FISHING THE FORTRESS
Finding somewhere where boat angling pressure is generally minimal is just about impossible nowadays. But there are still a handful of areas in the UK that exist where rod and line, and commercial fishing activity, is limited. Little oasis of ground where fish stocks remain good and varied.
Such a place is Caernarfon Bay in North Wales. The name ‘Caernarfon’ loosely means Fortress in Arfon, more likely attributed to the famous Caernarfon Castle first constructed in the 10th century, but it aptly describes the character of the bay itself.
The lack of immediate ports south of Caernarfon and right down the west and southwest side of the Llyn Peninsula means boat access is restricted so general fishing pressure is light. The main charter boat access is from Holyhead on Anglesey, but there are opportunities for trailered small angling boats to capitalise too. The Holyhead charter boats work the bay in summer, and from October to March Gethyn Owen with My Way 2 works from Port Dinorwic inside the Menai Straits giving him access to Caernarfon Bay on the calmer winter days, too. It’s a place that can fish 12 months of the year.
GROUND FEATURE
The offshore ground feature is varied with mostly large expanses of clean sand interspersed with rougher ground patches and reef ground. There are sandbanks off the southern entrance to The Menai Straits and more extensive areas of sandbanks down off the Llyn Peninsula.
