LAST week at Llyn Brenig was one that was dominated by preparations for Wales Rally GB, writes seasonal ranger JIM JENKINS.

The exhaust fumes have been extinguished, the roar of the engines has ceased, the victors have been crowned and the crowds have gone home. The hare sniffs the air and decides that it is safe to come out of its burrow whilst the birds can return to the wing, the whir of helicopter blades a passing memory and the lake once more returns to a place of contemplation and peace.

We certainly aren’t complaining about Wales Rally GB coming to Llyn Brenig, as it was great to see the place buzzing with people and excitement.

The fact that Welshman Elfyn Evans took the title only added to that excitement.

It was also an example of how different activities can live alongside each other with surprisingly little disruption overall to the fishing.

The weather for the was also been reasonably good, being mostly dry with the temperature falling towards the end of the week, which was good for both the fishermen and rally-goers alike.

This is the penultimate report of the year, with only pike week - which is coming up this week - left to report upon.

Pike week will begin today (November 1) and it will run until the seventh.

Anticipation is always high whenever pike week begins, as we have seen over the years some really awesome looking pike coming out of the lake.

There is definitely a different feel to this coming week as fishermen who don’t normally grace our shores come to fish here.

It is a different type of fishing, with different expectations from the fishermen and we are all looking forward to seeing what mysteries emerge from the lake.

Demand for boats is quite high, therefore it is important that if you require a boat, please ring the visitors’ centre as soon as possible to book one.

With the lake not being stocked now until the beginning of March and with only five boats being kept on the water over the winter months, we will be introducing our winter prices from today, which will be £11.50 for a three-fish catch return. This price will apply to both Llyn Brenig and Llyn Alwen.

Last week saw the rod average drop slightly to 2.9 fish per angler, with the fish lying a little deeper than they have been.

The cooler water temperature and the dearth of natural food sources has seen the fish less active and, as a result, they have proved to be more difficult to catch.

However, Saturday morning did see a burst of activity, with Stuart Pickard and Mike Williams catching 30 fish to the boat... all before 2pm.

So much for theories!

The ‘big uns’ are still in evidence, with Mr O’Donovan landing the biggest fish of the week, a whopping 6lbs rainbow.

In the process, he claimed the biggest bag of the week, which weighed in at 17lbs 5ozs.

Both Roger Griffiths and E Griffiths, from Caernarfon, caught rainbows of 4lbs and over, while Peter Lincoln, from Cilcain, landed a nice 3lbs 8ozs rainbow.

Catch returns are a very important indicator that help us to determine how the lake is fishing and they also gives us a means of receiving feedback from the fishermen.

Therefore, it is very much appreciated when fishermen return these to us.

In last month’s catch return draw, the winner was D Williams, from Wrexham, who will receive a free boat for the day.

Keep those catch returns coming in!

The top flies last week were a mixed bag of flies and lures, with buzzers, nymphs and diawl bachs doing well, along with various boobies, particularly coral boobies and woofter boobies. The top spots for the bank fishermen have been the visitors’ centre, sailing club bay and the Brenig Arm, as well as Nant Glyn shore.

Boat fishermen have found success along the dam, Tower Bay, Hafod Lom and sailing club bay.

The main gates will be shutting at 4.30pm this week and all boats need to be back on the jetty by 3.45pm.

Tight Lines