The Bristol Channel- Plan Your Trip

The Bristol Channel is a huge waterway and the fishing can be tricky to get your head around.

Luckily we have Jansen Teakle on hand to offer some guidance, should you be looking to plan a trip over the next few months.

March

March can be a fantastic time to fish as the weather begins to warm up slightly, not that it’s been cold this winter. Day time temperatures in the mid teens become realistic and with the subsequent rise in water temperature comes the awakening of an abundance of food stuffs. Crabs in particular begin their spring moult and it’s little wonder that this is the number one bait for a number of species. Rock marks are highly likely to still contain a few codling and these will be feeding readily on crustacea. On the right marks, these fish can blow the whole concept of long distance casting that has long been associated with cod fishing out of the window. Short casts with light tackle can provide some tremendous sport on marks such as Sandpoint and Brean Down. Bass fishing in the upper Bristol Channel should be in full swing around this time so it goes without saying that mixed bags are possible on this lighter tackle at surprisingly short range. The west Somerset reef marks that give way to mud and broken ground will hold large number of thornback rays this month with a double figure fish always a possibility. Conger and dogfish will add to the variety on these rougher marks whilst the cleaner grounds of Weston, brean and Berrow will offer all of the above with the addition of flounders, eels and the chance of a small sole. 

April

April is undoubtedly the start of the ray fishing in the cleaner waters associated with those marks west of Minehead. Surveying these marks prior to fishing is highly recommended as winter storms change the landscape here year on year with thousands of tonnes of sand moved around by the tide creating bars where there were once none and clearing some areas of sand all together. The three species of ray can all be found here; namely the small eyed, spotted and blonde, though in recent times even the thornback has become more common here. Sandeel or launce baits are favourite and it’s advisable to stock up the freezer now, ahead of the rush.

Good quality mackerel is a superb back up bait and I often wonder if it is neglected because it’s a little trickier for some to create a bait that is as naturally streamlined as an eel for long distance casting. Successful Ray fishing relies on a lack of dogfish and it is those that will spoil a days fishing if they intercept every bait just minutes after it touches the sea bed. Meanwhile, the upper channel bass fishing will be in full swing for numbers of fish. If crab isn’t available, locally dug blow lugworm are a great back up and if fished on small hooks over clean ground will also account for flounders.

May

May could be the time to try and catch a big smoothhound in the channel. The first influx of fish is often the largest and a twenty pound specimen is not out of the question. Providing salinity levels remain high and we lack excessive rain fall, the fish should be there for the taking at marks between Hinkley and Clevedon. Low water is undoubtedly the best time to try for these hard fighting fish and again, crab is the only bait you will need. Half a large crab or a whole small one is ample and you’ll gain nothing by piling two or three big crabs on to one cast. Don’t forget to take a weigh sling of sorts, be it a shop bought example tailor made for this or a supermarket bag for life, there’s no excuse to be weighing these fish unsupported. All of the mid channel rock marks that offer mud within casting range will offer thornback rays, mostly small males averaging around five pound in weight and often a lot smaller. They will readily take fish and worm baits but when the conditions allow, lighter tackle adds some fun to this species that gets a bad rap locally. 

The chance of a slightly bigger sole adds to the variety on the cleaner marks, though it will be two or three months from now that a really big fish is on the cards.