Beat the Bogey..?

Was looking at the weather forecasts through the week and it seemed to be a bit rough for my liking over the weekend until everything calmed down a bit. While at work Sunday I hatched my plan to head back out to the west coast in search of a bogey fish of mine, Bull Huss.

I arrived at the mark just after 10pm and was surprised to find only one other car there given how calm it was but by the looks of things everyone had been there in the day time. Got down to the cliffs and it loooked like this one other person had gone way to the right, leaving me with a choice of ledges. I opted for the "main ledge" where I have done well for rays in the past so setup 1 rod for rays, the other for huss. I had 2 quick doggies on the first casts and I thought I was in for another until I struck and there was a fair bit more weight to this. The fish stayed deep until right at my feet, then out of the murk popped a nice Thornback, just over 6.5lb.

My other rod I was struggling with, having not sorted either multiplier reel all I was using was a fixed spool with line that had seen better days which was snapping like bait cotton. Stripped about half the spool off before I found some more sturdy line so on went a pulley rig and it was dropped in short. A good bend had me panicking for a second, but as I lifted into it, it was surprisingly light. The culprit was soon found to be a bonus pollack about 12oz, and my first of the year. After a couple more doggies and a whiting things slowed down so I made a move to another ledge I have since nicknamed "huss hole" as despite not landing any I've had plenty of hook ups.

After a couple of doggies I lifted into another fish, this time it had some power and I could feel the head shaking I was sure this was what I came for. As it reached the surface and as I was stood quite well back, I first thought I had a plastic bag and a doggie tangled around it. then as it go closer to the rocks I thought I had another ray. Finally though it was revealed to be a huss as it unravelled itself from my line whilst in the swell. I wasn't massively confident in the line but the moment of truth had come, I got the fish riding a decent swell up the rocks... went to grab the trace... just too far out... grabbed the mainline.. PING!!! As soon as it went tight the mainline parted, leaving an decent double figure (guesstimate) huss beached for a few seconds before the next swell took it back into the drink.

After several choice swear words, good job there was no one else around, I focused on my remaining rod, still out there with half a mackerel for bait. I was about to call time as it was getting very late, when a tentative nibble became a series of good pull downs. Once again this was no doggie. Alas disaster struck again, as I lifted in to set the hook this mainline also gave way. Despite wanting to carry on and the adrenaline going I couldn't face the same thing happening again. I made my way back to the car promising myself a present of more reliable terminal gear!

Carmel Head

Myself and Paul ventured up to Carmel Head earlier this week. I had looked at it on the maps for sometime, thinking that it would be a place very few people have fished and it looks like the kind of ground that would be good for pollack and wrasse. 

We parked up just west of Cemlyn and walked along the northern coast, and walked, and walked some more!
We reached the white lady monuments and found the first ledge that we thought would be fishable. It looked good but the tide was absolutely racing past towards skerries. Every cast whether it was with lures or baits struggled to hold bottom, so we headed further west to find a spot out of the main flow. This second spot looked more likely and first cast I managed a rockling and things looked up slightly. However it seemed we were a little too far out of the flow to catch any serious fish. I went for both rods on bait while Paul went walking further on using lures and feathers but to no avail and we soon made the long trek back to the car.

Couldn't help but feel that it is the right place to go, just we were there at the wrong time, when the water was at peak flow, or we were fishing the wrong side and should have parked at church bay and fished the west side. Definitely an area we will try again at later in the year I think.

Sunday

Planned a session with Paul for the Sunday night just been. Had been watching the weather forecasts all week and changed my mind constantly about where to go. Dependent on the swell it would be either Ty Croes or Cymyran. It was touch and go with the weather all day but eventually as we were driving there we decided to go Cymyran to try something different and maybe get something a bit unexpected, and we might get to Ty Croes and it was unfishable anyway.

The roar of the waves, and the very gentle breeze as we got out the car justified the decision to stay away from Ty Croes and we were quite optimistic with the life in the water we would see some action. Second cast in and I had the first whiting on a flapper but the fishing proved to be a bit slow with bigger baits coming back untouched for the first couple of hours.

