Harlech off the beach, early April.

[barbelblanker]

Hi all.

Well it's holiday time again and it looks like we'll be at the outlaws in Harlech for early April.
Given that it's a family holiday so I'll probably have to fit the fishing in around the tiddlers and wrinklies (god I hope my mother in law doesn't read this), anyone know if it's even worth bothering this time of year and in this area?
I'll probably be looking to fish normal beach gear up to 100 yards (if I use a rocket launcher) or relatively close in if flattie or bass are going to be around.
Any helpful hints (apart from take up golf, which I already have), would be greatly appreciated.
Ta!
PS In the very unlikely event that I catch anything I'll let you all know.

[lazy hooker]

sorry only know up as far as aberdovey, which if harlech is similar then your right on the money with flatties and bass starting to show, aberdovery also throws up a number of turbot using mackeral baits.

good luck

john

[barbelblanker]

Thanks John,

Harlech beach itself is a very long sandy beach. There's a fish magnet , sorry, big pipe at low tide. A little further south is a boulder strewn beach between two sandy stretchs with an estuary that I did attempt to fly fish last year. The tide rips through here.

What tactics would you suggest would give results for either bass (which would be great) or flatties (good too now I think about it). I'd appreciate some feedback as my shore fishing skills are stil somewhat limited.

cheers,

Pete.

Just as a pointer I've got a great carp rod and a pretty old but functional beach rod. End tackle etc. I do currently lack any night lights.

[lazy hooker]

i'd take both rods.
fish the carp rod with 2 ounces on a 2 hook rig with rag or lug fished 20-30 yards out for the flatties and schoolies and put your beach rod out with a 1 hook runnig ledger with a whole sandeel or long strip of mackeral in the 50-70 yard range for turbot doggies and possibly bigger bass

john

[barbelblanker]

I will give it a go and let you know what happens.
Thanks again,

Pete.

[cuckoo]

Cant help pete ,
but the best of luck !!!!!!

lee.

[barbelblanker]

I really must learn not to experiment BEFORE I actually become competant in shore fishing. I was in the pub having a pint with Dan (Happy hooker) and his face said it all really when I started to go over what I'd been up to.

Before anyone even starts to get excited I blanked, lots.
Still enjoyed myself though and did have a great family holiday.

Weather was extremely settled, very hot and great for a holiday. Sea was crystal clear and very very calm.

So as brief summary of my attempts to catch owt.

Llandanwg beach, spinning and plugging from dead low water to three hours after. Finished as it got dark. Not a bean. Question though, Llandanwg (other side of estaury from sheell island), looks great. There's regular boulders voered in weed to the right. A sandy beach then an estaury with a sand bar and mussel beds (though a lot were dead and the others looked like shells full of snot). Plugged and spun to my hearts content and not even a follow. Probably a little early though for lots of bass but none? Casting in to the estaury do you spin by casting down the tidal flow and retreiving toward you or up the flow?

Harlech beach. Now this is where I should have tried harder to find a shop selling decent lug rather than go for the easy option and just buying some squid and sandeel. Also had some mussels and , now stop laughing , limpets. Fished next to a pipe with a gully running along it that then ran in to a parrellel surf gully in a kind of L shape. Two hook trace on mussel baited hooks and one hook lobbed out with the squid and sandeel on one big hook. Fished from dead low to two hours after. The tide moves quick here so it was a case of one look forward and one look back to avoid getting cut off. Cast in to the middle of the gully as it flooded from the right. Was more like river fishing. Taking the cider may have been a mistake . Of course I didn't have a car with me before anyone asks. I may be a fishing idiot but I'm not a driving fishing idiot. Caught nowt.

Tried mackerl, squid, eel, mussels and limpet at Llandanwg in main flow on a tide a couple of days later. Fished a coiple of hours but the tide wasn't really showing much sign of coming in so mistimed the tide there.

Last go was middle of a bright sunny day , high tide and over the rocky boulders at Llandanwg, purely with plug.

So what did I learn?

1. Check tide times.
2. Get some decent bait.
3. Stop experimenting till I can actually catch something first.
4. Under no circumstances let happy hooker know when I've been a silly beggar and fished like a nine year old.
5. Catch or not , it's still a lot better to watch the sun set across the beautiful Llyn peninsula than sit in my support team office waiting to save the universe by , wait for it, amending the billing data. Oh the excitement.
6. I think that after 29 years I still love to just be there. Given my track record this is just as well.

Tight lines all.

Pete.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Well you gave it a go and we all have times of no fish , just trust me on that .

[pingu]

still sounded fun and a good read

[barbelblanker]

I do reckon that you know when you are really hooked by our wonderful sport when you don't have things go your own way and it makes you more and more hungry to find things out. Good life lesson too.
Next holiday is to Burnham-on-sea somerset so I may be looking for Clevedon pier tips soon.