Bristol Channel fishing- Jansen Teakle explores the possibilities that might present themselves when the waters of the Bristol Channel clear to unprecedented levels….
The Bristol Channel has long been associated with fast tides and heavily coloured water, the latter a result of the sediment that is present throughout the majority of its course. Take a teaspoon of coffee and place it in a cup of water, give it a stir and this is what happens here on a grander scale. So why is it during mid summer of 2024 that we find our water so much clearer?
The weather has certainly played its part and a reasonably settled spell combined with neap tides will usually see the water clear for a week or two during high summer. It’s an annual spectacle and one I’ve witnessed on numerous occasions in the past, but why is it so evident this year?
The water clarity right now at the beginning of July is incredible, certainly by Bristol Channel standards, but other than those circumstances outlined above, I’m at a bit of a loss as to why this might be happening to such an extent right now.
The effect of this natural phenomenon in terms of angling and fish movements is fascinating and the impact it could have on our fishing going forward, thought provoking to say the least.
As a relatively new resident to the Welsh coast, my knowledge of what’s gone before is sketchy at best, but those anglers I have befriended in the last few years who have fished here their entire lives are witnessing things that just haven’t happened before. Based in Cardiff, one of my nearest coastlines is that of Barry, an area long associated with its brown water. So when I heard that mackerel were being caught in numbers here, it got me curious enough to jump in the van one evening and see for myself. Meeting up with pal Dai Llewellyn, it wasn’t long before we were both in to fish and after a short amount of time, we took a break.
Feathering for mackerel is tiring work, especially with full on beach rods. As we sat there, I questioned Dai about the abundance of mackerel and whether it was a regular occurrence and I was pretty bowled over to learn that this was the first time in all the years he had been fishing that he had witnessed shoals of mackerel here. As a newcomer to the area, I had presumed that this was the norm, an annual occurrence, but how wrong could I be. Those fish were there in numbers and it was brilliant to see anglers of all ages and abilities getting in the action. I returned the following day, caught some more mackerel and to the best of my knowledge, the fish are still present.
It was a few days later that I started to see garfish also being caught, a sure sign that visually feeding fish were present, but the very fact that they could now be targeted in this ‘new’ clear water really got me excited. I’m hoping to try for these fish soon, but time will be against me as I’d imagine that with the next bout of strong winds, the colour will return to the water and the fish will no longer be catchable. Present still, yes, it’s likely, but offering a bait to them if the water does return to it’s regular coloured form will likely draw a blank. Who knows?
Since those couple of mackerel fishing trips I have also ventured out on to a rough ground mark back in my native Somerset. Upon arrival, again I was confronted by clear water. Okay, so not crystal clear, but by upper Bristol Channel standards the visibility was ridiculous.
Despite a favourable tide and settled weather, the bottom feeders I targeted failed to show and for the first time in a long time, I drew a total blank. Scratching my head for an explanation, it dawned on me that it wouldn’t take a huge improvement in visibility to upset the balance here and especially on a bright sunny day, the fish could be deterred from feeding in these alien conditions. Many marks on the south coast of the UK fish better during the hours of darkness, other than of course for those visual feeders with their large eyes that patrol up in the water, so perhaps the bottom feeders present here were reluctant to feed. It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot over the years, does fishing in daylight or darkness make any difference in the Bristol Channel, and usually my answer is no; but it does make you wonder.
There is one popular spot on the Somerset coast of the channel that has produced some real surprises for some time, and garfish, wrasse, gurnards, pollack and gilt head bream have all been caught there. Portishead marina is partially land-locked and only when the gates are opened does the usually brown water of the channel flood in. When the gates are closed, there is little to no current and the sediment drops out leaving the water almost crystal clear. No one is stirring the coffee.
Those fish outlined above feature on a not exhaustive list, but it’s notable that each fish without exception uses its eyes to feed. When they can see a meal, they will take it. It’s what they do to survive. But to arrive at this place they have to navigate those muddy waters in the first instance. Is it possible that these species are resident on the open coast but just not catchable because they are programmed to feed on sight rather than scent?
It’s a fascinating subject, one I often think about and I’m not sure we’ll ever know the answer. Diving is non existent here, so exploration of the sea bed other than through data gleaned by satellite, sonar and the like is never going to happen. But if this level of water clarity continues to present itself year on year during the summer, and perhaps even beyond, who knows what other opportunities might present themselves and which other species we might end up catching.
Nothing really surprises me anymore!