Then came a 10 minute spell of activity, firstly myself getting a reasonable bite which came to nothing. All of a sudden Paul is dashing to his rod clearly into something more than a whiting. As the beast came into the shallows we kept catching glimpses of it in the headtorches and we started guessing what it could be. I went out to meet the fish, and in front of me a lovely small eyed ray emerged from the surf with me shouting back "ITS A RAY!!". It was what we were hoping for but I never expected one to come out the first time we tried here this early in the year. With a firm grip on the fish I passed it onto Paul, his first small eyed ray, and a beauty at about 7lb 8oz! After a couple of photos it was returned to the night, probably unaware of the joy it brought us.

With renewed enthusiasm and energy (drinks) we carried on fishing and before he even had chance to cast out again Paul had a wallop on his other rod which unfortunately came to nothing. I managed another whiting late on but soon after I birded my multipler, making a right mess of the cast so I was down to 1 rod. With the wind beginning to pick up we called it a night, stopping of chatting to a bloke who had also managed just a couple of whiting.

The track down to the car park has taken a serious beating over winter with some very risky looking ridges and holes. I caught the mudguards a few times each way but the track is only going to get worse so we were glad to get down there and get a decent ray while it was still possible to get my car down there.

Porth Wen

The North coast of Anglesey is not an area I have explored much as it takes a bit longer to get there than the west coast, and the fishing has never been as good for me. However I decided last Saturday to go on a little mission with my mate Tom up to Porth Wen, the old brickworks that is between Llanbadrig and Bull Bay. I had seen it on Google Maps and it looked like an interesting place and good potential for fishing. I asked a few questions in the tackle shop while picking up some bait and Malc was quite positive about the fishing in that area so we thought we would test it out.

On arriving we bypassed the Brickworks dock and headed straight to the headland only to find almost sheer faced cliffs dropping straight into the sea and no easy (ish) access down. After nearly an hour walking around the headland we found a more promising access point. We trudged through the field which was knee high in dried grass and brambles, following a very faint pathway that indicated someone had been there previously. A bit of a scramble and passing of the gear down and we were on the ledge suitable for fishing, it was surprisingly flat given that the surroundings were high cliffs and sharp drop offs.

I setup some heavy gear with big baits and a size 6 flapper with bits of rag, Tom went for a flapper with 2/0's so we had most eventualities covered. Most baits here though came back untouched. The sea was a little more lumpy than we'd have liked and being somewhere new to both of us we headed back up the hill then down towards the brickworks for a quick mooch and a fish off the dock wall. A bloke and his kids were already there and had been without any joy so I had one rod down the side again for mini species. The fishing was slow here too, with the water being relatively shallow and clear in the shelter of the bay. I did manage a corkwing and a shanny before we made a move but it was a good trip and definitely an area I would explore again, just on a much calmer day!

March

I was quite positive about the fishing potential during March for this year, given how well we did in February. With reports of rays few and far between we set our sights on other targets for the month and here's how it went.

Newborough to Llanbadrig

Back and the beginning of March a decent spell of weather stirred hope that sea temperatures were on the increase, and bass might start running the beaches of Anglesey in numbers. With a big tide uncovering a lot of ground and a bit of surf forecast myself and Paul opted for Newborough beach over low tide. We spotted some gullies to the left which should be good fish holding spots, and after a bit of wading found that the gullies continued beyond the reach of the tide. Out went some big lug baits and we waited... until the turn of the tide which is when things got interesting. Unfortunately the "fishy" looking area behind us flooded quicker than we anticipated. At one point I moved both our boxes back up to a dry patch of sand, went back to help Paul with the tripods only to return and find 3 inch deep water surrounding our boxes! 

