West Wales UNUSUAL CATCH

[VooDooMan 2]

Yesterday afternoon saw me and my fishing buddy Graham heading to one of my favourite marks in west Wales . It's on a tidal river upstream from a very large Haven. Bait was about 30 crabs mix of peelers and softies which we were fishing on fairly long pulley rigs . I packed my lure gear as well as this mark has produced bass to lures in the past.
This mark is really peaceful and easy fishing and Graham was quite taken with the fact I took my large fold up camping chair ? Graham had never used crab for bait before but had done his research on you tube and was quickly getting the knack of peeling the crab and using his trusty baiting needle was putting together some really well presented baits. Over the years this mark has produced bass, flounder and on one occasion some small but very sporting smooth hounds.
First fish of the evening went to Graham and much to my surprise and his disgust it was a small dogfish . To small even for me to take home . Next fish again for the man was a small codling , a first for this mark and his first of that species . Next " fish" was a whelk which had definitely attacked his crab bait . I had missed a couple of bites on the bait rod as I had my lure rod out . He then landed our target species , bass, but again only small. At last I hit one of my bites and too landed a small codling . Graham finished the evening with yet another codling . The wind dropped right off and the last hours fishing was glorious flat calm . Packed up after a 6 hour session totally mystified as to why this mark had produced 2 different species . It's a long drag to this mark but well worth the drive and one which we shall undertake again in the near future .

 

[Had1]

nice day out hopefully next time bit more productive

 

[Had1]

saying that a small codling would be very welcome round here nowadays haha

 

[Timbc2]

Sounds an interesting spot and well worth heading back to. Good report and good luck next trip

 

[John Mitchell]

Great report , and a nice session well done

 

[Valleyboy]

Nice one. Crab time can throw up codling just about anywhere. There are always small ones knocking about downstream of where you were. The dogfish is a worry though. I hope it was just lost and they are not going to in\/ade the estuaries

 

[Craig]

Great report, sounds a very enjoyable session.

 

[VooDooMan 2]

Nice one. Crab time can throw up codling just about anywhere. There are always small ones knocking about downstream of where you were. The dogfish is a worry though. I hope it was just lost and they are not going to in\/ade the estuaries

It was quite bizarre as I had been telling Graham that over the side of the small tributary is another mark that is quite hard to access and there was a bloke on WSF who used to post quite regularly that he and his son had codling there. Yet in all my previous visits we had never caught one and I can't say I'd ever read or heard a report of any coming from where we fished. I know they are more prolific lower down the river and in the Haven itself . Just wondering if the water temperature has anything to do with it ?

 

[Valleyboy]

It was quite bizarre as I had been telling Graham that over the side of the small tributary is another mark that is quite hard to access and there was a bloke on WSF who used to post quite regularly that he and his son had codling there. Yet in all my previous visits we had never caught one and I can't say I'd ever read or heard a report of any coming from where we fished. I know they are more prolific lower down the river and in the Haven itself . Just wondering if the water temperature has anything to do with it ?

It could well be the temperature but the lack of rain in the past month could ha\/e a part to play. I know locally that the longer it stays dry, the further up the ri\/er the "sea fish" get. Sounds a decent day out though. Not often you can fish from a chair

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Nice session, well done ?

 

[glandyman]

Good choice of bait, that area is alive with crab and worm baits only last a couple of minutes. It is quite weedy there , do you use a shallow diver?

I must pop down and fish that outer wall with peeler under a float , picked some good soft edibles under the wall at low water.

 

[VooDooMan 2]

Good choice of bait, that area is alive with crab and worm baits only last a couple of minutes. It is quite weedy there , do you use a shallow diver?

I must pop down and fish that outer wall with peeler under a float , picked some good soft edibles under the wall at low water.

I know around the corner in to the main river it is very weedy and I have fished it before with soft plastics rigged weedless. On the evening we were there 3 guys did go round there with lures but I'm pretty certain they didn't have anything. The odd snag in the bit we fished and no trouble with floating weed. I used a couple of different lures mainly shallow divers or surface but didn't try to hard with them as I was watching out for my mate as well .
When I was told about the mark a good few years ago by some very good young anglers in the other place , they mentioned float fishing big rag worm dug just up the river and were successful with bass. So I'm certain a float fished crab would produce and it's something I intend to try later in the year.

 

[glandyman]

It was quite bizarre as I had been telling Graham that over the side of the small tributary is another mark that is quite hard to access and there was a bloke on WSF who used to post quite regularly that he and his son had codling there. Yet in all my previous visits we had never caught one and I can't say I'd ever read or heard a report of any coming from where we fished. I know they are more prolific lower down the river and in the Haven itself . Just wondering if the water temperature has anything to do with it ?

The other side is Jenkins Point and you access it from the A477 , turning right for Cosheston about 4 miles before Pembroke Dock. Bit of a wriggle through narrow lanes but it is much quieter during holiday times although limited in parking.