Fishing in Pembrokeshire

Dale

2010-09-29T14:17:00.002+01:00

Dale 26/09/2010

Headed to Dale for 1pm as the wind looked like it had dropped and we fancied trying to fish over the wreck of the Dakotian. Managed to get the fish finder working again but spent ages trying to find the wreck! Spoke to a couple of fishermen in a small boat and asked them about the wreck and they hadn't been able to find it either! There is a large buoy with Dakotian written down the middle, so that seemed like a good clue!! The wreck is actually 100 metres north west of the buoy and there are some other marker buoys nearby so once we located it all was well. Didn't catch a thing myself, but Phil caught a gurnard and two dogfish! No mackerel about either. Wind was also quite strong coming from the west and wasn't pleasant. Nice to get out though.

St Brides - Mackerel, Codling & Smoothhound!

2010-07-28T10:40:00.000+01:00

St Brides 25/07/2010

Went out about 12.30 to catch the incoming tide. Looked a bit windy to start with but wasn't too bad once we were on the water. Mackerel were still patchy coming in, but all were a good size. Ended up with about 15 nice mackerel. Also caught a codling in about the same place as I have before. Phil caught a smoothhound on feathers!

St Brides - Mackerel & Pollack

2010-07-13T10:39:00.000+01:00

St Brides 12/07/2010

Weather suddenly calmed down, the sun came out, the wind dropped, so I packed up work early and headed for St Brides in the late afternoon. Sea was a bit choppier than expected and must have been from the recent storms and winds. Caught nothing for a couple of hours - ranged from the rocks to out by the bouys. Nearing high tide started to catch mackerel around the rocks along with the shore fishermen and another kayak. Got a good size pollack, and the mackerel were mostly large.

Stackpole - Mackerel, Gurnard

2010-07-12T12:12:00.000+01:00

Stackpole Quay 25/06/2010

Went out for the day and the weather was nice and Karen & Phil etc were there as well. Caught some mackerel but only now and again. Hit the odd shoal then very quiet for a time. Got a little gurnard as well!

[YAK] Stackpole (Mackerel)

2010-06-18T14:21:00.000+01:00

Stackpole Quay 18/06/2010
Time: 9.00pm to 1.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+1. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: Broken sun and a 14mph north wind
Sea: Choppy from the wind with strong currents
Tackle & Bait: Usual mackerel kit and tried some bottom fishing when tied to a buoy.
Fishing: Really poor show on the mackerel - only got 3! Seems to still be a bit too cold for them in any numbers. Surprised not to any pollack near the rocks.
Comments: Went around Stackpole Head and the currents there are very powerful, expecially with the off shore wind as well. Wouldn't recommend the head, especially not on spring tides. Picture is of Stackpole Head.

[Yak] Cleddau (Bass)

2010-05-24T09:32:00.001+01:00

Cleddau 24/05/2010
Time: 9.00am to 2.00pm.
Tide: LW to HW. Flood tide.
Weather: Clear, sunny & warm
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Jointed Rapala.
Fishing: 6 Bass.
Comments: Finally got out on the Cleddau a few hundred yards from my new house! And finally got to use the jointed rapala lure I bought a few years ago and never caught a thing on before. Lure worked wonders - both trolling it behind the yak when moving and catching bass in the shallows. The estuary was teaming with fish and as the yak is very quiet I was practically running into the bass as they basked on the surface. The advantage of the yak over a small boat is that it can get right into the shallow creeks where the fish love to feed. One bass was about 3.5 pounds, another a bit smaller. The rest where too small to keep. The estuary makes a refreshing change to the open sea where the mackeral are still not in and catching bass is a very hit and miss thing.

[Yak] Dale (Mackerel)

2010-04-25T17:23:00.001+01:00

Dale 25/04/2010
Time: 11.00am to 3.30pm.
Tide: LW+1 to LW+5. Flood tide.
Weather: Cold & windy
Sea: Choppy out of the bay
Tackle & Bait: Feathers.
Fishing: One mackerel, and Phil caught dogfish.
Comments: After 3 weeks of sunshine today was the first cold, wet and windy day we've had, but went out anyway as we'd arranged it already. Was just an early venture out to see what was biting. Caught one mackerel over what I assume to be a wreck as there were divers around the area. Thought the pollock might be taking lures but nothing around. It was very cold and getting worse as the day went on. Nice to get out on the water though after the winter and hopefully the weather will improve quickly.

[Yak] Dale (Dogfish)

2009-10-18T15:36:00.005+01:00

Dale 18/10/2009
Time: 8.00am to 12.30pm.
Tide: HW+1 to HW+5. Spring, ebb tide.
Weather: Calm in bay, breezy outside.
Sea: Getting choppy out of the bay
Tackle & Bait: Feathers and whole mackerel
Fishing: Rubbish! No mackerel, just dogfish.
Comments: Ebb tide not so good for fishing me thinks. There were no mackeral about which was surprising as I thought they'd be around still. Stupidly I sent a large bait down to the bottom and the inevitable greedy dogfish (pic) turned up for it. Gave the dogfish to Phil for his dinner :) Nice day out though. Andy (top pic) joined us with his new pedal boat (Hobie Kayak). Tried fishing close in to the rocks and also out in the haven but nothing doing. Dale is a nice place to launch from as there is a car park and you can go straight across the road onto the beach. There's a jetty further up as well.

[Yak] St Brides (Gurnard, Mackerel, Pollack)

2009-09-26T15:28:00.005+01:00

St Brides 26/09/2009
Time: 9.00pm to 1.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+1. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: Overcast, light wind
Sea: Started a little choppy then got worse later.
Tackle & Bait: Usual. Used a broken boat rod with 2 rings as it was short. It was a bit too short though, so may look to get another kayak rod for next year.
Fishing: Mackerel still about, but slow at times.
Comments: Phil came along and immediately caught a pollack and then 2 codling (top photo). We went around Nab Head area for mackerel and pollack and then headed across to Wooltack Point and Martin's Haven where there were plenty of mackerel. Caught a gurnard as well while trolling but put it back as it was a bit small. Went into a cave just behind Wooltack Point and found 3 seal pups at the back on some shingle with the adults in the front (bottom pic of me heading into the cave!). I didn't go in just had a quick look and retreated. Sea was getting a bit rough as we came back round the head. Overall a great day out on the yak.

