Wales

Goldcliffe Beach
Goldcliffe Beach © Gill Stott

Chepstow and Newport – In Chepstow there are good cod fishing opportunities around the Beachley and Severn Bridge area. Plenty of cod are caught here with some decent specimens among them, as well as flounder, school bass and silver eels. Worm baits are always a good choice here, with lugworm and squid cocktails also worth a try, as is peeler crab. Two hook flapping rigs with size 1/0 hooks will catch all of the smaller species while hook size should be stepped up and pennell rigs used to target the larger cod. Goldcliff beach near Newport offers conger eels, large cod, and thornback rays, as well as flounder, dogfish and rocking. It is best to fish over high tide from the sea wall. The tidal flow can be very strong and grip leads are usually necessary. View this area on Google Maps here.

Cardiff
Cardiff © Dr Blofeld

Cardiff – Cardiff foreshore has a number of marks can produce plenty of fish with big winter cod caught along with whiting and flounder. Other times of the year will see dogfish, pouting, rockling, bass and silver eels all caught. Fishing for conger eels here can be excellent and it is best to step up to wire or heavy mono traces and a minimum of size 6/0 hooks baited with big mackerel, herring, squid or cuttlefish baits. This is a high tide mark, and the strong tidal flow means that grip leads are advised in most conditions. Certain parts of this area can only be fished with a permit so check this with local authorities prior to fishing. View this area on Google Maps here.

Sully Island
Sully Island © Mick Lobb

Sully Island – This is a good mark for a number of species, especially big winter cod. The ground is very rough and a lot of tackle can be lost here so most anglers use rotten bottom rigs to minimise losses. Big hooks and big baits are used here for the large cod, with big conger eel and plenty of other species such as thornback and blonde rays, whiting, dogfish and bull huss also caught. The Monkey Pole mark is said to be the best on the island although anglers should be very careful about climbing down the rocks. The island is accessible via a causeway which is only useable over low tide. Safety is paramount so never try and wade cross the causeway once the water has started to cover it. It is best to fish this mark for the first time with someone who has been here before due to the safety issues. View this area on Google Maps here.

Aberthaw Power Station
Aberthaw Power Station © Mick Lobb

Aberthaw Beach (Power Station) – The beach around Aberthaw Power station is a great sea fishing mark for multiple species. It is a mixed ground mark with some sandy patches and a lot of heavy and rocky ground and weed can be an issue at times. Plenty of species can be caught here including bass in the summer and desirable species such as thornback and blonde rays, smooth-hound (to peeler and hardback crabs) and conger eel (to mackerel or squid baits). Winter sees many big cod caught, along with whiting, flounder and rockling. This mark is seen as a low-tide venue, and fishes best on small neap tides. View this area on Google Maps here.

Nash Point
Nash Point © Dr Blofeld

Monknash Beach and Nash Point – Monknash beach is a sandy beach which offers great flatfish fishing. Turbot and flounder are caught here, with the possibility of plaice and Dover sole in the summer as well. When the sea is calm smooth-hound will be caught on hermit, peeler and hardback crab, and if the sea is running this mark can produce bass to ragworm, mackerel and peeler crab baits cast just behind the breakers. Nash Point is a headland with a number of rock ledge fishing marks which allow an angler to put a bait into deep water. Conger fishing can be very good here with large specimens necessitating the usual strong gear, big hooks and wire traces. Dogfish, bull huss, smooth-hound, cod, whiting and many other species will all also be caught here. Daylights and feathers will catch plenty of mackerel here, and spinners can catch a summer bass. This is a low water mark but anglers should be very careful of both the incoming tide and slippery rocks. View this area on Google Maps here.

Porthcawl Breakwater C Bob Jones
Porthcawl Breakwater © Bob Jones

Porthcawl – Porthcawl breakwater/pier offers good fishing for a range of species. Dogfish, pouting, gurnard and school bass will all take bottom fished worm, mackerel stip and squid baits. Sandeel and mackerel fillets can catch thornback rays and conger will go for mackerel flappers or whole squid, while peeler and hardback crabs have caught smooth-hound here in calm conditions. Winter brings good cod and whiting fishing. Fish can be caught at any distance with some decent catches made by anglers fishing at short range. While the end of the pier is certainly a good fishing mark elsewhere on the pier can produce just as good – sometimes better – fishing. This area can be packed with anglers and holidaymakers in the summer which can make fishing difficult. In stormy weather and rough seas waves will crash over the pier making it too dangerous to fish. View this area on Google Maps here.

