reservoirs

Rhys Jenkins fished Pontsticill on Wednesday 25th August for pike, he fished at Abercriban bay on the boat house side of the res and landed three pike weighing approximately 14lb, 12lb and 8lb on ledgered sprats and lamprey.

River Taff Clean-Up with Keep Wales Tidy

Keep Wales Tidy, in conjunction with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, will be performing a river cleanup on the River Taff this coming weekend (Saturday 4th September – Sunday 5th September). Further details such as meeting locations, times, etc , are yet to be confirmed but all volunteers are welcome and it would be hugely beneficial to the Taff catchment as a whole if we can get as much interest in this event as possible. If you’re able to attend, even it is just for a few hours, it will have a massive impact. Let’s make a difference!

Further details will follow as and when they are made available, but if anyone is interested please feel free to email the Association via the Contact Us page.

The Big Skill 2010

As per our previous announcement, the Association will be taking part in the first ever Big Skill event being held at Penpont Estate, Brecon on September 18th/19th. Visitors to the show will enjoy a wide range of traditional, rural skills whilst basking in the Autumn sun and taking in the beautiful scenery.

Merthyr Tydfil Angling Association will be offering visitors the chance to take part in fly dressing and fly casting as well as a wide range of fishing styles and techniques.

More information on this event will be announced closer to the date, however, for detailed information direct from the source including booking information, please visit the Working Rural Wales website at www.workingruralwales.org or by downloading a copy of The Big Skill flyer by clicking on the above poster.

The Big Skill weekend is looking to be a fantastic event and we hope to see you there!

Catch Returns/Fishing Reports

To submit any catch returns or fishing reports for the Merthyr Express’ Reely Hooked column and to appear here within the web site’s News and Forum areas, please contact Julian Burns (Press Officer) with the relevant details on 07850 901 356 or, alternatively, submit your catch returns via the website’s Contact Us page.

The situation, everyone, is this:

You are expected to book in in order to fish on any of the MTAA Usk fisheries as it is in your own interest. If we were to allow open access visiting anglers would turn up and not be able to fish.

Regarding the issue of members not carrying their licenses, this is a rule of the Association. There have been two instances in the last week where members have asked other members to see their licenses, only to be met with such words as ‘why are you picking on me?’ or ‘I have left it in the car’.

1) You are required (as per Association rules) to carry your license at all times whilst fishing on ANY Association water and 2) you should be glad someone is interested in protecting your fishing. By all means ask for their license also, but produce yours with a smile. If someone does not recognise you it is perfectly understandable that you may be asked to produce your license more than once. This is, surely, no issue but a matter of water/fishery protection.

Final word, you have been warned. If you are caught fishing without booking in you may be banned for a period to be determined by the Committee. If you are caught fishing without your MTAA license you will be asked to leave the water and further action may be taken.

Dolygaer is still continuing to fish well with the low water levels with John Kinsey and his grandson, Joe Kinsey, fishing the reservoir last week and landing good bags of fish each. Joe, however, out-fished his grandfather and landed bream, roach and perch on maggots.

Nathan Lewis fished Pontsticill for pike last Saturday on the boat house side of the reservoir. He used ledgered herring to land two pike, the largest weighing approximately 14lb and a sinking lure retrieved slowly to land another weighing approximately 18lb.

River Taff

Scott Richards fished the river last Thursday 12th August from Cefn Coed bridge down to lines bridge. He landed 18 brown trout, the largest of which weighted approximately 1lb and all came to a Grey Duster dry fly.

Cyfarthfa Lake

Mike Collins fished the lake last Friday 13th August and, using a maggot hook-bait and feeder, landed roach, small bream and crucian carp.

Catch Returns/Fishing Reports

To submit any catch returns or fishing reports for the Merthyr Express’ Reely Hooked column and to appear here within the web site’s News and Forum areas, please contact Julian Burns (Press Officer) with the relevant details on 07850 901 356 or, alternatively, submit your catch returns via the website’s Contact Us page.

David Evans fished the Neuadd on Thursday 29th July and, using a floating line and a black hopper, managed to land ten brown trout, the largest of which weighed approximately 1lb.

River Taff

Simon Llewellyn fished the river on Sunday 1st August using fly fishing gear. Simon landed approximately 25 brown trout using a grey duster with the largest weighing approximately 2lb 6oz.

Cyfarthfa Lake

Rhys Jones fished Cyfarthfa Lake on Sunday 1st August. Fishing a pole with maggot hook bait, Rhys landed a good bag of fish with a 1.5lb bream, a 1.5lb crucian carp and a nice tench weighing approximately 2lb.

Fly Casting Workshop Tomorrow Evening

Spaces for tomorrow evening’s fly casting workshop (5th August) are still available but you will need to book in beforehand. Whether you are a beginner and would like to go through the basics, an improver and would just like to iron out the odd fault, or if you would like to improve your distance casts or learn more advanced techniques such as speys, etc, all are very welcome.

Remember, all attendees MUST bring a cap, glasses and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions on the day. Feel free to bring your own fly fishing gear as this is what you’ll be using when you’re out fishing. If you don’t own a fly fishing outfit, not to worry, spares will be available during the evening.

To book yourself a space, please contact Gareth Lewis on 07540 813 399. The workshop will begin at 7:00pm at the playing fields adjacent to The Grove, Aberfan, off Aberfan Road.