[Yak] St Brides (Mackerel, Pollack)

2009-09-19T20:24:00.004+01:00

St Brides 19/09/2009
Time: 8.00am to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW+1 to LW+3. Spring tides.
Weather: Overcast in the morning then sunny later. Slight breeze.
Sea: Choppier than expected in the morning then calming later.
Tackle & Bait: Usual lures.
Fishing: Good mackerel catched early on but went quiet later.
Comments: Another great day out at the end of the season. I went out in the morning on the ebb tide and caught around 15 mackerel of good size, along with a small pollack that I threw back. Had a break at lunchtime back at St Brides and Karen & Phil came along just after so I stayed in the afternoon. The tides were running strong and in the afternoon we went around the headland and drifted back - only did the one run as we were getting tired. Caught a few mackerel and pollack each and I landed a nice 3lb pollack that nearly pulled the yak over when it hit!

[Yak] St Brides (Mackerel, Pollack)

2009-09-17T13:32:00.002+01:00

St Brides 12/09/2009
Time: 8.00am to 4.00pm.
Tide: HW-4 to HW+3. Neap tide.
Weather: Sunny, light breeze.
Sea: Choppy
Tackle & Bait: Usual feathers & lures
Fishing: Good
Comments: Water was surprisingly choppy for the calm weather. Plenty of mackerel about and the odd pollack off the rocks. Went out from St Brides and headed across to Martin's Haven and Wooltack Point. Hit some good mackerel near the point and off the haven. Went back towards Musselwick Sands hoping to land there for lunch as the tide was in and had cut the beach off. But it was full of people who had stayed there and had kayaks as well so I carried on up the coast and landed on some rocks that were sheltered. Really nice day out and the first for a while as the weather has been really bad again.

[Yak] St Brides (Mackerel, Pollack)

2009-06-15T09:27:00.005+01:00

St Brides 30/05/2009
Time: 8.00am to 11.00am.
Tide: LW+1 to LW+4. Neap tide.
Weather: Clear
Sea: Slight swell
Tackle & Bait: Usual feathers & lures
Fishing: Poor
Comments: Going out now with just feathers and various lures as I prefer fishing on the move. Gone off sitting at anchor waiting for dogfish to nick the bait!! It's nice to move around between areas, going out a mile or so and then heading back in to explore the rocks and coves. Pity the fish didn't have the same idea. Picked up a small pollack and a one off mackerel. Very tasty for lunch though!

[Yak] Manorbier (7 Pollack)

2009-05-30T16:19:00.003+01:00

Manorbier 24/05/2009
Time: 1.00pm to 6.00pm.
Tide: LW+1 to HW. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: Clear, warm, no wind
Sea: calm
Tackle & Bait: feathers & lures
Fishing: Pollack only.
Comments: Expected some mackerel to be in but no one was catching any. Some good size pollack around the headlands.

[Yak] St Brides (Mackerel, Pollack, Bass, Codling)

2008-07-14T10:00:00.002+01:00

St Brides 13/07/2008
Time: 8.00am to 4.00pm.
Tide: LW-1 to HW+1. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: Calm, breeze picking up later.
Sea: Calm to start, slightly choppy later.
Tackle & Bait: Mostly lures. Briefly tried fish baits a few times but nothing.
Fishing: Slow. A lack of mackerel shoals. Bass and a surprise codling.
Comments: Lovely day out again. Sea was calm but became a little choppy later on. Towards HW the drift became quite fast and strong around Nab Head. There was a lack of mackeral shoals and I only picked up a few singles. Odd because the same places at the same tide had bags of them only a month ago. May be something to do with the rough weather recently. Nice to see bass running around. I broke a rod due to a snag - the 8 pound boat rod which was useless anyway as it wasn't stiff enough. Had a lot of small pollack but put them all back as they are not good eating unless a decent size. Stopped at Musselwick Beach for lunch and a break.

[Yak] St Brides (Mackerel, Pollack)

2008-06-08T22:00:00.002+01:00

St Brides 07/06/2008
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: HW-4 to HW. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Clear, mild NW wind.
Sea: Calm/moderate
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & lures
Fishing: Lots of good size mackerel and pollack around the rocks.
Comments: Headed back out around Nab Head then across to Stack Rocks. Came back along the rocks but it was getting late and nearly dark so didn't have time to fish the rocks for long.

[Yak] St Brides (38 Mackerel, 8 Pollack, 2 Codling)

2008-05-30T20:17:00.002+01:00

St Brides 30/05/2008St Brides
Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Tide: LW to HW+2. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: No wind, patchy sun, warm.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers and various lures.
Fishing: Plenty of good size mackerel about in the right places, especially around Nab Head. Pollack on the feathers, shads, worms, and squid lures. Cod caught on a squid lure and also on feathers. Tried some bottom fishing with mackerel bait but had no bites.
Comments: Very good fishing opposite Nab Head with Mackerel caught all along the stretch to Mussellwick Bay. Stopped for a bit at a small cove that would have been part of Mussellwick Bay when the tide is out.

[Yak] Stackpole (Mackerel)

2008-05-19T10:54:00.003+01:00

Stackpole 14/05/2008
Time: 6.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW-1. Neap, spring, ebb, flood tide.
Weather: Clear.
Sea: Slight swell 2-3ft
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & lures
Fishing: Lots of mackerel
Comments: Mid week evening trip to Stackpole. Ebb tide so I wasn't sure what the fishing would be like. Went out 100yrds, put out the feathers with the intention of trolling them about and they were taken straight away by mackerel. Seemed to be concentrated opposite the key itself with not so many elsewhere. Headed over towards Stackpole Head but the fishing slowed down.

[Yak] Newport (4 Dogfish, 1 Pollack)

2008-05-19T10:44:00.002+01:00

Newport 11/05/2008
Time: 12.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to LW+1. Neap, ebb tide.
Weather: Very good - clear & calm
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Feathers, lures & mackerel bait
Fishing: Slow. No mackerel around.
Comments: The mackerel haven't shown up yet on the north Pembs coast so the fishing was slow. Lovely day and the sea was very calm so I went around the headland towards Moylegrove and fished along the rocks and also further out. Stopped at a small cove for a break.

