CYFARTHFA LAKE

Cyfarthfa Gallery

2006

The lake is fishing extremely well, we had a free stock of small roach and tench, larger carp from a local pond called the doggy, which was being drained by contractors working on the Trago Mills site.   Since the fish were put in the lake the weights have gone up dramatically.

Set in the grounds of Cyfarthfa Park, the lake is directly below the castle.   The castle was once the home of the Crawshay family, who were the local ironmasters.   The castle is now a school and museum, and within the grounds of the park is an infant playground and adventure playground for children.   Each year many events are held within the grounds of the park ranging from music shows to caravan meets.    During the summer months the Association run junior and senior angling competitions on the lake.   All members are welcome to fish, to enter the senior competitions contact David (Pasty) Matthews on 01685 384558, for the junior competitions contact Bernard on 01685 385940.   The junior members compete at under 11 and over 11 and the age group is 4 to 16.   Day tickets are available for the Park and cost £5 for Seniors and £2.50p for Juniors.    The tickets are available from Carl at Merthyr Angling Centre, Cefn Coed, phone 01685 379809 (closed Wednesdays and Sundays).   We have recently allowed the paper shop opposite the Merthyr Angling Centre to sell day tickets for this water on a Wednesday and Sunday.

RULES FOR THE PARK

Fishing times are restricted to the official opening and closing times of the Park, which vary due to time of year.   No member is allowed in the Park after the closing times shown below until the park reopens.

CLOSING TIMES

Fishing season Open all Year

Prohibited Areas.    Full members can fish from any peg numbered 1 to 46.   Day tickets can only fish from pegs 1 to 40 on the main road bank.   Only wheelchair anglers may fish from the disabled platform adjacent to peg 33.

Parking:    Parking is only allowed in the car park adjacent to the main entrance gates.   Parking is not allowed on any verges or roads.   Only Orange/Blue badge holders may park in the disabled parking area at the North West corner of the lake.

Fishing Methods:    No fly fishing, spinning or floating bread crust allowed all other legal baits are permitted.   All baits to fish a minimum of 18 inches below the surface.   Consequently no other floating or popped up baits allowed.

GENERAL RESTRICTIONS

Barbless hooks only, all nets must be of the knotless type and keep nets must be a minimum of 8 foot long.   Each angler must be in possession of a suitable landing net and disgorger.  Maximum ledger size is 1 ounce, anglers must remain within 3 feet of their rods when they have line in the water.   Plastic bags and tin cans are banned  please make sure that all food and drink is kept in proper containers.   Any person found with litter on their peg will be expected to clean it up.

Be sure to keep your tackle close to you and off the tarmac path where cyclists or walkers can damage it.   Make sure there is no one behind or opposite you when casting especially with 1 ounce weights.

Make sure all litter and discarded line are picked up immediately and put in your bag, because it can be easily picked up by animals, birds or children and cause harm.

Large carp are not allowed to be retained in keep nets, carp sacks or by any other method and must be returned to the water immediately, except in bonafide competitions.   All fish must be returned to the lake unharmed.

Wire baskets   The wire baskets placed in the lake to give the fish protection against cormorants are placed ¾ way across opposite the following pegs:  4/5 behind island, 11/12, 15/16 (under artificial island) 28/29, 32/34 (behind island).   When fishing these pegs do not cast more than half way across the lake

The Association work very closely with the local council and to this end we have paid for 4 litter bins.   The council purchased the bins on our behalf and arranged to have them installed at strategic areas around Cyfarthfa Lake.   The picture on the right shows some of the committee handing over the bins to Lyn Williams of Merthyr Borough Council Parks Department.

During March 2003 the Environment Agency netted the lake and removed 300 carp of 3lb to 8lb and put them into top pond Penywern.   The lake was then stocked with Tench, Chub and Bream.   The next stocking will take place in October with Roach and Ide

Each year we hold junior competitions on the lake, running from the end of June until the August Bank Holiday Monday.   Last year was no exception and if the junior anglers fish 3 comps we take them on an away trip where everything is paid for.   Below is a picture of the Juniors taken at White Springs near Swansea.

The Association is concerned that cormorants are predating on the coarse fish in the lake.   To this end we have put into the lake underwater structures which will give some protection to the fish.   In the centre of the lake we are working with the local council and have put in a larger underwater structure over which we are putting floating islands, which will be planted up with various water plants. 

ISLAND UPDATE

5 of the floating islands were planted up on Friday 5th September 2003, with plants kindly provided by Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council Parks Department.   We have to retrieve the island marking the underwater structure and plant it up.   This task we hope to do next Thursday 11th September, on the same day we will move the islands into place in the middle of the lake.   Finally we have planted lilies between the peg numbers on the roadside of the lake.

DAY TICKETS

Day tickets can be purchased for this water from Carl Jones, Merthyr Angling Centre, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil phone 01685 379809.    Newsagents opposite Cefn Tackle on a Wednesday and Sunday only .   From Cliff Harvey Albion Industrial Estate, Cilfynydd, Pontypridd phone 01443 400766.  From Carl White Fishing Tackle, The Square Pontlottyn, Rhymney phone 01685 841245.   The cost of day tickets for this water is £4.50p Senior, £2 junior.

RESTOCKING

We have stocked once this year in March, but because we were late in the restocking season we could not get all the fish we required.   We are now looking at various catalogues and a decision will be made in the very near future on quantities and type of fish to be stocked.   The bream and tench we stocked at the beginning of the year have come on well and are being caught regularly.   We restocked the lake again in November we put in 500 chub, 1000 crucian carp, 1000 tench.   In January we will again be stocking with roach and  skimmer bream.

Net of crucian	net of chub & tench	Chub and tench	chub and tench	average size of chub

On Wednesday 14^th Jan the lake received its final stocking of this winter.   We stocked with 1000 Roach and 1000 Bream, and the fish were a good size going in, so hopefully the lake will fish well this coming year.   The total number of fish stocked this winter was 1000 crucians 1000 tench, 500 chub, 1000 bream and a 1000 roach total 4500 at a cost of £6200.

August 2004

The lake is fishing extremely well with crucians showing to 3lbs, tench to 2lb and lots of roach, rudd, chub and skimmers.   The grass bank is fishing well for crucians and tench, whereas the roadside fishes well for all other species.

November 2004

The lake is still producing the occasional good day, but it is very dependant on the weather.  Over the last few weeks some very nice crucians to 3½lbs have been caught along with decent perch and roach.   The carp are still being obliging to the angler willing to put in the hours, I took the picture of Andrew Llewellyn on Sunday 18th Nov the carp weighed 9lb 6oz

2005

The lake fished well for all species all summer long.   The bream and roach we introduced from Pontsticill certainly made a difference during the junior competitions with some good bags winning.   On one occasion an angler on peg 4 caught a bream and then everyone down to peg 30 caught one, one after the other as the bream moved down the lake.   It was quite funny to watch the young anglers getting ready to catch their bream and the joy on their faces was wonderful to see

Map

Numbers of fish stocked from Pontsticill Reservoir under permissions granted by the Environment Agency

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