UPPER BEATS RIVER TOWY (BARLEY MOUNT—GLANTOWY—BEILI
GLAS)
ACCESS.
The first entrance point to this water is via a lane which lies a short distance before
the Golden Grove Hotel in the village of Llanarthne.
This lane leads down to an area on the old railway line where the angler can park his
vehicle. Cars must be parked on the left hand side and from there continue on foot
down the lane towards the farm. At the bottom of a slight slope a gate on the right
leads the angler straight across a small field to another gate which opens up into a
meadow. Straight across this meadow locates the river. This section is Barley Mount.
The second entrance is by way of a lane adjacent to the Golden Grove Hotel. This
lane once again leads down to a car parking area situated on the left hand side of the
old railway line. Proceed on foot towards the farm bearing right at the end of some
farm buildings and on to a gate together with a stile. Cross over this stile and the
hedgerow on the right leads down to the river bank. At the end of this hedge is
another stile and crossing it takes the angler upstream to our Beili Glas beat. From the
stile downstream is Glantowy.
IMPORTANT
KEEP TO THE HEDGEROW AND THE RIVER BANK AT ALL TIMES— DO
NOT CUT ACROSS THE MEADOWS.
A wonderful beat for the fly angler offering a mixture of pools, runs, glides, fast and
slow water enabling a variety of methods to be undertaken.
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The river takes the shape of an “S” bend with a left right combination before joining a
deep dark pool. To this point the bank has been relatively low but from here it rises
and becomes tree lined. A small bridge over a stream allows the angler to continue
downstream where the stile at the end of the hedge sees him at the access point to the
river. Keeping to the river bank, which is high but open a long slowish straight
becomes a faster shallower run into a left hand bend.
Continuing downstream the bank alternates between high and low, sees clear stretches
and some tree lined and a small wooded area before opening up into a flat which
allows the angler back to the waters edge.
Below the next deep pool and a further 100 or so yards on the beat meets up with the
upper end of our Barley Mount beat. From here the bank is high and doesn’t lessen to
any degree until the start of a sweeping bend with a shingle “beach”.
The bottom of the beat lies downstream from here about 100yds
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The high bank gives way to a low shingle area where the river has two open bends
before it sees the neck of the “Black Shed” pool. This is quality water and with the
angler on the waters edge makes for some easy fly fishing. The river height as always
depicts the approach but these slow bends are well worth experimentation and can be
fished throughout the entire season.
A deep dark pool the “Black Shed” pool emerges; the neck of which must not be
missed. Let the fly come all the way round before giving a couple of tweaks and recasting.
The bank rises and becomes lined with trees and bushes not allowing any chance to
cast a fly. Through an overgrown area and across a bridge a short fast run appears and
the angler can if he wishes, climb down the bank and wade out to fish this.
Below the next stile, the bank is clear but a bit high with the river taking the form of a
slow straight. Although well worth a cast swinging a fly around, thoughts of how to
land a fish should be on the anglers mind.
A fast run at the end of this straight leads into a deep pool on a left hand bend. This
pool like a lot of the river Towy changes during the winter floods. The area around
this pool can become “sticky” so please be careful.
On following the river down, the bank rises by some small trees and turns right
towards a run which sees a wooded area on our bank. The straight below this wood is
well worth wading and fishing. Most of the takes come as the fly swings round just
above and through the neck of the deep pool found at the end of the straight.
Another method to try is the rising nymph (induced take) up out of the dark deep
pool.
Easy fishing once again gives way to a high bank which leads to our Barley Mount
beat but having trees and bushes precludes fly fishing. The next open piece of bank is
by way of a shingle “beach” situated on a slow sweeping bend. In normal water a
floating line will impart a bit more “pace” to the fly. Small flies and nymphs at the
end of a long leader should prove positive.
Wading can be undertaken along the straight below this bend and the beat finishes a
short distance ahead.