Stackpole (10 Dogfish, 12 Whiting)

2008-04-24T12:27:00.004+01:00

Stackpole 23/04/2008
Time: 7.00pm to 10.30pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Neap, spring, ebb, flood tide.
Weather: Dry, light SW wind
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips & live whiting
Fishing: Busy with dogs & whiting
Comments: Went to the ledges near the key at first and found them occupied so headed across Barafundle to Latice Windows. Spoke to 2 lads fishing on the first ledges and they had a bag of Mackerel. Fishing was busy with the usual dogfish and whiting. Tried live baiting the whiting but the dog fish just ate those as well! Took the spinning rod and tried feathers but didn't hit any mackerel.

Nolton Rocks

2008-04-20T10:04:00.003+01:00

Nolton Rocks 19/04/2008
Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: Rain, overcast, east winds
Sea: Calm - east wind keeping it down
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel
Fishing: Blank
Comments: Nothing at all biting. Not even dogfish or crabs. Tried feathers just in case the odd mackerel where about but nothing. Very quiet time of year!

[Yak] Morfa Bychan (1 Dogfish)

2008-04-04T20:36:00.002+01:00

Morfa Bychan 04/04/2008
Time: 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Tide: LW-1 to HW. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Overcast, steady cold w breeze.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel.
Fishing: Slow.
Comments: First paddle out on the new yak so spent a lot of time getting used to things and trying things out. Did a bit of fishing and got one dogfish, otherwise no bite and nothing showing on the fish finder. After coming in I spoke to a chap who had been fishing the shore all the time I was out and he had a bag of flounder - about 8. He caught them as the tide was coming in over the lug beads.

Caerfai

2008-03-16T22:50:00.002Z

Caerfai 16/03/2008
Time: 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Tide: HW to HW-2. Neap ebb tide.
Weather: Dry and bright, moderate wind.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Usual mackerel.
Fishing: Nothing.
Comments: Went to investigate the ledges as I haven't had a chance before. Good ledges to the right of the bay, and some around the headland on the left. Tried fishing for a couple of hours but it was an ebb tide in the day so didn't expect to get anything - and I was right! Now I know the ledges I can come back for a night session.

Stackpole (8 Dogfish, 1 Whiting)

2008-03-14T23:06:00.002Z

Stackpole 14/03/2008
Time: 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
Tide: LW+1 to LW+4. Neap, flood tide.
Weather: Drizzle, light S wind.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips and whiting livebait.
Fishing: Dogfish!!
Comments: The dogfish have moved in after the big storm this week. Started catching them as soon as I arrived and they kept coming as usual. Put some small ones back and took a few larger ones home. Gave up early as there was some tackle loss - dogs dragging the rigs into weeds and snags - and I was tired of hauling them in. Doesn't seem to be much else around when the dogs take over in such numbers.

Nolton Rocks (16 Whiting, 3 Dogfish)

2008-02-14T18:27:00.004Z

Nolton Rocks 13/02/2008
Time: 5.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: LW to HW. Spring flood tide.
Weather: Clear, cold and no wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel flappers & whole whiting flappers.
Fishing: Busy later.
Comments: No bites at all until 8pm when the dogs and whiting came in. Then it was busy up and down the rocks pulling them in one at a time mostly. Excellent weather conditions to be out on the rocks. No wind, dry and the sea was calm, though still with a good swell at times.

Nolton Rocks (11 Whiting, 1 Dab)

2008-02-10T14:06:00.000Z

Nolton Rocks 09/02/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 9.00pm.
Tide: LW+2 to HW. Spring tide.
Weather: Clear, light SE wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel & live whiting.
Fishing: Quite slow, nothing on the live bait.
Comments: Started off at Mussellwick Sands at low tide, but had nothing at all. Weather was good and the sea was relatively calm so I went to try Nolton Rocks for the evening and high tide. Whiting came in slowly and I used the smaller ones as live bait but no bites.

Newgale (1 Coalfish, 1 Whiting)

2008-02-06T20:30:00.000Z

Newgale 06/02/2008
Time: 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: Overcast, light S wind.
Sea: Rough.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips.
Fishing: Coalfish just before it got dark, then a whiting, nothing else around.
Comments: Nice to catch a Coalfish as I haven't had one before. The sea was rough even though the weather had calmed down for the day.

Freshwater East (20 Whiting, 1 Dab, 1 Turbot, 1 Dogfish, 2 Pouting)

2008-01-31T10:31:00.000Z

Freshwater East 30/01/2008
Time: 5.00pm to 9.00pm.
Tide: LW to LW+4. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, West winds, some rain.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips.
Fishing: Busy.
Comments: Regular bites and a nice variety of fish. Went out after the whiting. There was a strong right to left current that dragged the rigs around a lot. I didn't bother with grip leads and just let them move about to find the fish - seemed to work. Got most of the whiting on the longer distance rod, just couldn't seem to get out far enough with the shorter distance rod.

Druidston Haven (1 Whiting)

2008-01-02T16:33:00.000Z

Druidston Haven 01/01/2008
Time: 4.00pm to 7.00pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips.
Fishing: Poor.
Comments: I hate standing on beaches and catching bugger all! Weather is too bad to get on many of the rock marks. The fish have all gone out to deeper water it seems, even the whiting.

Morfa Bychan (1 Flounder)

2007-12-25T17:21:00.000Z

Morfa Bychan 25/12/2007
Time: 11.00pm to 3.00pm.
Tide: LW-2 to LW+2. Spring tide.
Weather: Clear, light SW breeze.
Sea: Calm, strong current on flood.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flappers, mackerel strips and lug
Fishing: Flounder came in at the start. No bites after.
Comments: Really nice day after the bad weather on the weekend. Flounder was a good size at nearly 1lb and was caught on the ebb. No bites after that and the current got very strong on the flood tide taking the rigs quickly towards Pendine.

Watwick Bay (2 Whiting, 1 Pouting, 1 Dab)

2007-12-22T18:49:00.000Z

Watwick Bay 21/12/2007
Time: 7.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: LW+3 to LW+1. Neap, ebb tide.
Weather: Cold, light SE wind, dry.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel flappers.
Fishing: Whiting not a bad size, but the pouting and dab were very small.
Comments: Watwick steps were difficult to fish at low water with too many rocks in front of the mark. Went to the beach instead and caught a few fish as the tide went out. Bites stopped as the tide turned.

