They say you should never go back as things are never as good or the same, but I’ve started revisiting some of the marks I used to fish 20-years ago and for one reason or another stopped fishing as I either found more productive marks or moved on looking for different species.

One such venue is Ty Croes on Anglesey in North Wales. I fished it a fair bit in the mid 80’s and early ‘90’s, mostly below the Range, and did well for rays, huss, gurnards, codling, flatties and much more. It fishes pretty well throughout the year, but was always good early in the year when most other venues were slow.

I went back to fish Ty Croes last week for the first time in donkeys years. I went to a new to me rock ledge just west of where I used to fish. The ground in close is rough, but at range gives on to clean sand and shingle, so provides an interesting habitat.

Teaming up as always with fishing mate Clive we looked to do different things. We’d popped in to see Malc at Anglesey Bait Centre in Beaumaris on the way up and picked up some cracking fresh black lug. Clive was looking to fish three-hook flappers to see what was resident and I intended to target rays and huss.

Clive was off first cast with a couple of small coalies, then landed a series of small codling and a solitary dab.

My concern, given the time of year and my fish baits, was how many dogfish I’d have to wade through before a ray or huss got chance to find the bait. My instincts proved right!

I’d landed my seventh doggie when I noticed a much more determined and powerful bite. When the rod tip pulled fully over I set the hook. There was much more weight with this and the occasional stubborn head down resistance told me it was a huss. Clive slid the huskie ashore and looking at her she went about 9lbs.

Clive changed one rod to a fish bait and also started hitting the dogs, with his worm baited flapper rigs still taking the codling, coalies and dabs, but thankfully only the odd dog. It perfectly illustrates how having different baits available on the day can dramatically influence the species count!

It was into dark now and the whiting came on the feed. I could see them ripping at my fish baits which meant more frequent bait changes.

I’d just cast out a fresh bluey bait tipped with squid, put the rod in the rest, and only taken a couple of steps back when the same rod tip bounced and the line fell slack as the lead tripped out. This fought harder and even thrashed on the surface as it approached the rock, another huss that looked about the same size. I weighed this just to see and it was exactly 9lbs. My last three huss have all weighed about 9lbs like peas in a pod!

I finished the session with too many dogs and lost a bigger huss that looked about 11lbs right in at my feet when it spat the hook.

I was hoping to see a thornback or spotted ray, but the sea was flat with the wind in the northeast and some swell on the sea would have improved my chances of a ray.

Had Ty Croes lived up to past expectations? Yes, I think so! I remember getting good hauls of huss there 20-years ago, lots of codling, whiting, dabs, and let’s not forget the dogs. I also did well on the rays there. I was intending to fish Ty Croes much earlier this year, but the cold weather conditions saw me doing other things. Once the dog packs thin out in late May though, it gives other species a chance to get to the baits.

Going back to old haunts can be fun and comparing past and present catches is always interesting. I intend to fish this area a little more over the coming year and reacquaint myself to all its mood swings.