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PENARTH CARDIFF BAY
CARDIFF BAY AND PENARTH
With plenty of berths for all sizes of boat, and plenty of topclass fi shing marks, Cardiff Bay and Penarth offer boat anglers accessible year-round fi shing
Since the completion of the Cardiff Bay barrage in 2001 the vast freshwater lagoon that was created has become a major hub for boat anglers. Of course, the eastern end of the Bristol Channel has long been a popular area with anglers fi shing aboard both charter and privately owned vessels. But up until the completion of ‘the barrage’ the only secure berthing facilities were located within Penarth Marina, which at the time was only accessible for around three hours either side of high water.
Today, boat owners can readily access these productive fi shing grounds 24 hours a day. Likewise, Penarth Marina, too, can be accessed at any time. e completion of the barrage created opportunities for the development of many more berths within the enclosed bay, and the boat angling community have taken full advantage of these. Large numbers of berths and associated facilities are now available at several locations throughout Cardiff Bay, and the once tidal Taff and Ely rivers.
LAUNCHING A Penarth hound Anglers who tow their own boats have the opportunity to use excellent launching facilities adjacent to the Channel View Leisure Centre, located just upriver from the mouth of the Taff . is launch site is operated by Cardiff Council and opening and closing times vary at diff erent times of the year, as well as from weekdays and the weekend. A single launch costs £15 which includes secure parking for your towing vehicle and trailer, plus use of the Cardiff Barrage lock gates. If you wish to access this launch site outside normal opening times you can purchase a key, with the cost being dependent upon the size of your boat. As of January 2022, the cost for a 12 month permit to launch a 5.5m boat is a very reasonable £189.60. Exiting the barrage for a day ‘s fi shing BERTHS In addition to Penarth Marina, secure berths along with various onsite facilities are located at Cardiff Bay Yacht Club and Cardiff Marina, both located within the River Ely. Unsurprisingly, this massive transformation of the once tidal Cardiff Bay has resulted in a great many local boat anglers moving up from running trailered boats, to owning larger vessels they keep afl oat. e fi shing within the Bristol Channel is excellent with boat anglers have the opportunity to target many diff erent species throughout the year. However, this area is subjected to the second highest tidal range found anywhere in the world, meaning that even on the smallest neap tides the strength and speed of the tide is considerable.
Much of the area is covered by mud and sand banks, many of which dry out over low water. e constant scouring of the seabed by such strong tides results in water clarity that is almost always heavily tinged with colour. A thorough understanding of buoyage is essential as, of course, is planning your passage having fully considered exactly what each buoy is indicating.
When the wind is blowing in the same direction as the tide the sea will often be a fl at calm. High water during spring tides occurs in the morning, typically between 7-9 O’clock. At such times you might set off on a bright and sunny morning, with a light easterly wind resulting in a fl at calm sea over high tide, and for the entire duration of the ebb – perfect for the run west to Aberthaw and a session fi shing. However, as soon as the tide turns and starts pushing up channel once again, it will be opposing the wind creating a horrible, short, choppy sea. ese conditions are entirely predictable, and easily avoided with a little prior planning. ere is no getting away from the fact that you have to be extremely careful whenever operating a boat anywhere within the region. is is not an area I would recommend to a novice boat owner.
MARKS
After exiting e Barrage lock gates and clearing the buoyed Wrach Channel to a point near Penarth Pier, skippers have the choice of turning either left or right, either heading in an easterly direction up channel towards Newport, or west, down channel, towards Sully Bay, Barry and Aberthaw. e ground to the east is the most challenging, featuring vast expanses of mud fl ats and banks that dry out for several hours over low water. Anglers fi shing this area target codling, thornback ray, bass, fl ounder, sole, strap conger and a few other species. I would recommend fi shing in the company of someone who is familiar with the area for your fi rst few trips if you plan to head east. e vast majority of boats head down channel to fi sh marks off Sully Bay, Aberthaw and beyond. Mostly you will be fi shing marks over a seabed consisting of a mix of mud and sand, or patches of more broken, rough, ground typically found in the vicinity of the various headlands. ere are numerous wrecks in the area but local anglers rarely target these as fi rstly most are only fi shable for a very short period over slack water during neap tides. Secondly, results fi shing over more open ground are invariably as productive, or more likely better, than what you can expect from a wreck.