Freshwater East (4 Whiting, 1 Turbot)

2007-12-18T19:59:00.000Z

Freshwater East 18/12/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 6.30pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW. Neap tide.
Weather: Cold, dry, easterly wind.
Sea: Moderate.
Tackle & Bait: Usual 3 hook mackerel baits
Fishing: Good. Little flattie came in early with the whiting after dark.
Comments: Haven't been to Fresh East before fishing and didn't expect much as I only had time to fish the last of the ebb. Was pleased to get the whiting, 2 of which were about 1/2 lb and good for the table. Had to leave at the turn of the tide and met a few other anglers on the way down from the car park. It would probably have fished well for whiting on the flood and I'll try and get back there this week or over xmas.

Hobbs Point (1 Dogfish)

2007-12-15T21:54:00.000Z

Hobbs Point 15/12/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: LW+1 to LW+4. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Strong SE wind. Dry.
Sea: Calm in the Haven. Rough elsewhere.
Tackle & Bait: Flappers & whole mackerel for conger.
Fishing: Slow.
Comments: Went to Ceibwr Bay in the afternoon thinking that there was a chance of some shelter from the strong SE winds. It wasn't too windy but the sea was so rough with a large swell that it was not good fishing conditions. Headed to Pembroke to give Hobbs Point a try. Quite a few others there but the fishing was very slow. A few small dogfish were pulled in and nothing else. Lost a few rigs in the rough ground.

Dale Fort (1 Pouting)

2007-12-13T19:21:00.000Z

Dale Fort 13/12/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 6.00pm.
Tide: HW-4 to HW-2. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Dry, but very windy from SE
Sea: Choppy
Tackle & Bait: Usual flappers & mackerel
Fishing: Pants!
Comments: One pouting speaks for itself really. Tried Nolton Haven rocks to start with and it was too rough. Thought Dale might be a little better but the SE wind was very strong and made fishing difficult. Had enough of the rods being blown over after a couple of hours. Used the poor little pouting as live bait for conger, huss or maybe even cod, but nothing doing!

St Davids Head (6 Dogfish, 5 Whiting, 3 Pouting, 15 Dabs)

2007-11-24T10:46:00.000Z

St Davids Head 23/11/2007
Time: 3.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+3. Spring tide.
Weather: Clear and cold. Light NW wind.
Sea: Calm. Strong current from right to left at Conger Rock.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips, heads and pouting livebait.
Fishing: Had bites straight away from very small dabs that kept coming. Dogs made a good showing with some whiting and the odd pouting.
Comments: Nice mark to fish. Stumbled on the rocks coming down and broke the rings on the GRX rod. Size 4 hooks help to turn bites into hooked fish, but they are all too small so I may change to using size 2 or 1/0 instead as I don't see the point in pulling in very small fish unless they are good for livebait. Ok if catching some pouting for conger bait, but wasn't very good here due to the large number of very small dabs that were about. There was a strong current running from St Davids Head on the right towards Whitsands on the left. Even with 5oz grip leads it was pulling the rigs across very quickly. Lost some tackle after leaving it too long and it got dragged into snags on the left hand rocks, otherwise the ground is clear.

Morfa Bychan

2007-11-18T16:06:00.000Z

Morfa Bychan 18/11/2007
Time: 11.00am to 1.00pm.
Tide: HW to HW-1. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, storm night before.
Sea: Rough.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel on flappers and large rig
Fishing: Pants!
Comments: Nothing about today. Took the boys down for a quick line wetting at high tide. Very cold, and I got a welly full of water as usual! There's always one wave that catches me out!

Wooltack Point

2007-11-17T09:34:00.000Z

Wooltack Point 16/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: LW+2 to HW. Neap tide.
Weather: Started overcast, cleared later. Dry, light SW wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Large mackerel baits on pully pennels & simple ledgers.
Fishing: Aweful. Some bites.
Comments: Wooltack Point is way too snaggy. Some patches are ok but a lot seem to have ledges which catch the rig on the way back in, and heavy kelp covered area. Started off fishing facing the islands but the rip was still too fast. The wind was cutting across as well. Moved to a ledge on the Martins Haven side that was sheltered and out of the main tidal flow but lost a lot of tackle. Some good bites, but the whole rig was getting caught in snags so even rotten bottom would not have solved the problem. Won't be bothering with it again as there are better places to fish.

Watwick Steps (2 Dogfish, 1 Mackerel, 6 Pouting)

2007-11-11T23:12:00.000Z

Watwick Steps 11/11/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+3. Spring tide.
Weather: Dry, some cloud, NW winds. Cold.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel on flappers and pulley pennell. Livebait pouting.
Fishing: Usual pouting bites, used them for livebait. Slowed down about 9pm.
Comments: Met another angler who stayed until 8.30. Caught much the same, though he had some very small dabs using size 6 hooks. He had fished the steps for many years and didn't think the chances of conger where very good as he'd only had one strap in that time. Time to rethink conger venues! Walked over to Watwick Point initially but couldn't get down to the rocks. Photo below is looking across Watwick Bay towards the steps. Apparently the steps are part of a landing stage and pier that was used in the construction and supply of West Blockhouse on the headland due to the sheltered nature of the bay.

Stackpole (11 Dogfish, 4 Pouting)

2007-11-09T21:45:00.000Z

Stackpole 09/11/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW+2. Spring tide.
Weather: Overcast, light NW winds.
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: flappers, mackerel bait, pulley pennel, mackerel & live pouting.
Fishing: Had about five dogfish in the first hour and they just kept coming!
Comments: Dogfish madness!! Every cast the dogfish were there. Even had a pouting with a dogfish on the same rig. Must admit to getting quite irritated with it in the end so went home with the fish still biting - not something I do very often. Great mark to fish though. Bit of a walk from the car park, but well worth it. Fished well over HW but a lot of rocks started to get exposed as the tide went out and it could get difficult to fish over LW.

