Aberystwyth is home to one of the largest charter fishing fleets in Wales. It’s no coincidence this. “Aber” sports some of the most varied ground imaginable with a species resident list only equalled by the prolific waters off Devon and Cornwall.
NOTED MARKS AND GROUND FEATURE
Chief amongst these is the reef of Sarn Cynfelyn or Patches reef. A reef constructed of small pebble intermingled with rock and weed beds. This breaks it’s sequence 3 miles out being mixed sand and rough. Known as the “Gap”, this holds tope, huss, rays, bream etc. At 7 miles sits the Patches buoy. Ground immediately to the northwest gives cleaner patches of mud and sand, but also uplifting rocky peaks that harbour bream. Ground due north is mainly clean sand until you hit Sarn Bwch reef off Tywyn.
South of Patches reef lays the Cadwgan Reef just to the north of Llanrystyd. This too holds bream, huss, early and late season tope, plus monkfish which have topped 80lbs in nets here. However, few boats fish this area. Out from the Cadwgan Reef is the old “Trawling grounds”. Literally a deeper gutter that travels roughly north to south. This harbors most species and has given hake and smoothound in the distant past.
WRECK FISHING
The charter fleet is currently checking the potential of numerous wrecks that lay out beyond the 40 mile mark. Trips made in the last couple of seasons have brought home pollack to 20lbs, ling to 14lbs, and cod to 18lbs. Undoubtedly, big conger and larger pollack, coalfish, ling and cod than already taken are sure to follow.
SPECIES
Fishing begins in March with the incoming thornback ray. Numbers taken can exceed 40 per day, but all the local skippers have a catch and return policy, so the bulk are there for another day. The thornbacks stay the main target until early May when the tope take precedence. Catches of this sleek predator often top 20 fish per day with double that not unusual. The average size lays between 30 and 40lbs which is high compared to other areas.
During this early spring period, huss occur daily and can top 16lbs. Whiting, dabs, dogfish, plus the odd monkfish make up the early season catches. May sees the black bream arrive. These run in tight groups over the reefs and rougher ground with fish of 1lb normal, but sprinkled with a regular return of 2lb and 3lb plus fish.
By late June all eyes focus on shark. Porbeagles running towards the 200lbs mark with 100lb fish somewhere about average. July is the main month for shark, but they can linger throughout August too. June also sees the mackerel beginning to shoal up and with them come the interesting mid summer species like pollack, gurnards, turbot, occasional blonde ray, scad and garfish.
Late August sees the catches of whiting increase as the first shoals moving in for the winter are located. A 1lb fish is classed as good here, with 2lb fish very rare. The rays and huss linger throughout the winter, but by early October the tope move out. Codling are not considered a main catch, but the past five seasons has seen fish in fair numbers on the reefs and rough ground bringing in variety to the rays, whiting, dabs and dogfish that make up the normal winter’s day sport.
TIDES AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Tides off Aberystwyth are not too fierce. It can run at a fair rate over the shallower reef areas, but is sedate over the cleaner ground, even on the biggest spring tides. The size of the tide does not appreciably effect the quality of the fishing. Catches remain pretty consistent throughout the tide cycle.
Over the offshore wrecks however, it does flow strongly and only the smaller neaps are comfortable to fish.
TACKLE
Due to the light tides, you can fish with lighter tackle for all the species save for wrecking and shark. A 20lb class rod or 4-10oz uptider covers just about all options. Local anglers prefer the uptider as it gives greater versatility and more sport. Match these to a reel holding 300yds of 18lb line.
Bream fishing requires a spinning rod about 9ft long, small multiplier or fixed spool reel and just 8lb line. They get the chance to show their true metal on this outfit.
Leads average between 4-8ozs for general fishing, but a couple of 12oz or 1lb weights should be carried for those bigger tides. A 1-2oz lead is plenty for the bream over slack tide periods.
Standard wreck tackle of 50lb class rod and reel are needed for pirk fishing for cod or using pirks and muppets for pollack over the wrecks, and for the shark. The uptider covers fishing artificial eels for pollack with 15 to 18lb line. Experienced anglers choose a 12lb class outfit and 6 to 8oz leads. Many anglers prefer the lighter 30lb tackle for the greater sport.
BAITS
Mackerel is undoubtedly the most popular bait used and enough can mostly be feathered on the day. However, it’s not necessarily the best bait to use.
A whole small whiting or half a dab proves the better bait for tope, rays and huss, especially the whiting. Use peeler crab over the reef and you’ll pick up ballan wrasse, codling, maybe a rogue smoothound.
The bream like small strips of squid, mackerel or herring, but those in the know also carry a few estuary cockles. This latter bait can be devastating at times. Lugworm tends to pick out the smaller bream.
Feathers baited with lugworm picks up codling and bream. Change to mackerel strip on the feathers and you’ll see gurnards, whiting, and weevers over cleaner ground.
ALTERNATIVE SHORE VENUES
Try the Stone Jetty on the south side of the harbour for conger, silver eels, dabs, dogfish and flounders.
Also Tan y Bwlch beach for bass, dabs, dogfish, and occasional rays.
TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE
Terrace Road, Aberystwyth. Tel. 0970612125
Powys. Tel 01874 625692
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