Knowing that we were fighting a losing battle with the tide we stuck to our plan and headed up to Llanbadrig for high tide in darkness in the hope of something toothy. The swell was a little bigger than forecast but we picked a safe ledge high out of reach. Despite all manner of rigs, bait, casting distances, basically anything that could be change to get a bite we tried, the final score was three doggies between us! A disappointing night all round but at the same time valuable experience gained.

Llandonna

An unexpected day off meant I decided to have a few hours at a new mark to me. I've only visited this beach a couple of times but it has always looked fishy, lots of lug on the beach and there is always razor clams and cockle shells washing up, plenty of food for any opportunistic fish! I took mackerel, sandeel and razor clams for bait, and while I was there I dug a few lug out for the session. Typically fishing a flat beach with little surf in daylight results in flatfish, with the main target being turbot. As I was in waders my distance was only really limited by the amount of line on the reel. In the past, flattie bashing usually means barely flicking baits out into shallow water, however I found myself trying as far out as I possibly could. This resulted in what I think was the only bite of the session, I turned around to see a single pull down and that was it. As the tide started to flood I found myself in the familiar situation of being chased up the beach by the water quicker than I could move my gear so I called it quits and went to the gym.

Menai Bridge

Decided on a quick session Sunday after work with Paul to try for a bogey fish of mine recently that is the huss and maybe a conger. Originally we had planned to fish from the supports under Menai Suspension bridge but the tide did not drop low enough for us to be able to get out there. We setup at our back up mark nearby, a spot where I've hooked huss previously and it looks like the ground that conger will explore at night time. I decided I wasn't messing around and used 8/0's and big mackerel and squid baits on both rods, Paul opted for a heavy setup up and a more general approach. A couple of tentative bites early on never materialized and from then on the time dragged. Alot. The only thing feeding it seemed was the crabs. We were about to call time when my ratchet bounced into life, not a consistent scream but short sharp pulls. I left it out for a couple of minutes hoping whatever it was would get the giant bait in its mouth. I picked my moment, struck... and it went slack, missed it! Another blank but again it is something new learned. After not catching at a mark that is usually so reliable it gives me more incentive to try and find new places.

Dinas Dinlle

The last session of March took me and Paul to Dinas Dinlle, again in search of bass. First stop was to dig some lugworm which would be our main bait. As it was a big tide I also saw an opportunity to get some razor clams as well. The lug digging went as smoothly as it could and we soon had enough for both of us for the session so I went looking for my razors. Eventually I found the tell tale keyholes I was looking for and started digging like a mad man. Unfortunately this way of getting razors is quite demanding on the equipment, and I broke my spade in half. May have to learn the art of salting them out their burrows as I'm going through spades like no tomorrow.

We got to Dinas in darkness but at the perfect time really, the water just reaching the stones, there was a little bit of surf to an otherwise calm evening. Big lug baits were cast out with great optimism. It didn't take long before the first few rattles on both our rods. While nothing came of them at least it was shaping up to be a good session and a slack liner on my rod not long after further increased out optimism. However as high tide approached the wind started to increase and we started getting weed trapped on our lines making it difficult to tell any bites. A fella that had setup to our left had since packed up, we carried on till about an hour after high with just three whiting between us for our efforts. As the tide dropped the breaking waves showed we were effectively fishing on top of a sandbank so it was little wonder that we did so poorly. And to back that up Paul returned a couple of weeks later, getting there in daylight and finding a nice gully to fish into catching 4 doggies, 6 whiting and a schoolie bass.

February

February was the month of the rays, at least targeting them. I thought I might be a little early for them but it was worth a shot before crowds of people descended onto the west coast rock marks making it difficult to get a decent spot without fishing all through the day and a rubbish state of tide. With the weather not playing ball, I got out and made the most of every gap and drop in the wind.

1st February

First trip onto these rocks for the year. A stiff northerly wind made fishing uncomfortable but me and my mate Paul decided with the tide dropping and the swell relatively small we could give it a go for a few hours in daylight. Had the usual ray setup on one rod, and a 3-hook flapper on my lighter beach caster. First cast on the flapper and a good pull down but I was convinced it was a doggie. Slightly surprising then when a small eyed ray popped out the swell! After a bit of wave riding I had it up a gully and on the ledge for the photo shoot!