Morfa Bychan (1 Bass, 12 Mackerel)

2007-11-08T19:05:00.000Z

Morfa Bychan 08/11/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW. Spring tide.
Weather: Clearing after rain, NW winds.
Sea: Calm, good swell.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & pulley pennel 5/0.
Fishing: Mackerel still coming in after whirebait, bass on livebait joey ledgered.
Comments: Just popped down to try for some more mackerel to eat and use as bait on the weekend. As soon as I caught a joey I put in on the rig and popped it out as usual. Right hand side of the bay and only about 10m out. Next thing I looked over while pulling in the feathers to see the rod and stand pulled over! Rushed across and found a good sized fish pulling on the end. Lovely bass of just over 3lb.

Morfa Bychan (5 Mackerel)

2007-11-04T20:05:00.000Z

Morfa Bychan 04/11/2007
Time: 2.00pm to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW to HW+3. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, no wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers, mackerel live bait, mackerel strip.
Fishing: Whitebait shoals still appearing at HW with a few mackerel following.
Comments: Tried using some mackerel as live bait but no Bass interested.

Druidston Haven

2007-11-03T22:45:00.000Z

Druidston Haven 03/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: LW-2 to LW+2. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, very slight N wind. Dry.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Flappers, mackerel & lug.
Fishing: Nothing! No bites, not even crabs.
Comments: Seemed to be busy in west wales with bonfire night parties. Set up on the beach to the far left beneath the hotel. The hotel then had a massive firework display on the cliff top right above me. Fantastic display with spent rockets raining down around me. Must have scared the fish away!

Nolton Haven Rocks (4 Whiting)

2007-11-03T01:09:00.000Z

Nolton Haven Rocks 02/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 12.00pm.
Tide: LW-1 to LW+5. Neap flood tide.
Weather: Light W winds, dry, overcast.
Sea: Good swell and a moderate surf.
Tackle & Bait: flapper & pulley pennel, mackerel, lug.
Fishing: Slow, had a few whiting. No other bites.
Comments: Conditions seemed good, but no pouting showing unlike a couple of weeks back.

Morfa Bychan

2007-10-31T20:23:00.000Z

Morfa Bychan 31/10/2007
Time: 2.00pm to 4.30pm.
Tide: LW-2 to LW+1. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, light W winds
Sea: Calm, light surf.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper, mackerel and insitu dug Lug, plus a few shrimps.
Fishing: Nothing, bait not touched except by crabs.
Comments: Possible bites, but more likely to be enthusiastic crabs! Good amount of lugworm on the left hand side of beach. Had some prawn/shrimp traps delivered today so took one down. Put a stone in as weight with a handfull of whitebait as bait and placed it 20m out on the end of a crab line. Had some shrimps to use as bait and to take home to eat - very tasty :)

Druidston Haven (2 Turbot)

2007-10-29T17:43:00.000Z

Druidston Haven 29/10/2007
Time: 11.00am to 4.30pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW+2. Spring tide.
Weather: 20+ mph W winds.
Sea: Rough.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flappers, mackerel strips.
Fishing: Turbot caught just after LW.
Comments: Back to Druidston with the boys to try low water. Very windy still and difficult to fish. Thanks to whoever sent the comment about the fish not being dabs but turbot!

Druidston Haven (2 Flounder)

2007-10-28T22:23:00.000Z

Druidston Haven 28/10/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 9.30pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: 20+ mph W winds, stormy, heavy rain at times.
Sea: Very rough.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flappers, tried a pennel with mackerel bait.
Fishing: Looked like good bass conditions, so caught 2 small flounder!
Comments: Went to Nolton Haven rocks to start with but it was too dangerous in the stormy conditions - had rogue waves washing up the rocks. Decided to go to Druidston as I didn't fancy being chased up Newgale beach by the rising tide. Druidston was very rough with the rigs being dragged about all over the place, even with grip leads. Rigs getting washed in with weed and debris on the line, going slack and getting caught in the pebbles. Lost one rig that way and gave up trying to fish two rods, had to concentrate on just one. The two small flounder came in quite early on, then it went quiet.

Watwick Steps (2 Dogfish, 6 Pouting)

2007-10-27T09:48:00.000+01:00

Watwick Steps 26/10/2007
Time: 8.00pm to 12.00pm.
Tide: HW+1 to HW+5. Spring, ebb tide.
Weather: SW winds but sheltered in bay, raining.
Sea: Calm, good swell.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel & pouting bait. 3 hook flappers and pulley pennell.
Fishing: Bites from Pouting and dogfish all night. Eased off later.
Comments: Almost a disaster of a trip. Went to Wooltack Point first and found the weather too bad to fish, and it was snaggy! Tried Dale Fort but it was taken over with anglers. Finally went to Watwick Steps and passed someone driving away as I arrived. Used some pouting as live bait on the pennell. Had one very large bite on a live pouting which pulled line off the reel. Hooks were both through the mouth of the bait fish and it didn't hook up.

Ceibwr Bay (1 Dogfish)

2007-10-24T23:48:00.000+01:00

Ceibwr Bay 24/10/2007
Time: 8.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: HW+1 to HW+4. Spring, ebb tide.
Weather: Clear, light E wind.
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel on 3 hook flapper and pouting on pulley pennel
Fishing: Bites straight away from probable dogfish. Got one of them in the end! Bites stopped about 10.30.
Comments: Busy time with two rods and dogfish at them. Tried rig for conger but nothing taking again. The mark is very snaggy and I lost weights on almost every cast. Luckily I used rotten bottom with stones that I found nearby so didn't lose a rig.

Pendine

2007-10-21T23:18:00.000+01:00

Pendine 21/10/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW+1. Neap.
Weather: Overcast. Light S wind.
Sea: Moderate surf.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flappers and mackerel strip.
Fishing: Crap!
Comments: Had a few bites, probably flounder, early on before LW but then went quiet. Tried in close and further out.

Nolton Haven Rocks (1 Bass, 6 Pouting, 3 Whiting)

2007-10-21T09:57:00.000+01:00

Nolton Haven Rocks 20/10/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 12.00pm.
Tide: LW-3 to LW+3. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, light SW wind.
Sea: Good swell and a moderate surf.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper, 5/0 pulley rig. Mackerel strips and mackerel/pouting on the pulley.
Fishing: Bites started at dusk and continued until the flood was well under way then eased off. Lots of bites from pouting and whiting but the size 2 hooks may be a little too large for the smaller fish. Bass came in early on the light tackle.
Comments: Good night with the bonus of a nice bass. This is an excellent rock mark as long as the weather is dry. Was hoping for a conger or huss on the pulley with large fish bait but no bites.

