North Wales, The Llyn and Anglesey 2016

[Broseidon]

Ah, the old sewerage pipe... to be honest, if you were passing on a boat, it might be worth jumping in and having a quick look but to make a special trip just to visit it... I wouldn't do it - it's a bit of a pain to get to (long swim) and again, the boat traffic in the area is brutal. I've jumped in there 3 times - I've only seen fish once, which was a school of micro-bass - which were far too small to even think about. I wouldn't bother to go there again.

It used to be a really impressive little spot to dive as the pipe was around 6 feet off the seabed in places, unfortunately after the storms we had a couple of winters back, most of the pipe is lying on the seabed which is a real shame. It's a major hazard as the uprights come out of the water at low tide - I'm surprised any of it is allowed to be there really.

It's a nice place for a snorkel, in clear water it's really beautiful, micro-pollock, tiny bait fish, little crabs the odd tiny lobster, little patches of string-weed but for spearing, it's not really worth it. It feels like it should have fish but it just doesn't - really surprised to never see mullet there. Back in the day when it was spewing turds into the ocean, it must have been mullet paradise!

 

[Joejoe352]

Any hints would be much appreciated as I am just finding my feet in the Lyn. I went east of Othello last year and blanked there even though I thought there would be something near the castle.(I am trying to be subtle). If your willing to take a nearby I would love a trip in May.

 

[Joejoe352]

Damon you spell correct that was pthwelli and newbee. I hate bloody technology

 

[Broseidon]

Pwllheli off the beach - I presume the rock - sucks. I know rod and line fishermen love it but seriously, what do they pull out? Doggys, tiny flatfish, little pollocky things, the rare micro-bass or even rarer black bream. These are thing things we just swim past every dive but for some reason, rod and line fishermen get all excited about them. I don't really understand why. I night dived it once - barren apart from two or three tiny bass. Waste of time. There are meant to bream further out - it gets very deep - I've dived off the boat in maybe 15+ meters of water - it was getting dark on the bottom in good viz - it's just empty gravel beds.

It would be interesting for others to comment on this, but I've found that spearing on the Llyn has changed quite a bit in the last couple of years. What do other people think? (bet no-one comments )

All my favourite "easy" spots got destroyed by the mega-storm - there was one 250 meter long spot of string weed & bladder-rack off a certain beach that always produced bass and mullet in big quantities - it was epic - I took a 6.5lb bass in about 3 feet of water - it was the best, most reliable spearing on the Llyn. It's all gone now. Just empty sand.

Aberdaron used to be good a few years back, although the immigrants used to hit it really hard and kill anything they saw. It's empty now. It hasn't really even got sand any more - it's just clay and nasty, floaty green weed.

Porth Oer used to be an epic spot but it's just dead these days as well - the tides seem to have got a lot stronger and less predictable.

I mostly dive pretty inaccessible spots from the boat which is fun but hard work. I miss my easy, shallow, warm spots... If you want some tips Joe, have a look at Denian's videos - these are pretty easy, reliable spots - if you can work out where they are...!

 

[foxfish]

Where is Denian anyway?
There are lots of very popular angling spots that produce good sport for the rods but seem totally barren if you dive them!
I have dived over the most popular sand marks preferred by the anglers and just seen 'nothing', but somehow the rod men still catch them?
It makes more sense with bass as I normally hunt them in the string weed, obviously the string weed is very difficult to fish in with a rod.
A lot of line caught bass are caught in strong tide marks where the sea is rough & the vis bad, obviously not good for diving.

 

[Foxy]

Where is Denian anyway?.

oh, he's about..... and doing well. ;-)

 

[conn4000]

Hey bro
I was thinking the same thing last yr as my usual spots just seemed off.....somehow quieter. Noticed a fair few gill nets about as well Going to spend more time this year scouting new marks
And as for denian I reckon he's sunning his arse over jersey way on one of them jobs hey Ian ......a woman in every port

 

[Broseidon]

I was thinking the same thing last yr as my usual spots just seemed off.....somehow quieter. Noticed a fair few gill nets about as well Going to spend more time this year scouting new marks

Yeah, I've been feeling it for the last couple of seasons... only seems to be getting worse. The scarcity of bass is a bit scary... they are there but not in the numbers there were a few years back. Even Dario gave up on bass focussed on pollock..!

 

[James8164]

hiya mate, I'm from Anglesey but currently living in Cyprus, iv just started spear fishing the last 6 weeks, and when I move back to Anglesey in 26 months I'm hoping to continue spearfishing back home, was wondering what its like in and around Anglesey, have you speard up cymryan beach by raf valley and rhosniegr if so whats it like mate ?

