Huge trout. Fine grayling. Barbel and chub, too. Nick Thomas celebrates a remarkable urban river that he fishes almost every day of the year
I AM FORTUNATE TO LIVE JUST A mile from some of the best mixed river fishing in Britain. From the suburbs of Radyr to the centre of Cardiff, the Taff forms an artery of calm through the bustling city. It’s not a wild river in the conventional sense, but there are many places where you can find peaceful and absorbing fishing. Or simply soak up the soothing sound of running water while watching the dippers, kingfishers and other wildlife. The fish are most definitely wild.
It was not always so. The Taff was once a zombie river: flowing but dead. Cardiff was the busiest coal port in the world, shipping more than ten million tons a year. A network of railways followed the river, moving the black gold down to the docks, while the Taff itself carried 100,000 tons of coal dust every year.
Now the coal mines are gone, and the zombie has returned to life. Trout survived in the headwaters above the mines, ironworks and tinworks, returning downstream as the water ran clean again. Now, like the Sirhowy and the Ebbw, the Taff is a great trout river. However, unlike its neighbours, it also has a good stock of grayling as well as big barbel and chub. This means you can fish any day of the year and it’s always varied and interesting. Being virtually on my doorstep, I’ve fished it every day of the year bar two. Nobody goes fishing on Christmas Day or their wife’s birthday, do they?
The five miles of river between Radyr and the city centre are a great mix of pocket water, long riffles and deep pools. Most of the river is fishable with a fly-rod, depending on the water level, and there are points of access to one or both banks for much of the river. Just don’t expect manicured grass — in the summer many paths almost disappear in a jungle of knotweed and balsam.
Wading varies. In some places, gently sloping gravel allows you to move carefree. On other stretches, larger rocks require care and balance, and the bedrock shelves are best avoided in all but the lowest water levels. A single unwary step could take you from water around your knees to water over your head.
I fish the Taff with a rotation of three-weight rods all year. For grayling in late autumn and winter, an 11ft rod gives extra reach with a euro-nymphing line when the river is running high. My point fly typically has a 4mm or 4.6mm tungsten bead, and if I can get away with it, I fish an unweighted fly on a dropper to allow it to waft around in the current. Some days will demand a 5.5mm or 6.4mm bead on the point and a weighted fly on the dropper to get the flies down to the gravel. I generally reckon if I ne
