Llandanwg Beach, Gwynedd

Situated between Barmouth and Harlech on the B4573. Approach either through Harlech turning right, or from Barmouth turning left onto the yellow class road to the village. Follow the signs for Traeth (beach) until you come to a car park. Opposite the car park facing west is a footpath through the sand dunes to the beach.

A car park fee is payable in summer and it is a popular tourist beach, so fishing at night from June to September is advised.

GROUND FEATURE
Dead infront of the path lies an old sewer pipe and some rough ground. Either side of this the seabed is clean sand with shallow gutters and gullies. A shingle bank dropping into slightly deeper water is reachable by good casters fishing 100yds to the right hand side of the boulders at low water.

PROSPECTS
A good dab venue in the winter with a high count of 1lb fish. Whiting tend to be the smaller fish, but are plentiful. Flounders also show due to the close proximity of the estuaries at Porthmadog and Mochras.

By March huge numbers of dogfish move in accompanied by the spring run of school bass. Some thornbacks show, but again you need to hit long range.

April through to September sees bass to 7lbs, flatfish including odd plaice to a pound, rays, eels, mackerel, dogfish, garfish and occasional gurnards.

September on is when the biggest bass show over the rough ground. Whiting, rays, dogs, dabs etc, move back onto the sand during September and remain until Christmas, though the rays are gone by early November.

TIDES
Spring tides give the best fishing regards bass, rays and plaice, but neaps can fish well for the dabs and whiting. Low tide suits the bass, gurnards and rays, but high tide is better for dabs, whiting and general species. In June and July, big shoals of mackerel work close in on night tides at high water.

WEATHER
Takes a big surf during southwest winds which bring the best bass inshore. Gentle south to southwest winds are the ones to fish for rays and whiting on. A mark with sheltered water to fish during strong northerly winds thanks to the protection given by the Lleyn Peninsular and mountains behind Porthmadog. Like most cardigan Bay beaches, can carry very heavy accumulations of weed for long periods after storms. General species are close in on the flood, but are further out on the ebb.

TACKLE
A 2-4oz bass rod and 15lb line is needed for the rocks. Choose a 5-6oz beachcaster for the open beach work, but the lack of snags means you could go down to 12lb main line to get extra distance. A spinning rod is best for the mackerel and the bass also take spinners worked over the boulders.

RIGS
Fish a one hook paternoster with a 12-inch (30cm) hook length for the rough ground bass using a 3/0 to 4/0 Mustad Bass hook and a weak link to the weight. The rays need a one hook paternoster using a 24-inch (60cm) hook length ending in a Mustad Viking size 3/0 clipped down. Try either a three hook rig close in for the general species, or a two hook clipped up for longer range on the ebb tide armed with Mustad 3261BLN Aberdeen's or equivelant Kamasan's between size 2 and 1/0.

Carry leads between 1 and 2ozs for the bass, but you'll need 5ozs for long range as there is some tide run on the springs.

BAITS
As always, bait in this area is scarce. There is some lug in the nearby Mochras Lagoon, but access is difficult. Fresh and frozen fish can be bought from local food shops.

Mackerel mixed with squid, peeler crab and even lugworm, especially in autumn takes the rays. Crab is best for bass. worm baits, fish strips and mussel takes the general species. Frozen sandeel picks out the better whiting in the winter. Razorfish is the best winter flounder bait after storms.