Piers have always been popular with anglers as they offer easy access to deep water and a (usually) safe and stable platform to fish from. Many anglers gain their first fishing experience from pier fishing, often going for summer mackerel, which leads to a lifelong love of angling. Smaller species of fish are attracted by the shelter offered by the structure of the pier, which in turn attracts bigger predatory fish and can lead to great fishing. There are many different types of pier, ranging from small wooden piers that lend themselves to fishing with light gear to solid stone structures that can extend a mile out to sea and require heavy, rough ground equipment to fish successfully. It pays to do a little research before embarking on a pier fishing session as many piers are locked in bad weather and at night, while others are restricted to members of angling clubs and on some fishing is banned altogether.
Piers and Fish Species
There are hundreds of piers, jetties and breakwaters around the UK meaning that a huge range of species can be caught from piers. The actual species that can be caught depends on the location of the pier itself. Piers built out into vast sandy beaches will offer flatfish species such as flounder, plaice and Dover sole, as well as rays and potentially bass when there is some sea running. On the other extreme solid stone piers built around rocky ground are likely to hold species associated with this type of ground such as pollock, wrasse, coalfish and possibly conger eel, as well as cod and whiting in the winter. The vast majority of piers are popular for fishing for mackerel and garfish in the summer using lures and float fished baits. Very long piers can offer anglers the chance to cast into very deep water which can produce unusual species which are not often caught from the shallower water of the shore such as ling and haddock. Anglers should, however, be aware that the very end of a pier does not necessarily always offer the best fishing and other points on the pier may be more productive.
Pier Fishing Equipment
Today most anglers use all-round beachcasters for pier fishing, especially if they are casting from the pier onto mixed or sandy ground. Other anglers who fish from piers with strong tides and snaggy ground may step up to using stronger and more powerful rough ground fishing rods paired up with fast-retrieve rough ground multiplier reels. The idea of pier rods – stiff fishing rods, usually about 10ft long, which offered short-range casting but plenty of strength to winch fish up pier walls have died off in popularity in recent years. This is because all-round beachcasters today are so capable that anglers can use them for both pier fishing and beach fishing, negating the need to have a specialised pier rod.
Another method of fishing a pier, in summer at least, is to use light gear. Spinning or lure fishing for summer mackerel is one of the most popular types of fishing in the UK, and as stated in the page on mackerel it is much more fun to fish for this species with light gear such as 7 – 8ft spinning rods rated to cast 1 – 2oz, rather than using strings of feathers or daylights on 12ft beachcasters. Due to the deep water around piers float fishing is also popular and can be carried out using a spinning rod or bass rod rated to cast 2 – 4oz.
A drop net is an essential piece of equipment for anyone fishing a pier who plans on catching anything other than small fish. This is because it is impossible to winch large fish up a pier wall and even relatively modestly sized fish around the 2 – 3lb mark will put a lot of strain on a fishing rod and reel, and larger fish will prove impossible to haul up. Using a drop net allows any larger fish that are hooked to be successfully landed. Read more about using drop nets to land a fish by clicking here.
An additional bonus of many piers and breakwaters is that they offer a comfortable fishing location. Many piers also have a rail running around them which anglers can use to place their rod against, meaning that they do not need to take a rod rest or tripod with them. However, many anglers use some kind of clamp or holder to keep their rod lifted off the rails to ensure that the line is not damaged – an adjustable boat and rail rod rest is useful in this respect.
Pier Fishing Rigs
There are no specific pier fishing rigs, and anglers should base their choice of rig on the ground they are fishing over and the species they are targeting. Distance is rarely important from piers so the two hook flapping rig is a good all-round choice which can catch a variety of species. If fishing for larger species such as cod or bass then a clipped down pennell rig can be used, while anglers targeting summer species can use the adjustable float fishing rig. When fishing from piers that are built around snaggy or rough ground anglers have a choice of rigs with rough ground rigs (which include a weak link release) useful to cut down on lost rigs and fish, while pulley rigs are always popular with anglers fishing from piers which are built over rough ground.
Types of Piers
The picture above shows the main types of piers found around Britain. Purfleet Jetty is an example of a small jetty that is usually found within harbours and docks. As jetties can sometimes be quite far inland they generally offer smaller estuary species such as flounder, dab and school bass, while summer may see mackerel present. Jetties, particularly those in the south, can be a good venue to catch mullet when the weather is still and calm. Llandudno pier is an example of a promenade style pier that is built going out into a sandy beach and will fish well for flatfish, as well as the other species outlined above, while the solid stone Middleton pier at Hartlepool is the type of pier where anglers may have to step up to stronger rough ground gear due to the snags and strong tides around this area.
Some types of pier, especially promenade style piers, can dry out at low tide, meaning that fishing can only take place around high tide, as the pictures above show.
Pier Fishing: Access, Crowds and Safety
Piers are a great place to go fishing but they can get very busy, especially in the summer months, with members of the public and anglers all sharing the limited amount of space which is available. Anglers should always be careful to check that the space behind them is clear before casting on a busy pier and ensure that safety is always top priority when fishing in crowded conditions. In winter piers can also get very busy with anglers – especially when the news spreads that the cod are in – and although most anglers are happy to fish side by side there can sometimes be issues with crossed lines due to misplaced casts. Anglers should also be aware of lines getting in the way of boats and other vessels sailing past the pier and observe all of the safety regulations of a pier.
On some piers, anglers are required to buy a ticket to fish from the pier. This can often be paid on the pier itself but anglers should check because it is sometimes necessary to apply for a permit or pass before the fishing session, and these can sometimes take weeks to be processed. Many of these piers also have restrictions such as no overhead casting, areas which are float fishing only, and many piers have sections where anglers are prohibited from fishing entirely. Anglers should always be aware of any rules which are in place on piers they are fishing from, and ensure that they adhere to these rules.
Many larger stone piers are free to fish from, with the only restriction being that they are shut when the weather makes it too dangerous to access the pier. Although many anglers climb over or around locked gates to fish piers this is not advisable as the gates are locked for safety reasons and as piers are private property anglers could potentially be prosecuted for trespassing.
While anglers are always disappointed to see a mark they were planning to fish closed the only alternative is to find a new venue to fish. Many piers can be swamped by large waves in bad weather and lost gear, serious injury and even death could all be the end result for anglers fishing on piers which have been closed.
Anti-social Behaviour and Piers
Unfortunately, during the summer many piers around the UK attract so-called anglers who are more interested in drinking and causing trouble than catching fish. Inevitably these people will be using daylights and feathers to target mackerel and leave behind rubbish, beer cans, fishing line and empty rig packets wherever they have been fishing. There have even been reports of some piers effectively becoming no-go zones for families and responsible anglers as these ‘anglers’ claim sections of piers as their own when they go mackerel fishing. Other issues on piers include people casting dangerously, leaving behind unused bait and angling-related litter and cutting bait on seats.
Related article: Responsible Sea Angling
There is little responsible anglers can do other than distance themselves from these groups and make it clear that people behaving like this has nothing to do with genuine anglers. Continual bad behaviour, mess and litter will inevitably result in all angling being banned from piers.
Despite these issues, many piers offer brilliant fishing and allow anglers access to deep waters and fishing marks far out at sea which would not be accessible any other way. There are hundreds of piers around the UK and many other smaller jetties and breakwaters, offering plenty of venues and fishing marks for anglers to discover and explore.