Inspired by Carl's reports on using a fly rod I headed down to Caernarfon today to fish the Menai Straits from the platform for a couple of hours across High
Around 4 years ago I bought a 9 foot Shakespeare Atlantic Salt AFTM #10 salt water fly rod but it's only been used once and still has the plastic on the handle, about time I gave it some use!
With sinking main line, a super fast sinking saltwater leader and a tippet of 6lb flouro I was after mini species.
(When I worked in Caernarfon I had a few fun summer evening sessions off this platform with 1/4 inch bits of ragworm on mini rigs dropped down to the Wrasse by the platform legs)
For a fly I chose a shrimp pattern from Foxons St Asaph.
I was however hedging my bets, I also had a spinning rod with me set up with a short clear boom and gold head worm jelly fly on to which I hooked short sections of ragworm.
The rag was immediately getting bites and frankly proved a distraction from trying the fly rod, but with no hook ups I took the jelly worm off and replaced it with a size 8 barbless hook and just bits of rag and tried to ignore the frequent tip tapping whilst I persevered with the fly rod.
As the tide stood still for High I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the fly set up sank, figure of eighting line to bring the fly to the surface almost directly beneath me and then letting it sink back I had a moment of great excitement when a pair of fish about half a pound each slowly followed the shrimp to the surface and had a good look at it before sinking back down, not sure what they were but possibly small mullet.
Not exactly a catch but those few seconds of anticipation as the fish followed the fly made the experiment worth it.
Meanwhile the spinning rod was being pestered,
As the ebb got well under way the spinning rod announced a definite fish on and in my head I was already taking the species hunt photo as a small pollock showed a copper colored flank on the surface, but as it rolled over the size 8 hook came free, Grrr!
Off with the size 8 and on with a proper hook and a full rag, a few minutes later and the spinning rod was arcing over, whatever was on the end felt really odd, not a fighting fish nor the drag of a crab,
The tide was ebbing fast and I was getting chilly
Time to go,
half a dozen danglers were still on the platform but my "nearly fish"was the only thing seen between us apart from crabs
Really enjoyed but next time I'll concentrate on just the one method!
Home 
