I have learned the hard way that crab bait can turn into a soggy mess long before a cast ever leaves a rod. On rocky ledges, spray, wash, weed, and constant drip-off all work against fresh bait, and crab can be one of the worst baits for holding shape if I do not prepare it properly. When I fish...
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How-To Guides
When bass bites fade at dawn in Welsh harbours, I rarely blame luck. In my own...
Seasonal Tips
When I start thinking about late-season sole, I stop looking for drama and...
How-To Guides
I spend more time than I care to admit tweaking rigs on windy reef marks where...
How-To Guides
I’ve spent more mornings than I can count fiddling with tubs of ragworm,...
I spend more time than I care to admit tweaking rigs on windy reef marks where pollack live cheek-by-jowl with gangs of opportunistic mackerel. Over the years I’ve learned that stopping mackerel thefts is less about brute force and more about...
I’ve spent more mornings than I can count fiddling with tubs of ragworm, trying to keep them lively and easy to hook when the tide finally turns. Ragworm are brilliant bait — juicy, tough on a hook and irresistible to many shore species — but...
When the tide flips and the run of fish lasts only an hour, every second counts. I learned early on that being able to change leaders, knots and baits with one hand is a game-changer. Whether you’re balancing on a rock, bracing against wind, or...
I started using a castable fishfinder a few seasons ago to solve a simple problem: how to find the lanes bass use at night without spending hours blind-casting rocky margins. Night fishing from shore is a different animal — fish are less...
Winter cod in shallow kelp bays are a special kind of fight: powerful takes in tight water, sudden runs through weed and rocks, and that stubborn way they hug structure. Over the years I’ve learned that a properly built microchum slick will hold a...
Marina lights are one of those relentless, honest attractors: they concentrate prawns, small fry and baby sandeels right where concrete meets water. Over the years I've found that bass feeding under pontoon and quay lights behave differently to fish...
I used to curse pebble spits. Nothing fills you with more quiet frustration than watching your bait or lure skitter across tumbling cobbles, the tip of your rod twitching with meaningless knocks while real takes go missed in the muddle. For months I...
On Fishing In Wales Co I’m always looking for simple, repeatable ways to find fish without relying on luck. One method that’s become a staple of my shore approach combines old-school observation — gull behaviour and foam lines — with a...
Fishing kelp banks for cod at night is one of my favourite challenges — the tide smells different, the headlamp cuts through the darkness and every bite feels earned. Deadbait is my go-to when the water cools and cod move onto the weed to feed....
I’ve spent more early mornings than I can count sitting on slick rocks in Welsh harbours, watching sleek mackerel blitz the surface and nicking my lures before the pollack even show interest. Over the years I’ve developed a feathered teaser rig...