Morfa Bychan (6 Mackerel)

2007-10-19T17:48:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 19/10/2007
Time: 10.00am to 2.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW+2. Neap tide.
Weather: Sunny and calm
Sea: Calm. Good swell.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers for mackerel. Ledger with Mackerel bait.
Fishing: Mackerel still appearing, but not many. Still coming onto the bay well into the ebb. Nothing at all on the ledger.
Comments: Had trouble float fishing on the right hand side due to the rocks. Lost a ledger as well as some feathers.

Amroth

2007-10-14T20:45:00.000+01:00

Amroth 14/10/2007
Time: 2.00pm to 7.00pm.
Tide: LW-1 to LW+4. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Overcast, no wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flappers in close and further out. Mackerel & shrimp bait.
Fishing: Crap! No bites at all apart from the odd crab.
Comments: Lots of floating debris being washed in which made fishing diffiucult in the end. Did some shrimping with the push net and caught a few for bait. Also caught lots of very small flounder a few cms in size - see pic below.

Watwick Steps (2 Dogfish, 5 Pouting, 1 Pollack, 1 Mackerel)

2007-10-12T23:45:00.000+01:00

Watwick Steps 12/10/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+3. Spring tide.
Weather: Overcast, v light wind.
Sea: Calm in bay, good swell on other side of bay.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook ledger & mackerel bait, pulley rig with large mackerel bait and pouting.
Fishing: Started catching straight away with mackerel, then pollack, then the pouting started biting. Got dogfish on both rods.
Comments: The fish seem to be coming in to the haven on the flood tide and leaving with the start of the ebb.

Morfa Bychan (23 Mackerel)

2007-10-10T20:37:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 10/10/2007

After school session with the two boys from 4-7pm. Caught the high tide at 6.30pm. Getting dark now just after 7pm. Some mackerel coming in but they are getting sparse. Quite a swell on with the big spring tides. Tried ledgering with a fresh joey for bass but no takers as usual.

Druidston Haven (1 Bass)

2007-10-07T19:23:00.000+01:00

Druidston Haven 07/10/2007
Time: 2.00pm to 6.00pm.
Tide: LW+3 to HW+1. Neap flood tide.
Weather: Overcast, calm.
Sea: Calm, small surf.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper, pulley. Mackerel strips.
Fishing: Bass, 4lb 4oz
Comments: Had two rods - one in close for flounder, and one a bit further out for bass. Caught the bass on the close in rod with size 2 hooks! Noticed the line had gone slack, reeled in, it went tight and then the bass came in out of the surf. Largest bass so far!

Morfa Bychan (6 Mackerel)

2007-10-06T19:47:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 06/10/2007

Afternoon session again. Good conditions, but the whitebait and mackerel didn't show up in any numbers. Came in on the left hand side a bit after HW. And some good luck - I found the bubble float that I lost last time washed up on the stones :)

Watwick Steps (1 Dogfish)

2007-10-06T09:38:00.000+01:00

Watwick Steps 06/10/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: LW-5 to LW+2. Neap ebb & flood tide.
Weather: Clear, sunny, cold, light wind, no moon.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper 2/0 in day, pulley with 5/0 in the dark. Mackerel strips & flappers.
Fishing: Regular dogfish bites after dark. Hook too big to get them, but they took the bait anyway.
Comments: Conditions all seemed right for conger eel, so was aiming for that with the large pulley rig and mackerel flappers. Hoping for bull huss as a possible as well. But the fish weren't playing!

Morfa Bychan (58 Mackerel)

2007-10-04T16:35:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 04/10/2007
Time: 11.00pm to 2.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW+2. Neap tide.
Weather: Calm, sunny, light SW wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & live baiting.
Fishing: Mackerel for bait this weekend (conger hunting) and dinner.
Comments: Whitebait and mackerel stayed in the bay after HW and where still there when I left. Not biting the feathers as well as before. Tried live baiting from the pebble beach but the daft joey kept swimming in to shore. Leaving the live bait rod unattended is a pain as the line goes slack amd gets caught in the rocks. Line snapped in the end when I casted out - bubble float headed off into the bay never to return. Must have been a snag that had weakened the line.

Morfa Bychan (2 Flounder)

2007-09-30T21:55:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 30/09/2007
Time: 12.30pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: LW-3 to HW+5. Spring, tide.
Weather: Strong SE wind easing later, dry getting sunny later.
Sea: Choppy, getting rough later.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper, rag, lug and mackerel
Fishing: Flounder, 1 before, 1 after LW - slack water
Comments: First flounder! Went out specifically to catch flounder. Made up a 3 hook rig with 2/0 hooks and some beads. Bought rag, dug a little lug and used mackerel from the other day. Did try float fishing for bass along the rocks but it was too rough and got dark quickly so had to pack it in: not before getting soaked by a rogue wave.

Morfa Bychan (75 Mackerel)

2007-09-27T20:54:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 27/09/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 7.30pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: Overcast, dry, chilly.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers. Live bait joey.
Fishing: More maccy madness!!
Comments: Same as yesterday, but I tried a bit of live baiting from the beach area out to the rocks on the left hand side. No luck, but it was interesting to try it out. Might give it a proper go when the boys aren't with me and I can get around the rocks. Not sure how much more mackerel I can fit in the freezer, but it will all be good for eating or as bait. The photo below shows the whitebait shoal as a dark patch in the sea and some breaking the surface. Managed to get a bucket full of whitebait with a net as they practically jumped into it!

Morfa Bychan (115 Mackerel, 1 Dogfish)

2007-09-26T21:00:00.001+01:00

Morfa Bychan 26/09/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 7.30pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: Clear, sunny, north wind but sheltered.
Sea: Calm in the bay, no swell.
Tackle & Bait: Pennel with squid & mackerel head. Feat
Fishing: Maccy madness!!
Comments: So this is where the mackerel have been hiding from me all summer! They came in on the tide after the whitebait which was throwing itself onto the stones. Every cast was bringing a string of mackerel in. They are mostly small, with some larger ones. Ideal as I needed bait for winter fishing and these are fine. Met a pair doing livebaiting and this time they landed a good size bass from the rocks on the right hand side.