Please note: all attendees must be over 4’6″ in height and any member wishing to attend who is under the age of 18 years old is required to have a parent/guardian present OR must complete a Guardian Release Form (to be submitted to a coach before the workshop begins). To download a form, please see below.

Downloads:
	Guardian Release Form
Adobe Reader will be required to view the above transcripts. To download click here.

Catch Returns/Fishing Reports

To submit any catch returns or fishing reports for the Merthyr Express’ Reely Hooked column and to appear here within the web site’s News and Forum areas, please contact Julian Burns (Press Officer) with the relevant details on 07850 901 356 or, alternatively, submit your catch returns via the website’s Contact Us page.

Remember, all attendees MUST bring a cap, glasses and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions on the day. Feel free to bring your own fly fishing gear as this is what you’ll be using when you’re out fishing. If you don’t own a fly fishing outfit, not to worry, spares will be available during the evening.

To book yourself a space, please contact Gareth Lewis on 07540 813 399. The workshop will begin at 7:00pm at the playing fields adjacent to The Grove, Aberfan, off Aberfan Road.

Please note: all attendees must be over 4’6″ in height and any member wishing to attend who is under the age of 18 years old is required to have a parent/guardian present OR must complete a Guardian Release Form (to be submitted to a coach before the workshop begins). To download a form, please see below.

Downloads:
	Guardian Release Form
Adobe Reader will be required to view the above transcripts. To download click here.

Junior/Coarse – Cyfarthfa Lake: Junior Challenge Cup (30/07/2010)

Under 12’s

• 1st Place – Rhys Jones (2lb 2oz)
• 2nd Place – Rhys Thomas (6oz)
• 3rd Place – Macauley Morgan (5oz)
• 3rd Place – David Jenkins (5oz)

Over 12′s

• 1st Place – Anya Earp (4lb 15oz)
• 2nd Place – Andrew Cooper (1lb 15oz)
• 3rd Place – Liam Williams (1lb 5oz)

Anya Earp caught all her fish on a 4m whip using maggot on the hook.

The next junior match is on Saturday 7th August 2010 at Cyfarthfa Lake, draw at 8:30am. See the Events Calendar for more details.

Ladies Competitions & Away Trip

We are pleased to announce a string of new competitions for our lady members, all of which will be taking place at Cyfarthfa Lake (draw at 9:00am). An away trip will also be taking place on August 21st, the locations and details of which will be confirmed in due course.

The dates for the new competitions are detailed below but can also be found in our Events Calendar.

• 15/08/2010
• 21/08/2010 – Away Trip (details to be confirmed)
• 04/09/2010
• 09/10/2010

Ladies of all ages are very welcome. For more information or details concerning any of the above events, please contact our Coarse Competition Secretary, Bernard Farr, on 01685 385 940 or, alternatively, email the association via the Contact Us page.

Our friends at the Gwent Angling Society will be running their annual Junior Academy at Cefn Mably Lakes on the 28th and 29th August. The course is designed for young people aged 10-16 who are new to the sport, or would like to seek further understanding of the most participated sport in the UK, and all coaching will be undertaken by members of the Game Angling Instructors Association.

This is set to be a very good weekend and, if you are interested in finding out about the flaura and fauna of our rivers and stillwaters, would like to see trout food up close and personal, have a go at fly tying, casting, fishing techniques and much much more, this will be a fantastic introductory event for you. At time of posting, there were only 16 places left, so hurry hurry hurry!

To view the full size flyer just click the above image or, for more information on this event and to book your child a place, please visit the Gwent angling society website by visiting www.gwentanglingsociety.co.uk.

Downloads:
	Gwent Angling Society Junior Academy – Flyer
Adobe Reader will be required to view the above transcripts. To download click here.

Members are aware and we are grateful for all reports on the subject that the Morlais Brook has recently been causing the members and Committee concern.

We are experiencing continual flows of dirty water and the smell of sewerage; this has been reported to the Environment Agency at least seven times in the last two weeks and we have been waiting for feedback, but we have now had a call from the Agency with the following.

On two occasions Welsh Water, the company responsible through its agents for looking after the sewerage system, were called out and found two overflowing sewerage overflows causing a problem. These were dealt with and all the other overflows checked and found to be clear. This does not mean that we will not have more discharges in future, so please keep your eyes and noses open.

The coloured water is more of a problem and after analysis the following results have come to light. The water, although dirty, does not contain any toxic substances and is not a danger to fish and river life even at the low flows we are experiencing at the moment. The way the Agency and others define this is by the ‘parts per million’ of suspended solids; in the case of the brook, this was only 60 parts per million.

To explain, the Welsh Water treatment works at Pontsticill had a discharge consent at one time for the backwash of 30 parts per million. We remember one bad discharge of 200 parts per million and no fish deaths. We are not condoning the discharge but only letting concerned members know the facts.

The discharge was not low in dissolved oxygen and the ammonia content was well within the normal limits found in any river water.

After all this the Agency are concerned and would like to know where the discharge is coming from. We understand that they think it may be coming from somewhere on the Goatmill Road and they are concentrating on looking in this area as the next step.

Any further information or concerns will be gratefully appreciated and will be passed on to the Environment Agency.