Aberavon Sands
Aberavon Sands © Chris Shaw

Port Talbot – Jackstone Pier is an easy to access fishing venue. It usually provides comfortable fishing but can be dangerous in stormy weather. A large number of mostly smaller species such as whiting, dab and dogfish can be caught here but larger and more desirable species such as big cod, bass and conger eels are also caught on occasion. Aberavon Sands can produce very good bass fishing in summer and still produce some bass when there is some sea running on ragworm, lugworm or peeler crab baits. Various flatfish species are also caught here and there is the chance of a ray to a sandeel or mackerel strip bait cast a long way out. View this area on Google Maps here.

Swansea Piers
Swansea © Ordnance Survey/Crown Copyright and Database

Swansea – East Pier and Breakwater are not accessible to anglers but the outer West Pier is and offers dogfish, pouting, conger eels and flounder. Fishing here with light gear produce mackerel and garfish to float fished baits and spinners. Winter can see good whiting catches and some decent cod. Further inland Swansea Marina can produce mullet to very stealthy tactics and very small hooks and school bass and flounder can also be caught here. View this area on Google Maps here.

Mumbles Head
Mumbles Head © Robert Cuthill

Mumbles – Mumbles Pier is a very popular venue which can also produce a wide range of species including mackerel, pollock, black bream, dogfish and various flatfish species. Fishing can only take place from certain areas of the pier and anglers must purchase a ticket to fish the pier. The pier is also closed overnight. Mumbles Head is made up of two islands, both of which can be accessed over low tide by a causeway. Swansea coast guard should be contacted if you plan to stay on Mumbles Head over high water as well-intentioned members of the public sometimes call out the coast guard when they see people cut off on the island as they believe they require rescuing. Good bass fishing here from spring to summer, as well as conger eels to the usual strong gear and big hooks and baits. Rock marks can also produce very good pollock and wrasse, while and mackerel and garfish can be caught on float fished baits. There is also the chance of catching a more exotic species such as a trigger fish, and cod and whiting are also present in winter. View this area on Google Maps here.

Mewslade Bay
Mewslade Bay © Nigel Davies

Mewslade Bay – This bay is made up of a sandy beach with rocky areas. Mackerel are around in the summer and spinning or feathers, daylights and spinners will catch them from the rockier, deeper areas. Plenty of bass are also around with smaller school bass being out in number but some very large bass are caught from this mark as well. Squid, ragworm, peeler crab and mackerel baits are all worth trying and good fish can be caught from both the sandy bay and the rocks. Other species can also be caught from this area with dogfish, various rays as well as others also caught here. View this area on Google Maps here.

Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands © Keith Jump

Pendine Sands – Pendine Sands is a seven-mile stretch of open, sandy beach in Carmarthen Bay which offers clean snag-free fishing. This area can be very productive for flatfish with flounder caught in number here and many other flatfish species possible such as plaice, dab and Dover sole. Bass can also be caught here with smaller school bass caught in good numbers and the bigger fish coming in when the sea is running. Peeler crab is the top bait with ragworm, lugworm, sandeels and mackerel strip also catching fish as well. Dogfish can also provide sport when the bass aren’t biting. Most areas of Pendine Sands are fishable at any stage of the tide. View this area on Google Maps here.

Tenby South Beach
Tenby South Beach © M. Evison

Tenby South Beach – This is a two-mile stretch of sandy, snag-free beach which, although it seems featureless does a wide range of species. Big bass are here in summer and early autumn, with school bass throughout the rest of the year. Dogfish, bull huss, gurnard, pouting, black bream and maybe even a trigger fish are all caught here as well and flatfish such as dab, turbot and flounder can also be caught. The best method to catch these species is to use 1/0 size hooks on two or three hook rigs with ragworm, lugworm, peeler crab and mackerel strip all good choices for bait. However, the razorfish which can be gathered locally can also be a top bait here. If larger catches are desired calm summer weather can see smooth-hounds caught to hardback and peeler crab baits fished at distance, while sandeel baits also fished at range could catch a spotted, blonde or thornback ray. Winter will see the usual cod and whiting coming in. Some rougher ground is located next to Giltar Point and conger eels can be potentially caught here on mackerel, squid and cuttlefish baits. In the summer these areas become very busy with tourists meaning that early morning or late at night become the only time when fishing is possible. View this area on Google Maps here.

Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock
Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock © Robin Drayton

Pembroke Dock – The Hobbs Point area offers large conger eels to fish and squid baits, wire or heavy monofilament traces and size 6/0 – 8/0 hooks. Garfish and mackerel are also caught here in the summer months to spinners, lures and float fished baits. Worm, mackerel strip and shellfish baits presented on the seabed can produce school bass, dogfish and flounder and there is also the chance of a thornback ray. Mullet can also be present in calm, summer weather. Cod are around in winter, although whiting can dominate catches. The ground can be very snaggy and tackle can be lost so minimise this by using rigs incorporating a rotten bottom. Tackle losses will be greater on the larger tides, and some anglers avoid fishing this mark on a very big tide. View this area on Google Maps here.

St. Brides Bay
St. Brides Bay Pembrokeshire © Shaun Butler

St. Brides Bay, Pembrokeshire – A rocky bay that can produce a good range of species and some large fish as well. In summer pollock provide good sport on spinners and lures and will also go for bottom fished baits as well, although the seabed is snaggy. Bass will be caught with similar techniques while wrasse can be caught with float fished mackerel strip or ragworm and mackerel will be caught on spinners, feathers and daylights. This area will also produce dogfish and bull huss, while upping the size of baits to mackerel flapper or full squid or herring can catch conger eels. View this area on Google Maps here.

St. David's Head
St. David’s Head © Ceridwen

St. David’s Head – There are a huge range of rock marks around the St. David’s Head area. Large bull huss can be caught here, as well as some very good pollock, bass and wrasse. Spinners and plugs can be a great way of catching the pollock and bass. Wrasse will be caught to a variety of baits but hardback crab can be a top choice. Dogfish, rockling and coalfish can also be caught here as well, and large conger eels are also present. Certain parts of this mark can produce fish to a bait fished directly down a rock face. This is not an easy mark to fish – the tidal flow can be strong and tackle will be lost to snags. Take care when walking to a fishing mark here and it is best to come here for the first time with someone who has fished here before. View this area on Google Maps here.

Goodwick Breakwater
Goodwick Breakwater, Fishguard © Pauline Eccles

Goodwick Breakwater (Fishguard) – Rough ground species such as pollack, wrasse and conger eels can all be caught here, along with dogfish, pouting, coalfish and whiting. In winter cod come in and in the summer mackerel can be caught to spinners, lures and daylights. Many anglers use two hook rigs with size 1/0 hooks baited with ragworm, lugworm, mackerel or squid and simply see which of the many species will be caught. However, those targeting conger eel step up the tackle, hook size and baits correspondingly. Fish can be caught along the full length of the breakwater, and high tide is usually seen as the best time to fish this mark. View this area on Google Maps here.

Aberaeron Beach
Aberaeron Beach © OLU

New Quay and Aberaeron – New Quay beaches can give bass to peeler crab and sandeel baits when there is some sea running and there is also the chance of a number of ray species from here, and an outside chance of a smooth-hound to crab baits fished at distance. Flatfish such as flounders and dabs will also be caught on worm baits and peeler crab can used to catch silver eels. The beach at Aberaeron produces the same species to similar baits and tactics. All of the beaches around this area can become busy with holidaymakers in the summer so fishing is often only possible very early in the morning or at night. Rocky marks further along the coastline hold some very big conger eels and pollack and wrasse will also be caught. View this area on Google Maps here.

Aberystwyth South Pier
Aberystwyth South Pier © OLU

Aberystwyth – The Stone Jetty offers good fishing for species such as bass, mackerel, garfish and pollock in the summer to lures and float fished baits. Wrasse can also be caught, as can strap conger eels. The ground here is mixed and longer casts will have less chance of getting snagged. This mark can be dangerous during bad weather as waves can wash over the jetty and it can get very busy in the summer. This mark can be packed in the summer with mackerel ‘anglers’. Borth Beach is made up of sand and shingle and can be fished at any stage of the tide. Flounder and dab can be caught very close in to worm baits and thornback ray and some good turbot can be caught further out on sandeel baits. Bass are also a possibility if there is some surf running. View this area on Google Maps here.