Morfa Bychan (2 Dogfish)

2007-09-25T22:13:00.000+01:00

Morfa Bychan 25/09/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 7.00pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Spring tide.
Weather: Unsettled, strong north wind though sheltered in the bay.
Sea: Calm in the bay, but a big swell
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper with mackerel strip
Fishing: 2 dogs and no other bites.
Comments: Saw shoals of whitebait boiling the surface only a few yards out. Not seen that at all on the west coast. Will try to get back after work tomorrow for another go with large baits for bass and will take the spinning rod to try for some more mackerel when I see the shoals in. Met a chap trying to catch mackerel for livebait for bass, but he didn't get any from the rocks.

Druidston Haven

2007-09-23T10:30:00.000+01:00

Druidston Haven 22/09/2007
Time: 3.00pm to 9.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to LW-1. Neap, ebb tide.
Weather: Rain, SW wind, overcast, clearing later
Sea: Choppy, good surf running
Tackle & Bait: Squid and mackerel head on pennell, macerel strip on plaice trace.
Fishing: Blank again. Fished close and far, waded into surf to gain distance.
Comments: Should have been good conditions for bass, though it was neap tides and on the ebb. But stayed into the night to see if bites started. Bait not even touched.

Druidston Haven

2007-09-16T11:07:00.000+01:00

Druidston Haven 15/09/2007
Time: 7.30pm to 11.00pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Spring, flood & ebb tide.
Weather: Clear
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips & heads on ledgers.
Fishing: No bites
Comments: Came here after Wooltack Point expecting to get at least dogfish biting, but nothing at all. Used two rods, one in close one out further. A contast to Mussellwick Sands a few weeks before at the same tide and time of night when the dogfish where biting constantly and even caught a good sized bass.

Wooltack Point (8 Mackerel)

2007-09-16T10:53:00.000+01:00

Wooltack Point 15/09/2007
Time: 3.00pm to 7.00pm.
Tide: LW to HW-2. Spring, flood tide.
Weather: Clear & sunny
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & ledger
Fishing: Some larger mackerel than before.
Comments: No bites on the ledger. Used mackerel strip. The mackerel pictured below was the firt one caught and it took my home made replacement feather from our own chickens - who says you need expensive tackle! Interesting to see the low spring tide at this mark, and I started to catch mackerel at the low tide.

Newport Beach

2007-09-12T21:13:00.000+01:00

Newport Beach 12/09/2007
Time: 4.30pm to 7.00pm.
Tide: LW+1 to LW+4. Sspring, flood tide.
Weather: Overcast, no wind.
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Lugworm dug in situ.
Fishing: Nothing.
Comments: Big problems with crabs pinching the bait. The sebed must have been a mass of the damn things as the whole bait was being stripped from the hook in minutes. No bites.

Druidston Haven

2007-09-10T20:48:00.000+01:00

Druidston Haven 10/09/2007
Time: 4.30pm to 7.30pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW. Spring flood tide.
Weather: Sunny. Light N wind.
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: Beach rod ledger with rag bait. No bites.
Fishing: No bites. Nothing, just like the day before.
Comments: Came back with the two boys for the evening. Disappointed not to have even a nibble at the lovely rag bait I paid for! What do these fish want, caviar? I suppose I'll have to try it around slack water later in the week. Nice location though.

Druidston Haven

2007-09-09T20:08:00.000+01:00

Druidston Haven 09/09/2007
Time: 3.00pm to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW-1. Neap/spring flood tide.
Weather: Overcast.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Beach rod ledger with rag bait. No bites.
Fishing: No bites.
Comments: Moved up the beach to avoid being cut off. Didn't have time to fish here as we had the two boys with us and needed to get back, but I thought I'd give it a try. Will come back here for an evening and night session some time as it's a really nice place. A bit like Mussellwick Sands but not so far to walk. It's also more crowded as it's near to Nolton and Broad Haven.

Nolton Haven Rocks (7 Mackerel)

2007-09-08T21:22:00.000+01:00

Nolton Haven Rocks 08/09/2007
Time: 3.30pm to 6.30pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+1. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast. Steady north wind strong at times.
Sea: Calm, becomming choppy at times.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers again for mackerel. Beach rod ledger with king rag bait but no bites.
Fishing: Mackerel are becoming fewer.
Comments: Back to the rocks for another session after the mackerel before they disappear. Actually caught most Mackerel as the tide turned and started into the ebb. Would have thought that the rising tide would have been better. Tried the ledger in various places with king rag sometimes tipped with mackerel strip. Nothing at all - no bites and the bait not even touched.

Nolton Haven Rocks (11 Mackerel, 1 Pollack)

2007-09-07T23:16:00.000+01:00

Nolton Haven Rocks 07/09/2007
Time: 6pm to 9pm.
Tide: HW+1 to LW-2. Ebb Neap tide.
Weather: Clear & sunny. Steady north wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers for mackerel & pollack. Beach rod ledger with fish strip bait but no bites.
Fishing: Caught in one's and two's again. Pollack caught about 5 metres out.
Comments: Good evening fishing with mackerel biting all over the place. Sometimes taking feathers just after they hit the water on a long cast, other times biting within a few metres of the rocks. Stayed till after dark but no bites on the ledger.

Nolton Haven Rocks (11 Mackerel)

2007-09-01T09:52:00.000+01:00

Nolton Haven Rocks 31/08/2007
Time: 7pm to 9pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW. Spring.
Weather: Overcast, clearing a later.
Sea: Choppy.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers.
Fishing: Caught in one's and two's again.
Comments: Good evening fishing again. Quite a few people fishing. Stayed till dark.

Newgale Rocks South

2007-09-01T09:39:00.000+01:00

Newgale Rocks South 31/08/2007
Time: 3.30pm to 6.30pm.
Tide: LW to LW+3. Spring.
Weather: Overcast and breezy.
Sea: Choppy.
Tackle & Bait: Float & Chug Bug.
Fishing: Nothing.
Comments: Lost a float because of the weed. Far too much floating weed to be able to fish. I thought it may be a good Bass venue and intended to follow the flood tide in using plugs and possibly some float. But it is very easy to get cut off as the tide flows around the back of the rock islands very quickly. Won't be going back on a flood tide again, but it may be possible to fish it an hour either side of HW using float.

