The Shore
There few
coastlines, anywhere, to equal the Gower peninsular. There are fewer
still that can match the quality of its fishing. From the humble
pouting to the powerful tope or menacing conger eels, Gower provides
for your sport fishing experience. There is something for everyone
of all ages. There is ample opportunity for specialists to practise
and hone their skills or the novice member to learn the basics. From
the South Gower rocky outcrops to the North Gower's estuarine
mudflats nowhere is there more scope for the patient shore angler to
succeed.
West of Mumbles Head, the shore
angler is faced with one of the most beautiful and productive areas
of coast to be found anywhere in the UK. Bass are one of the most
popular species here and are caught from late spring right through
until winter. There are many rock marks, and the fishing at Port
Eynon and Worm's Head is about as good as it gets, whether you favour
lure fishing or legering a succulent peeler crab at short range in
the rock gullies. Llangennith, Cefn Sidan and Pendine are three
classic, west facing surf beaches that in addition to bass produce
plenty of flounders and golden-grey mullet. There is also the vast
expanse of the Loughor estuary, good for flounders.
There are about 160 different kinds of fish that are reasonably
common around the British Isles, but the species around Gower are
mainly, cod on the Swansea breakwater, Garfish at Pennard, Bream at
Oxwich and Langland, Bass and Mullet at Llangennith, Flonder along the
esturies, through to the occasional Tope at the Lynch sand channel at
Broughton.
The more popular holiday beaches like Langland, Caswell, Oxwich,
Port Eynon etc., are crowded during the Summer months, so best to search
out the more secluded bays like Falls, Tears Point, Whitford and the
rock marks.
Safety First
As with most sport there are certain dangers and safety precautions
to be taken when fishing. There are a number of fishing marks at which
to be extra careful whilst fish Gower, especially the marsh areas along
the Burry Estuary, all the way up the River Loughor to Llangennech.
Unless knowledgeable of the marks only fish the marshes on a low tide.
Watch the tides on the three cut-off islands, Worms Head, Burry Holmes
and the Middle and Outer Head at Mumbles. |
The Bay
Swansea bay and Gower have a long sea
angling tradition, with many small motor boats based in the marina or
local moorings and shore marks. Anglers are spoilt for choice
when it comes to deciding which species to target. Popular
options include uptiding over the many sandbanks for rays, turbot,
bass, tope or smoothhound, reef fishing for bass, pollack, wrasse,
black bream and trigger fish, and drifting a live sandeel for bass.
General mixed ground fishing and even wrecking on certain tides are
other options.
The the boat
fishing marks of Swansea Bay are a mix of clean sand and mud, rough
ground patches, reefy ground consisting of coral, and further out
undulating sand banks. The beauty of Swansea is that most of the
popular marks are within easy reach and only a short boat ride of
maybe 20 minutes is required to reach the prime fishing grounds. Just
long enough to tackle up before arriving for a good day's fishing.
There are a variety of fishing opportunities to suit anglers of all
abilities. Big bass is the key target throughout the angling year,
especially through the summer and autumn months.
Swansea Marina is
well located for the best of the all-round boat fishing. You can run
straight out and go East towards the muddy marks caused by the strong
tides, and take a multitude of species bottom fishing. Or, as many of
the boats now do, head due west and straight out into open Atlantic,
where clearer water means other predatory species in the deep water.
Conger, ling, pollack, and blue shark.
Comment from a member
Small boat launch slipways into the Bay
The Knab Slipway at Mumbles is a public slipway, there are 2 there, one is a steep-to slipway accessible about 3.5hrs either side of H.W. the "Top Slip" is a long shallow slip that you can launch/recover from, at all states of most tides, depending on how much water the boat draws.
For cod the area S.E. of Mumbles Pier outside the shelter of the Mumbles Head is a good one. Look for a (black & yellow) buoy out there, this is the S.W.I.G.G. buoy its a mid channel marker, line the buoy up with the Mumbles Pier & you wont be far away, make sure you anchor far enough away from it not to have a tanker bearing down on you!!!!! S.E. of it (towards Port Talbot) where you can see down the Gower Peninsular will put you in the full ebb/flood zone which is "cod alley".
Avoid the big tides! its like trying to fish from a moving car in them, anything over 12metres is a struggle out there, stay in the shelter of the bay, use your sounder around the Lighthouse Island & find out where the "scouring" is, there are always lots of the lesser species to be caught there.
There is a small scattered wreck directly opposite Singleton Hospital, which is good for bream in the summer, and it produces bits & pieces in the winter.
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