 

[Joejoe352]

Went in at whistling sands on sunday morning. vis was really poor and nothing about. Also blew a clip off my new fins which need a clip which is costing £15+ with postage. Getting hacked off with whole thing. Hopefully things can only get better.

 

[Broseidon]

Went in at whistling sands on sunday morning. vis was really poor and nothing about. Also blew a clip off my new fins which need a clip which is costing £15+ with postage. Getting hacked off with whole thing. Hopefully things can only get better.

Ah mate... anywhere but Whisting Sands! Didn't you see my last post..?

Porth Oer used to be an epic spot but it's just dead these days as well - the tides seem to have got a lot stronger and less predictable.

Porth Oer & Whistling Sands are the same place - it used to be such a great dive spot but it's just horrible these days- the viz and tides are awful.

To be honest, it is very, very early in the season - I know others will disagree but I never think it's really spearing season till June. i.e. it's not worth my while driving 2.5 hours to the coast before then. Of course there are fish about but just not in the same numbers.

The North Coast of the Llyn is a lot deeper and takes a lot longer to warm up, so fish show first on the South Coast, especially in the shallows.

A novice needs nice, shallow weedy spots where you can just float about and get used to spearing... I think I'm going to have to PM you all of Denian's secret spots

 

[Foxy]

Went in at whistling sands on sunday morning. vis was really poor and nothing about. Also blew a clip off my new fins which need a clip which is costing £15+ with postage. Getting hacked off with whole thing. Hopefully things can only get better.

Bit early yet Joe. We are at the 'End of scallop season gap' where we amble around looking for lobbies, crabs and flatties for a bit. Tides are a bit monster at springs too, which doesnt help. ill try to attach a video from over the weekend.
All is not lost though.... only need to get your feet wet for these lovelies!

Pat

 

[Foxy]

Bit early yet Joe. We are at the 'End of scallop season gap' where we amble around looking for lobbies, crabs and flatties for a bit. Tides are a bit monster at springs too, which doesnt help. ill try to attach a video from over the weekend.
All is not lost though.... only need to get your feet wet for these lovelies!

Pat

View attachment 42001

oh and look at the tides here (raw footage) ...... bit of fun if you know how to play it..... not so good if you don't!

https://goo.gl/photos/Y9bzbZW59tnQKVVM7

 

[Joejoe352]

Thanks for encouragement! I couldn't get over how rubbish the vis was even at high tide. Barely see the end of my gun. Took a vid. now I just need to suss how to post it but frankly its very poor.

 

[Joejoe352]

oh and look at the tides here (raw footage) ...... bit of fun if you know how to play it..... not so good if you don't!

https://goo.gl/photos/Y9bzbZW59tnQKVVM7

Bangor? bare with me Im still picking up the area.

 

[Broseidon]

Bangor? bare with me Im still picking up the area.

Pwllheli Harbour in epic tide

 

[mattbarlow]

The sun is out and the forums are hotting up! Can't wait for a dive but the waves on the east coast are calling. Not long now though me thinks!

 

[mattbarlow]

Ah mate... anywhere but Whisting Sands! Didn't you see my last post..?



Porth Oer & Whistling Sands are the same place - it used to be such a great dive spot but it's just horrible these days- the viz and tides are awful.

To be honest, it is very, very early in the season - I know others will disagree but I never think it's really spearing season till June. i.e. it's not worth my while driving 2.5 hours to the coast before then. Of course there are fish about but just not in the same numbers.

The North Coast of the Llyn is a lot deeper and takes a lot longer to warm up, so fish show first on the South Coast, especially in the shallows.

A novice needs nice, shallow weedy spots where you can just float about and get used to spearing... I think I'm going to have to PM you all of Denian's secret spots

I agree I used to dive all year round in Plymouth and even there my catches were sporadic to say the least until the end of May. That said I have speared bass in March (before this ridiculous ban).

I used to wait for Dario's first post before hitting North wales but things might be quiet until July on here.....

 

[Broseidon]

I used to wait for Dario's first post before hitting North wales but things might be quiet until July on here.....

Denian's surely been down?

I'm planning on heading down the next time it's warm, windless, sunny with a small tide - I don't ask for much!

Hopefully that will be before July!

 

[Joejoe352]

Thanks for the support fellas. Probably surf this week but I am off to "do a few Jobs" as Mrs J puts it. But I my now have to sneak off mid week to try out my new toy supplied by lyn spearfishing limited.