Cold Knap Beach, Barry, Glamorgan

SPECIES
A fair summer venue giving smoothounds from May to July, good bass all year round, plus thornback ray and conger. Fishes best in winter for whiting to 2lbs, cod, conger and dabs.

BAITS
Fish fresh crab for the smoothound and bass, with summer conger and ray taking mackerel or squid baits. Winter whiting take worm baits tipped with mackerel. Big black lug baits tipped with blow lug or squid are the ultimate for cod here, and this also takes occasional conger. Rag also takes a cod.

TACKLE & TACTICS
A relatively clean beach with a good depth, but it has easy access and is heavily fished when the fish are in, so be prepared for company. It fishes best on the bigger spring tides the three hours either side of high water, especially after a good south to south-west blow. Calm conditions are best for the whiting.

Stick to a 5-6oz beachcaster and a 6500 sized reel loaded with 15lb line and a 60lb shock leader. To target the cod, bass and rays fish a clipped down two-hook pennel rig using 3/0 to 4/0 Viking pattern hooks. Swap to a three-hook flapper for the whiting and flatties using size 2 Aberdeen's.

Due to the depth of water distance casting is not essential, but can produce more cod in the rougher seas, and find the smoothound during the calmer weather by day.

You can also fish the rocky point on the east side over low water with the chance of big cod and bass.

LOCATION
Use either the A4050 or the A4226 and follow the signs for Barry Island, then the signs for Cold Knap. There is a fee paying car park by the beach.