Try this mixed species venue in North Wales, between Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, where cod, whiting, bass and spring plaice are all on the target species list
If you have ever driven into North Wales along the coast from the English border, then there is a good chance that you have driven past Llanddulas, in Conwy. It’s quite a steep venue with shingle that gives way to bigger boulders and offers you the chance to fish into deep water either side of high tide.
From October onwards, the main target species will be whiting and codling that seem to hang around until March, but during rough conditions bigger bass will come in close to feed around the boulders.
It tends to produce the better catches when there is a moderate northerly blow. If there is a bit of surf running, this encourages the fish inshore to feed.
As well as whiting, codling and bass, the venue produces other species through the year, such as plaice, when a long cast using ragworms will find them in late spring. Thornback rays and conger eels can also be caught, but the sport will peak from October, when you can also expect to catch some good coalfish and winter flounders.
Early spring is not a good time to fish at Llanddulas but from May, when the plaice show, the fishing just gets better.”
Larger bass can turn up virtually anywhere at the venue, but large shoals of school bass congregate the further you venture towards the river mouth and can be caught with a large peeler crab bait. Lure anglers find that chucking a plug among them can be successful.
BAIT
Th e best baits to use are peeler crabs and fresh lugworms. Over low water, you can dig your own lugworms from the venue and then you should fish the incoming tide because it is often the optimum time.
Tipping baits with squid or mackerel strips can attract rays, but as autumn arrives try casting a whole squid to the edge of the boulders where a bigger bass may be lurking.
When targeting codling, the top bait will be black lug, or black lug tipped with blow lug or a piece of peeler crab. Conditions can be crucial, as a flat calm sea will not be so productive, but when the wind swings around into the north or north-west, this will lift the sea and create a surf with a swell – which spells perfect conditions.
