Club News

Annual General Meeting	Monday 16th February 2026 (TBC)
Next Working Party	Sunday 4th January 2026 - 9:30 am
Quarterly Committee Meeting	Monday 12th January 2026

Sunday Working Parties

More excellent work was carried out by the Work Party on Sunday 7th December. This time 4 members were involved with the work being carried out on the section of our waters upstream of Llay Road Bridge. The efforts focused on removing more of the damaged barbed wire fence on the right bank from downsrtream of the Straight Cut. The path should now be clear of trip hazards and wire which might have snagged waders. There is already more work to attend to as the high water of 15th November (0.973 on the Pont y Capel gauge) left some trees either in the river or on the bank and these will need to be moved. Please be careful as bank erosion is threatening some sections of the path.

The river was badly impacted by the storms and floods of 2024 into 2025.  It will be interesting to find out how the changes have impacted the fish stocks and where the fish holding spots are. A lot of improvements have already been made and the river is recovering. Please be careful if you wade upstream of Llay Road Bridge as there are several very deep pools in particular above the island and above the Two Bridges.

The Work Parties continue fortnightly. The Club is dependent upon volunteers giving up their time to assist otherwise the river will soon become overgrown and unfishable. More help is always welcome on a Sunday morning - specialist skills are not required! The next Work Party is on Sunday 4th January 2026 at 9:30.
 

A very Merry Christmas to all Club members and to those connected with the Rossett and Gresford Flyfishers' Club. I hope you all have an enjoyable time whereever you happen to be celebrating the festive season. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2026. I look forward to seeing you on the bank in the new season.

Please keep a close eye on the river for any signs of possible pollution or changes that do not seem to be normal. If you see any suspected incidents of pollution then report the event to NRW via their online Report an incident system which is very simple to use. You can also call NRW to report an incident on 0300 065 3000 which is a 24 hours a day number. This information is contained in the Club Rules and yet even when the river has been polluted and witnessed some members have seemed reluctant to report incidents. We all have a duty to report.
Please report any suspected poaching to NRW who do take these matters seriously.

Sunday 4th January 2026 is the next scheduled Work Party and we will meet just downstream of Llay Road Bridge at 9:30 am.

David Meadows (Chairman) 

Please see this recent communication about Mitten Crabs.

You may have seen a recent NRW press release about a Chinese Mitten Crab trap installed by Chester fish trap to monitor and capture movements of this invasive non native (INNS) species. This is a pilot and if successful it will be used at other locations. 
 
We don’t know yet how far up the catchment or tribs the CMC has spread, but it can be very damaging as it predates on native species of fish and wipes out the vegetation, causing bank erosion, therefore it is important to record any sightings. To help with this, NRW has produced a poster with QR Codes on biosecurity measures (Check, clean and dry) and how to report any sightings (via “ iRecord” App or email to NRW enquiries) .
 
Please share it with your contacts and encourage people to report any sightings.
 
Chiara Caserotti
Uwch Swyddog Amgylchedd Senior Environment Officer
Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales

Recycle Hub

A Recycle Hub has been set up on the Club forum.

The purpose of the hub is for members to recycle any old fishing or fly-tying equipment that that might be useful to other members who are either just starting out or wanting to try something without having to commit to buying it new at full price; or just to generously pass on something that is no longer of use to someone who might benefit from it for a small donation.

Funds raised will be utilised at a later date to introduce some local young people to fly fishing, fly tying and the river itself.

The hub is for Club members only and registration is required in order to access the forum. Please contact us via the E-Mail us page for any forum registration queries.

Please read the “Welcome to the recycle hub.” thread on the forum.

The forum can be accessed here

Newsletters

The latest newsletter is now available. Previous newsletters are also available.

Welsh Dee Trust Survey

The Welsh Dee Trust are undertaking a brand survey to establish people’s perception of them. This is to help them investigate the perception and to consider how they should move forward. If you would like to take part in the survey, then click on the link below

Welsh Dee Trust Survey