Barmouth Bridge
Barmouth Bridge © 37427

Barmouth Bay – Fishing the sandy beaches of the bay itself brings plenty of flatfish. Flounder and dab will be caught along with the potential of summer plaice and potentially turbot. Further back along the beach to Fairbourne some of the more mixed ground areas may have the chance of producing bass, especially if the sea is running. Mullet may also be present around this area in summer. Barmouth Bridge is another good mark which can produce all of the same species as the bay. It is best to fish this mark at high tide but anglers should be aware that the tidal flow here can be very strong. View this area on Google Maps here.

Anglesey
Anglesey © Barry Scroggins

Anglesey and Bangor – Moelfre Rocks offer good mackerel fishing using spinners and daylights, with wrasse and pollock also taking float fished baits. Conger eel can also be caught to large mackerel and squid baits fished very close in. The ground is very snaggy here, to the extend that fishing a bait on the bottom can be difficult due to the constant snags and lost gear. This mark can also become very busy with mackerel anglers in the summer months. Beaumaris pier can offer dogfish, whiting, rockling, pollock, wrasse and bass to the usual baits, but is another fairly snaggy mark. Red Wharf Bay offers flatfish (flounder, dab, plaice and possibly turbot) to worm baits and can produce good bass when the sea is running. Cymyran Beach on the west of the island can also give rays, mostly small-eyed and thornback to sandeel baits, with bass and flounder also being caught here. View this area on Google Maps here.

Holyhead Breakwater
Holyhead Breakwater © Peter Church

Holyhead Breakwater – This mark can produce mackerel, pollock and coalfish to spinners and float fished baits, as well as wrasse and conger eels. The very end of the breakwater is seen as the best spot for these species. Plenty of dogfish are caught here, and there is also a lot of whiting, although the average size can be small. Smaller species such as rockling, dab, poor cod and pouting will also show, as well as some decent codling in the winter. Generally, fishing is best a few hours either side of high water, and a lot of terminal tackle can be lost to snags here so many anglers incorporate rotten bottoms (weak link releases) into their rigs. Big waves can crash over the breakwater in bad weather making it unsafe to fish. View this area on Google Maps here.

Llandudno Pier
Llandudno Pier © David Dixon

Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn – Llandudno Pier offers mackerel to lures and float fished baits in the summer, as well as plenty of dogfish, dabs, whiting, pollock, mullet and pouting. There is also the chance of something a fair bit bigger such as a bull huss, thornback ray or smooth-hound, although a drop net may be needed to successfully land these. Fishing close in to the pier structure can produce very good results. There are opening times for the pier and a charge to fish here. The wall running along Colwyn Bay Promenade offers easy access and good fishing. Cast out at high tide for winter cod, flounder, rockling and whiting or summer school bass, plaice, dogfish, mackerel, strap conger and possibly thornback rays. View this area on Google Maps here.

Dee Estuary
Dee Estuary © Dave

River Dee Estuary – The Dee Estuary is a large estuary on the dividing line between the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wales. Despite the large size of the estuary there it has shallow average depth and low tidal flow away from the channels. Mostyn is one of the most popular marks and tends to fish best over low water, while many anglers find Flint fishes best over high tide. On the other side of the estuary Caldy and Heswall can also fish well. Flatfish are common here with plenty of flounder and dab present. Plaice are also caught in the summer and Dover sole can also be caught at times. Smallish size 1 – 2 long-shanked hooks on two or three hook rigs are the best choice for flounder, plaice and dab, with peeler crab being to top bait but ragworm, lugworm and strips of mackerel also catching fish as well. Similar baits will work for the Dover sole but very small hooks (size 4 – 6) are best to use. Dover sole are also much more likely to be caught as the sun begins to set. Lots of whiting are also found in the estuary, with summer school bass and mullet possible, and winter sees codling caught as well, particularly around the mouth of the estuary. Conger eel may be present and caught from the rougher and rockier areas around the estuary with strong gear, big hooks and large fish or squid baits. View this area on Google Maps here.