The cross wind made things difficult, we were having to leave plenty of slack in the line so well didn't pull out the leads and this made it hard work telling bites. I managed a few whiting, a codling and a doggie while Paul was struggling a bit he eventually got in the action among the whiting with a couple of better fish. We were thinking of calling it a day as I noticed my "ray" setup had gone very slack and I hit into another good fish which was another ray, this time the thorny that we wanted. A couple more whiting followed before the swell got up and we beat a retreat to the beaches hoping for some more coalies, unfortunately they didn't play, just one between us with more whiting.

6th February

I managed to get out again just by myself the following Friday. Very similar weather wise to the previous weekend but with it being a bigger tide over high I wasn't so optimistic. Still I gave it a bash but it was very quiet for a couple of hours until the Dabs came on the feed, ripping any fish baits to pieces as soon as they touched the bottom, sometimes coming up in two's. A single doggie added a bit of variety, before I called it a day due to the cold.

14th February

The weather was finally kind to us so after he finished work, me and Paul went out for the night tide. When we got there conditions were spot on and we were soon into rays. Between us we had 9, mostly between 3lb and 7lb but I managed a new personal best, at 8lb 8oz on my bass rod. the bait had been out there a while and the ray went for a whiting that had hung itself on the 4/0 hook! While this one was being landed my other rod went slack and Paul did the honours bringing in his first Thornback.

So good was the fishing I went back the next day with the leftover bait to catch the next tide. Not much wind or swell but plenty of colour to the water I thought the good fishing would continue. First cast came one 6lb 8oz, here we go! That turned out to be it, a couple of whiting turned up but the rays had gone quiet. Things got worse when the line wrapped around the tip ring of my bass rod, the resulting crack off sending my top section out to sea! I fished on with one rod but with frustration at that growing I went home for an early shower ready for work. It was a pity to end such a good month in frustration, so I decided to repair or replace everything that had been damaged recently, from rod rings to head torches, before heading out again.

January

After spending a fair bit of last year trying new marks and doing well at places I'd previously had little success I thought I would try and put a bit more effort into my fishing this year to get better results. I enjoy the fresh air, being outside and seeing things that you don't come across everyday while out but and the end of it all I'm still there to try and catch something!

Rhosneigr

My first session out this year was at the beginning of January, revisiting the beaches of Rhosneigr where I had done well for coalies in December. There was already a fella fishing and while I stopped for a quick chat he pulled in a nice coalie which got me going! After parting company I setup the other side of some rocks and first cast resulted in a tidy flounder. Back it went and I recast with greater optimism. However while the fella I had spoken to continued to get the coalies at a steady pace I was getting hit by a combination of small whiting and clumps of weed on the retrieve and I could see myself missing out on the target for this session. Short on bait and time I made do with using any scraps of black lug I had left at my feet and as the tide started to drop a better bite indicated I had my target. After a short fight coalie number 1 was slid up the beach for the obligatory photo before being returned. Not long after number 2, which was accompanied by a whiting was on the beach as well. Neither were big enough for dinner but I was relieved to get my target and get the ball rolling for the year.

Lillypond

This is a mark I have read and heard a fair bit about but never tried it until mid January this year. With my mate James acting as guide having been there before we were joined by his brother and one of his mates. As you'd expect for a night session in January it was cold, and windy but blowing from a North/North westerly direction the swell was not too serious and we got a nice bit of shelter just away from the cliff edge. What surprised me about this place is most of the available fishing places are quite high above the water which is great when its rough but in summer you'd want to be able to get nearer the water to land anything you could hand ball up. Anyway the fishing was quite slow for the three or four hours we were there with a few small whiting and codling, James had a nice one about 2 1/2lb, and a solitary dogfish for myself. Both James and I lost decent fish as they hit the surface, quite possibly codling but we'll never know. A decent mark though, will definitely be back to explore its potential.