Beckfoot, Cumbria

SPECIES
Bass show from May through to November with the bigger fish showing from August on. Eels and plaice are caught from April to September, along with dogfish. Flounders and dabs are taken pretty much all year round. September on through to March gives codling and whiting.

BAITS
For the better quality bass fish peeler crab in summer and lug tipped with squid come the autumn. Plaice take rag tipped with squid or plain worm. Stick to crab for the eels and flounder. For the codling fish black lug tipped with blow lug or peeler crab. Whiting, dabs and dogfish take mackerel strips.

TACKLE & TACTICS
Beckfoot is a very flat sandy beach with scoured out deeper gullies running parallel. The tide goes out a long way here and it's a good walk to the low water line, so care needs to be taken not to get cut off. Always fish in pairs, carry a pocket compass in case of fog and a mobile phone.

The best way to fish this beach is on the flood using a 5-6oz beachcaster and a big fixed spool loaded with 18lb line and a shock leader. Cast out and walk back with the tide releasing line to give the fish as much time as possible to find the baits.

The top rig for this is a three-hook flapper armed with size 2 Aberdeen's for smaller species, but size 2/0 hooks for the bass and codling.

Good fish are taken on the ebb here, but you need a fast running multiplier loaded with 15lb line and a 60lb shock leader to maximize your casting distance. Switch to a two-hook clipped up rig for maximum range.

It fishes well on the smaller neap tides and most anglers only fish the last three hours up on the bigger springs with safety in mind.

LOCATION
From Carlisle head west on the A595 to the Thursby roundabout then take the A596 for Maryport. After Wigton take the right turn for the B5302 heading for Silloth. From Silloth take the B5300 for Beckfoot. Car parking is available and follow the walkways through the sand dunes to the beach.