“Llandegfedd water sports centre could be a catalyst for developing local tourism through the activities available”
Dave Timson—Commodore (above)
Simon Stanley (below)
“Llandegfedd reservoir is something of a legend in pike angling terms having accounted for at least five or six of the heaviest pike ever caught in the UK”
Cliff Harvey (above)
Bob Mayers (below)
The sailing club runs an active race program at the reservoir on Sunday afternoons between March and November and on Wednesday evenings between April and September. The club has a very active membership and a well organizational structure to providing; race management, training and social events. New members are very welcome.
In recent years the sailing club has promoted a race format which allows courses to be set to satisfy the needs of asymmetric boats (windward/leeward) and conventional boats on a triangular reaching course. Shorter junior courses are also provided for junior fleets.
Within the club there is a strong tradition of training and volunteer instructors. Coaching and training is provided to take those who have undergone basic training to higher level of competition. Juniors are particularly well provided for with many young members represented in national squads.
Training is also provided for the support of sailing with powerboat, safety boat and duty officer instruction. With the new centre providing basic training, the club will actively promote race development for those who want it.
A new requirement of the club will be to cater for non racing participants. This may take the form of social events and group casual sailing with an introduction to racing.
Throughout the year, open events take place to promote the club, attracting sailors from local clubs and nationally. It is anticipated that with the new facilities, sailing club membership will grow significantly. In the 1980’s it was one of the biggest clubs in S Wales.
Check our new website for all our events at www.llandegfedd.org.uk
Llandegfedd Reservoir is now open to coarse anglers throughout the months of July and August. Opportunities exist to fish the reservoir from bank or boat; the latter being useful to explore areas of the reservoir less accessible to bank anglers or to fish the deeper areas further offshore. Large shoals of roach, dace and bream inhabit the reservoir with combined bags in excess of 300lb being recorded in single one day sessions during the last two years.
The once dominant perch shoals are beginning to make a re-appearance following a crash in number during the late 1990’s with good sized specimens being caught each season. Carp and rudd numbers are also gradually increasing in numbers, as are the specimen eels.
The reservoir is becoming a more popular alternative to regular venues in the south east of Wales, and now hosts a number of club matches.
The provision of a new water sports centre will help attract a larger number of clubs during the open period with access to the facilities providing the scope for the venue hosting national and even international events.
For pike Llandegfedd reservoir holds the current British record of 46lb 13 oz, beating its own previous British record of 45lb 6oz. Pike fishing is now permitted in two day sessions each week throughout September and October, although 2008 will see the reservoir trial pike fishing for the first time in March.
Fishing is permitted from a limited number of boats per session, and reservations are always hotly contested. For further information on pike fishing at Llandegfedd please contact the duty Ranger.
The centre development is welcomed by the Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association (WSTAA) as a new focal point for anglers in SE Wales and for professionally run local, national and European competition. The centre will provide facilities for catering, a location for meetings and presentations, weighing, and promotion of the sport.
Looking ahead we would like to use the centre for the Federation of Welsh Anglers coaching qualifications courses. The classroom facilities proposed will allow educational sessions with schools to take place on all aspects of angling and wildlife generally. It is hoped that through these proposals youngsters may be drawn into the sport. The centre would be a contact point for all clubs to recruit members and help more people to expand their outdoor activities.
Based at Llandegfedd Reservior we are looking for new members for this current season. As a member of the club we can offer.
All standards of sailor are welcome. The Club is also represented on the forum for the new Water Sports Centre where we hope to have a storage area for boards sails etc, and meeting rooms to operate as a club base. We intend to hold a meeting as soon as possible to launch the club and welcome any of your views.
Please contact Rob Lewis 07773559795 or Mike Waklin at Gwent Adventures.
All canoeing at the reservoir will continue to be regulated through local clubs Wye Bother and Blades affiliated to the Welsh Canoe Union. Freelance individual canoeist are not permitted at Llandegfedd due to the requirement for all canoeist to be covered by a designated safety boat. Group sessions who have safety cover at agreed sessions are allowed or when groups or canoeists are monitored by the service operators, schools or organizations such as the sea cadets and sea scouts.
The reservoir is an ideal location for training of canoeists on flat water.
Rowing is permitted by special arrangement through appropriate organizations.
The diving section at Llandegfedd is administered by the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC).
The centre will provide the facilities to allow BSAC to run diving courses in the safe and closed environment of the reservoir. With depths of up to 30m, the reservoir offers a good training venue although for established divers the visibility and lack of things to see is not likely to be attractive. All diving must be monitored by a dive boat and the actual location of the dive will be closely managed to ensure safety especially when fast boats and rescue motor boats are also being used.
For weekend training it is hoped that local bunk house accommodation may be eventually provided by local businesses stimulated by the additional trade brought in by the centre.