Nolton Haven Rocks (10 Mackerel)

2007-08-28T22:06:00.000+01:00

Nolton Haven Rocks 28/08/2007
Time: 6pm to 8pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW. Spring.
Weather: Clear & sunny.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers.
Fishing: Caught in one's and two's.
Comments: Good evening fishing - found the mackerel at last!

Musselwick Sands (5 Dogfish)

2007-08-28T09:26:00.000+01:00

Musselwick Sands 27/08/2007
Time: 8pm to 2am.
Tide: HW-1 to LW. Spring.
Weather: Clear & sunny. Almost full moon so easy to see.
Sea: Choppy becomming calm.
Tackle & Bait: One hook 2/0 clipped down, 4oz.
Fishing: 5 Dogfish. Bites stopped at LW.
Comments: Great evening fishing. Stayed a lot later than I thought I would as the bites kept coming from the doggys.

Wooltack Point (8 Mackerel)

2007-08-28T09:22:00.000+01:00

Wooltack Point 27/08/2007
Time: 5pm to 7pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW. Spring.
Weather: Overcast, windy.
Sea: Choppy.
Tackle & Bait: Spinning lures & feathers.
Fishing: 8 Mackerel.
Comments: Good trip at last! Tried feathering with 1oz weight but no results. Spoke to two others fishing nearby and they had swopped to 3oz weights to get out further. Lent me a 3oz weight and I hit the mackerel with six feathers. Moved on to Mussellwick Sands for dusk and night fishing.

Ceibwr Bay

2007-08-26T20:07:00.001+01:00

Ceibwr Bay 26/08/2007
Time: 6pm to 7pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW. Neap changing to Spring.
Weather: Clear & sunny.
Sea: Choppy.
Tackle & Bait: Spinning lures & feathers.
Fishing: Nothing.
Comments: Disappointing trip again in search of the elusive mackerel shoals. Maybe south Pemb coast will be better! Two other fishermen reported no mackerel and only a single pollack so hopefully it's not just me. Photos show the rock ledges, gully and bay itself in the background.

Fishguard (1 Mackerel)

2007-08-25T20:50:00.000+01:00

Fishguard - Old Harbour Rocks 25/08/2007
Time: Late afternoon to 7pm.
Tide: Neap flood tide to HW & ebb.
Weather: Clear & sunny.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Spinning lures & feathers.
Fishing: 1 Mackerel on a small blue metal lure.
Comments: Disappointing trip. Should fish well the hours around HW. Weed appearing at the start of the ebb.

Ceibwr Bay

2007-08-24T23:18:00.001+01:00

Ceibwr Bay 24/08/2007
Time: Evening to sunset.
Tide: Neap ebb tide to slack water.
Weather: Clear & sunny.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Spinning lures. Float & fake peeler crab.
Fishing: Nothing caught, no bites.
Comments: Very quiet for fish. Nothing jumping or seen. Went down to target mackerel but the ebb tide is not right for them. Will try Wooltack Point or Nolton Haven rocks on the weekend.

Newport Beach

2007-08-24T23:17:00.001+01:00

Newport Beach 22/08/2007
Time: Evening to sunset.
Tide: Neap ebb tide to nearly slack water.
Weather: Very windy elsewhere with N winds but sheltered on beach so quite nice.
Sea: Good rolling surf but some weed - not as much as other times though.
Tackle & Bait: 3 hook flapper with mackerel strips, heads etc.
Fishing: Nothing caught, no bites except craps stealing bait.
Comments:

Places - 2007

2007-08-24T23:16:00.000+01:00

This is a quick summary of places fished in 2007, what they are like and what, if anything, I caught. This will bring the blog up to date to when I started writing it 22/08/2007. Will add notes and places as I go out from now on.

Ceibwr Bay, Moylegrove - Pollack, Mackerel, Wrasse
Newport Beach - 0
Newport Head Rocks - Mackerel
Strumble Head - 0
St Davids Head - Mackerel, Dogfish, Whiting, Pouting, Dab
Newgale Beach - 0
Nolton Haven Rocks - Mackerel, Bass, Pollack
St Brides - 0
Musselwick Sands, Marloes - Bass, Dogfish
Wooltack Point, Martins Haven - Mackerel
Marloes Beach - 0
West Angle Bay Rocks - 0
Manorbier - 0
Fishguard - Old Harbour Rocks - Mackerel
Druidston Haven - Bass, Whiting
Morfa Bychan - Mackerel, Dogfish, Flounder
Watwick Steps - Mackerel, Dogfish, Pollack, Pouting
Amroth - 0
Pendine - 0
Stackpole - Dogfish, Pouting

2007 has been a bad summer. High winds, cold and rain. It hasn't been good fishing so far, but the weather is changing for the August bank holiday week.

Getting Started

2007-08-24T23:09:00.000+01:00

Living within reasonably easy reach of most of the Pembrokeshire coastline - mid way between north, west and south coasts - I got interested in doing some fishing early in 2007. Thoughts of childhood fishing trips with my father and friends that consisted of boring waits on the beach with no fish, and casting across others lines on Penarth pier didn't make me that enthusiastic. Though one positive memory that I did remember was of my friend feathering for mackerel on a weekend trip to Marloes, Pembrokeshire many years ago. Pulled in lots of mackerel in a short time! So I decided that was for me. None of this standing on beaches waiting for fish to bite some foul smelling bait. No, it was fishing from the rocks with feathers and lures that I wanted to try. So I got a spinning rod and feathers in March - then some more feathers, then some shads, then some other lures, a Rapala J9, a chug bug thingy, and yes the list goes on as I got caught by all the fancy lure makers. Had a go and started to catch some fish. Pollack first at Ceibwr Bay near Cardigan. Got hooked by the fishing bug. Tried a little float fishing, then ledgering and got bored at first. Then went down Newport beach one day with the children to try looking for bait and met a chap who pulled in a large Bass after about 10 mins fishing. That was it, I was going to try that beach fishing! So I did, but to no great success at first. Then tried Musselwick sands near Marloes one night and caught a 3.5 lb bass and a dogfish. And that was it - off to the shop and get a beach caster and away we go :)