Saturday 6th April 2013 to Saturday 13th April 2013

Isle of Anglesey, North West Beaches :  The Return of Billy the Bass and other species

Saturday 6^th April 2013

We’d almost cancelled going to Anglesey for the weekend following the death of the pooch but in the end decided “what the hell we’ll go”.  Glad we did too, it’s still as pretty as anywhere in my opinion.

It’s been mighty cold though so we made plenty use of this.

Bait digging proved difficult with worms showing casts but not holes making it damned hard to dig em. Got a dozen a day, plenty enough for fishing for a single-hook rig, would have liked two hook flapper rig but beggars can’t be choosers and all that.

Only fished at night, as rarely have had much joy in daylight hours.  First night was very quiet but a welcome return from Billy Bass saved el blanco – only a l’il un but nice to see and backs up my theory that little buggers never really go away!   Released him, couple more casts then called it a night.  Fished local lug on a single hook flapper to conserve the bait, the one bite (he shoots, he scores) came about 20 minutes after the top of the tide.

Sunday 7^th April 2013

A couple of walks to pick up driftwood for the fire.  More bait-digging at low tide.  Have got into the habit of changing hooks before every session but cocked up today replacing the 2/0 aberdeen I had on Saturday with a 4/0 that meant a lot of missed bites (you know the sort I mean).  Anyway saving the blank on the second night again using same rig and bait was this fine specimen of a whiting (probably this same one been pulling my chain all night!)  Lord knows how he got a hook that size in his mouth?  “Eyes bigger than his belly” my Uncle Peter would have said.

Monday 8^th April 2013

Fished the beach from the ramp on – bit of a lively night weather-wise and as soon as I’d avoided the blank with a whiting just after high on local lug I was happy to call it a night.

Tuesday 9^th April 2013

Fished with local legend Vic owner of Church Bay’s Ty Newydd camp site and cottages.  Didn’t take any pictures which was a shame as started off with a dogfish and then got a couple of whitings before calling it a night.  Local lug again.

Wednesday 10^th April 2013

Last night of the break as we’d decided to return to Derbyshire on Thursday.   Went to visit South Stack - bit wet and miserable so we didn't do the steps but had a look from Elin's Tower which was nice - hell it's a long way down!

Finally day and had a not  blanked – it went into extra time today, though.  I spotted a neat sandbar appearing in the  local beach that looked to be good for flatties a couple of hours after low.

So made up a rig with plenty of bling and went down about 8pm to give it a go but no joy so once the gulley was out of reach I went back up to the cottage for an hour or two and returned with about an hour and half left up to high tide.  First cast another new species for 2013 with a shore rockling (pretty sure it was).  He came in on rag from nearby Valley Baits - helpful as always.   Released the little beggar and next cast was well snagged so snapped off and called it a night – got to be up early for trip home. 

Anyway five nights, four species, no blanks only a bit of tackle lost (recovered most of the rig and weight when tide had gone out following morning). Hoping for some decent weather to return and then it’ll be camping and kayak fishing when Summer kicks in!

Thursday 11th April 2013
We decided to come home - number one son didn't come with us and we were cold!  Got home, got unloaded, got a load of gardening done.  All good'ish.

Friday 12th April 2013
More gardening.  Tidied up the mini-greenhouses.  Went and played nine holes - not too bad considering it was weeks since previous time I'd played.

Saturday 13th April 2013
Up early.  More gardening.  Golf with John and Doug at 2:36 - played okay with a card for handicap calculation over nine holes went round in 43 with a couple of pars at 2 and 5 and a birdie at 8.   All steady enough stuff.