Many of the most productive marks are located within a surprisingly close distance to the adjacent shoreline. Depending on the time of year boat anglers can target at least 10 diff erent species that weigh in excess of 10lb including blonde, thornback and small eyed ray, conger, smoothounds, spurdog, tope, huss, bass and cod. In addition to these dogfi sh, whiting, pouting, rockling and various species of fl atfi sh add more add variety. have. I have often experienced or witnessed boat catches that when revealed later back at e Barrage locks or yacht club bar draw looks of envy or disbelief! ere are three lock gates located within Cardiff Barrage. Outgoing locks operate on the hour and half hour, with incoming locks at a quarter to and quarter past the hour. Contact Cardiff Bay Barrage Control on VHF Channel 18 when you intend to lock in and out. ere is a strictly enforced and clearly marked 5 knot speed limit within the rivers Taff and Ely, and a few other areas of Cardiff Bay. In the open expanse of the bay itself there is no speed limit. at said, this area is used by various commercial boats including water taxis, and a lot of pleasure boats, so as always it is important to operate your boat sensibly. ■
The ray fi shing can be phenomenal
A plump codling
TACTICS
Traditionally anglers used to fi sh uptide throughout this entire area, almost to the exclusion of all other methods: uptiding is still my favourite technique whenever fi shing in these waters. In more recent years the almost exclusive use of super thin, non-stretch braided lines by many anglers has resulted in many fi shing downtide. Whichever way you decide to fi sh, key to success in these waters is to fi sh a large, juicy, bait nailed hard on the bottom.
All of the usual baits are eff ective, with your choice being governed by your target species. Black lug tipped with squid is number one for cod; squid, sandeels and various fi sh baits work for conger, huss, spurdog, tope and rays; crab is deadly for smoothounds, bass and many other species. Many local anglers only ever use squid, which will catch most species caught in the area.
SPECIES
I have fi shed the Bristol Channel aboard my own boats for nearly 40 years, during which time I have witnessed many changes. For example, the once incredible cod fi shing we used to experience each autumn and winter throughout the 1990s and early years of the new millennium is now over. Cod are still caught, but in nothing like the numbers they once were. Accurate local up-to-the-minute information and good bait are key to catching these. On a more positive note, the number of rays, conger, spurdog, huss and smoothound have increased dramatically. On some days the only limit on how many fi sh you can catch will be how much bait and time you
NEED TO KNOW
GETTING THERE
The easiest way to the foreshore is to leave the A48, Eastern Avenue, at the Cardiff Docks/ City Centre exit at Llanedeyrn. Follow the signs for Cardiff Docks, fi rst along Southern Way then Rover Way. The dock entrance is just past the steelworks. Parking is restricted because access to the docks is not allowed unless fi shing a prearranged open match. Park on the approach road near to the security gates and walk past the heliport to reach the foreshore.
FACILITIES
Channel View Leisure Centre, the location of the main public launch site, is located at Jim Driscoll Way, Grangetown, Cardiff , CF11 7HB. Contact reception to confi rm opening times on Tel: 02920 378161
Penarth Marina can be contacted on VHF Channel 80 or Tel No.02920 705021. For more information visit: www.boatfolk.co.uk/penarthmarina-cardiff
For information on Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, which runs a very active and well supported boat fi shing club, visit: www.cbyc.co.uk
TACKLE SHOPS ■ Anglers Supplies, 172 Penarth Road,
Cardiff CF11 6NL Tel: 029 2022 0723
■ Chandlery: Force 4, Cardiff ,
