Pwllheli

Pwllheli has a modern marina development. Such is the quality of facilities here, that Pwllheli was down to stage the Yacht Racing Competitions if the Manchester Olympic bid had been successful a few years back.

The area draws customers from across the UK, though many parties are made up from anglers from the Midlands, Shropshire, North Wales and Manchester. It has built up a reputation for consistent catches of a wide variety of species throughout the summer months.

WHERE TO FISH
The area sports a wide variety of ground. To the south lies Sarn Badrig or St Patrick's reef. This mostly smooth pebble reef runs for 14 miles due west out into Cardigan Bay and is so shallow in places that it dries out 10 miles offshore on the biggest spring tides. Muddy Hollow is a much deeper trench that runs westwards, and as it says has a bed of mud and sand. Closer inshore there are huge expanses of clean sand banks, but also rougher ground patches within half an hours steaming time. There are more productive clean ground marks to the east inside Tremadog Bay.

SPECIES
Taking January first, then Muddy Hollow will be full of plump whiting and dabs, plus thornback ray and huss, all of which make up catches until May when the first tope are taken just west of the Badrig reef.

Mackerel move into the deeper water west of Pwllheli during late April and quickly increase in numbers, as do the black bream which inhabit all the reef and rough ground patches. It's late May before the pollack, mainly small 2lbers, move back onto the rough along with wrasse.

June can see stingray to record proportions close inshore and the old boat record came from Pwllheli, a fish of 61.5lbs. This is the month for the best tope fishing when fish average 25lbs-30lbs and can be taken in numbers upto 30 fish and more per day.

It's much the same throughout July, August and September with tope, rays, huss, bream and gurnards an everyday catch. Porbeagle shark also roam these waters in this mid summer spell. Solitary monkfish can show from clean sand areas near to the reefs and rough ground. Some good wrasse inhabit the rough ground, but few anglers bother to fish specifically for them.

September sees the whiting hordes move back inshore, along with dabs, and there's the chance of small codling from the rougher ground to the west. The mackerel are gone by October in normal years. Herring can appear in big shoals during October to Christmas.

TACKLE
The beauty of this area from the anglers point of view is that the tides are slow running, even on the big springs. Rarely will you need more than 8ozs of lead to hold bottom unless you're fishing way out in Muddy Hollow. For the bream, you fish as little as .5oz and 1oz over the reefs.

A 20lb class rod is good for the rays, huss and tope, though most anglers choose an uptide option for versatility. Bream need nothing more than a light spinning rod some 8 to 10-feet long, small fixed spool reel and 8lb line. It's the ultimate fun. Light boat rods or spinning rods prove the best bet for whiting, etc.

TIDES
With the tides not running too fast they are more critical for specific species. The tope, and rays prefer some run to feed so the bigger tides are the best option, though they still feed during the neaps. Tides can run fast on the shallower reef sections, so neaps can be better for the bream in places. Huss don't care and feed anyway.

Summer stingray are bet sought on mid sized tides, with porbeagles more frequent on the springs. Whiting, dabs, and gurnards aren't choosy, either!

BAITS
Tope, huss, rays and gurnards are all taken on fish strip. The bream eat mackerel strip, squid strip, lugworm and even peeler crab. Pollack take feathers on the reefs, or the small redgills in black and red. Try a cocktail of mackerel and squid for the early rays and a whole small whiting for huss and tope as an alternative.

ALTERNATIVE SHORE VENUES
Non better than Pwllheli beach for thornbacks, bream, dabs and bass in the summer and autumn. Excellent whiting, dabs and dogfish during the autumn and winter. Big flounder take crab fishing low water into the Marina channel entrance. Mackerel on evening tides too.