Dedicated Angler or completely insane!!!

[Greenheart]

Having not heard any good fishing reports for the south coast, I decided to revert to plan A & try Sand Point on the Bristol Channel. Spoke to the guy in the tackle shop in Weston Super Mare & he suggested that Brean Down would be a better bet. I'd never fished this venue before so did not know what to expect. Bought some Lugworm, Squid & Mackerel for bait. Listened to his directions & set off. Arrived at Brean to be confronted with this view of the path to the top of Brean Down

The Big Climb

About 300 steps just to get to the top, then another one & a half miles to the end carrying 2 rods, a rodrest, a heavy tacklebox & a bucket of bait & leads in scorching hot sunshine.....

Half way up

The top at last...

(Pingu if you think Jacobs ladder is hard try this)

As you can see from the above picture, the tide was out & I still had a long walk. I had been informed that this was a low water venue & this was definately low water...

Half way there

Local wildlife with BIG Horns....

The end at last with Wales in the distance. No sign of Lady Helen though...

Eventually reached the end & climbed down the cliff onto the beach. Set up one rod with a pennel pulley rig baited with whole squid & the othe rod with with a two hook flapper rig baited with Lug & mackie.

Snag City

Fished for about an hour, without a bite. The ground here is really snaggy & the only way to retrieve is to reel like crazy to get your lead high in the water. As I did this with the flapper rig, I could see the lead skipping over the surface of the water, when suddenly thump!!! something grabbed hold. Thought it must be a mackie, but it was fighting a bit too hard. Eventually pulled in a nice Bass of about 2 1/2lb. Wish I'd brought some plugs or spinners now...

The tide was starting to come in fast now & I was constantly having to retreat up the beach. This was really Snag City & I lost 7 rigs. Very hard work. Had no bites until almost high water. Then the rod with the Squid bait almost bent double & the rod rest started to topple over. With two 4/0 needle sharp Varivas hooks & bait elastic holding my squid in place I felt sure that what ever it was must be hooked. But I struck into nothing & reeled it to find the bait had gone too. Just how do fish do that???
Other than a few hikers & wild looking cattle, the only other people I saw were the local Coast Guard who swooped down in their helicopter to look at the local nutter with the fishing rods...

At about 7pm I had one more bite on the flapper rig. I struck & could feel a fish pulling on the other end, but it was snagged solid. Eventually I had to pull for a break. I had been intending to stay until about midnight, but decided that it was too dangerous to fish alone in the dark on such slippery rock & with such fast tides. Also I was losing too much gear. So I set off on the long hike back. A one hour fifteen minute route march. I had been hoping to target Conger, Thornbacks & Sole for the species hunt, Species this venue is well known for. But sadly none showed.
Got back to the Car totally knackered for the long drive home. Was it worth it? Not Sure, but the views were amazing....

Weston Super Mud

[pingu]

wow thats some dedication to the cause there ian
fantastic pics there as well
finding new marks is always fun

better luck if there is a next time

but a nice bass as a bonus though

[Norfolkboy]

Bloody hell mate, that certainly is dedication and thankfully you caught something!

Great report, and some great pics too

[peter]

superb report mate, and it looks like a hell of a hike.

[Shads]

Nice Report GreenHeart,

I have lived and fished in Weston all my life and never fished the very end of Brean down before.
Sounds like the info you received was a bit out with regards where to fish on the Down.
There are several spots about one third of the way along the point facing into Weston Bay (Sprat Bay its called). These can be fished both High and low water and you would have been fishing onto mixed ground but mainly sand and mud. (less tackle Losses).
Along here you will catch Rays, Bass and Congers along with some nice flatties if your lucky and of course the Cod in the winter. The dover sole fishing along brean from what I know is not that reliable. Your better off fishing Clevedon Pier or Ladye bay for those.

Hope that helps for your next trip.
Cheers

[tommy a]

Mate - I went there with Shads last year and was so bloody nakered getting up those steps that I havent returned yet !!

Like Shads says there are a few points along the way but dont follow him cause he tries to take you down a sheer drop off cliff - numpty ! Still when we fished it Shads had a good conger and the guys next to us had several good ray.

Would like to fish it again but every time we plan to visit there we decide its too much hard work and head off back neaer Weston and Clevedon !!!

[BaggieRich]

Great report Greenheart. Totlay dedication I'd say mate.... 2 1/2 hours of walking! Don't think I'd be able to do that!

Still, a nice Bass as a reward, so it's not all bad eh??

Nice pic's too mate.



Cheers,

Rich.

[fishypaul]

great report and pics mate,
well done for taking on that long walk,i would have taken one look at that hill and tuned round.

[Old Smoothound]

Take my hat off to ya. I would not have fished that end of Brean Down....not even for a 2/1lb Bass.
Christ I'd have needed at least 6 oxygen stops beofre reaching the top!!

Great report and pictures....i'm sure I spotted the silouette of Lady Helen in the distance over near Penarth.........

[gullyworm]

Extreme fishing i d call it,well done.