July

Welsh Danglers reports

July

July 4th Aberthaw outfalls

Valleyboyo and Barrelreef fished the warm water outfalls spinning for bass for the 1st time. After loading the gear and plenty of redgills we got there about 2 hours before low and walked down to set up.

We set up bubble floats then a 4 ft trace with a redgill on the end. The set up looked ok but we were struggling for any distance when casting and therefore not catching.

A few other lads turned up and set up but instead of using bubble floats they had drilled through golf balls, and they also waded into the water up to thier waste for that bit extra. They were hooking schoolies nearly every cast while we struggled. After a while fairplay to them they lent us a golf ball each and gave us a little advice and with the extra distance on our casts we were soon into fish.

Barrel was 1st into action a lovely schoolie that put up a good scrap on a light spinning rod.

Valleyboyo then landed 2 in quick succession.

The bites slowed a little but Barrel managed another schoolie while Valleyboyo did very well and had another 2 both of which were over 2b with one fish pushing 4lb (his best bass so far). White redgills seemed to catch the most fish.

About 2 hours after low water we left for home having both caught our 1st bass to spinning tactics.

We were very happy with the day, and wading in the warm water with the sun belting down it felt like we could have been somwhere tropical rather than near a powerstation in South Wales We will try it again soon for sure.

No tidy pics because its awkwad to take photos while standing up to your chest in warm water.

Fisherman spinning at aberthaw, Valleyboyo is 2nd from right

July 20th Porthcawl pier

Barrelreef and Valleyboyo were set on fishing Ogmore with Valleyboyo especially looking forward to it with his new rod.

When we got there the wind was more than we had anticipated and was blowing straight at us which would have made fishing akward.....a quick discussion followed and we set off for the pier instead.

There was one person fishing when we got there and he told us he'd been there about 2 hours without a bite. He was only using ragworm so we though with some fish baits we would at least get some dogfish......Wrong!!

We tried every bait we had crab, ragworm, squid, mackerel and sandeel but didn't have a bite on the beachcasters. No mackerel around either so the feathers proved useless.

With the fishing slow Barrelreef set up a float on a small spinning rod. Using the smallest hook we had (size 6) and baited it with small pieces of mackerel and dropped it down the side in the hope of a pollack.

Bites were regular with the float but a lot of them were missed, although Barrelreef managed to catch 2 small gobies.

Valleyboyo tried the float set up and despite a few bites didnt catch, We think it was only gobies and size 6 might have been too big to hook them.

After high water a guy turned up on the pier and fished the top ledge, he introduced himself as Ed and we got chatting to him.

He was having a go for the mullet down the side of the pier. He groundbaited with mackerel and after a while some monster mullet were cruising alongside the pier.

He eventually hooked one and realised he'd forgotten his drop net and after a good scrap in which he had to lead the fish to the rocks and walk down the steps at the front of the pier to land it.

Fairplay to Ed that was a top bit of angling to land the fish and it easily topped 2lb if not 3lb.

I've seen people hook mullet while fishing the pier but thats the 1st I've seen landed.

Although it wasn't the most productive of days for us we enjoyed the day....Barrelreef managed a new species and his 1st sea fish caught on the float. While seeing the mullet get caught was a a bit of a highlight.

Barrel's 1st goby and 1st fish on float

Barrel's 2nd 'monster' goby

Ed landing the mullet

Ed and his mullet