Complete Novice Advice

Joined: Jun 28, 2009 Posts: 2

Hi,

New to the forum big grin

so initially hello and never fished in my life so please excuse the seemingly stupid questions.

I have recently moved to Langland swansea and really would like to start fishing.

Can people advice what i would need to buy, someone has mentoned a 10ft beach caster, what else is needed, weights etc?????. Secondly where is best to cast for a beginner around langland, mumbles.

What fish can be caught and what bait would i need to use.

sorry for the lame question, just really lost.

thanks

dai

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:38 pm

Don't know your sex/stature but to me 10ft is a ladies rod, suggest you go for 12 or 13 ft rod as a starter. A longer rod has some advantages such as being able to cast further when you need to and keep your line higher out of the surf/weed when those conditions exist. Get some "gripper" weights or "sinkers" as they are often called, they have wire spikes which dig into the sand and prevent your bait from drifting in the tidal currents. I use 4 and 5 oz jobs and some folk use 6 oz but this is not usually necessary unless currents are particularly strong in your area. You will of course need a reel and it is usual to start with a fixed spool reel which will hold around 200 yds of 20lb breaking strain line. Unfortunately there is some real rubbish in some tackle shops so I suggest you go for Diawa or Okuma Reels with at least three ball bearings to be sure of getting something which will not fall to pieces in five minutes. I would also suggest that you start with size 1 or 1/0 hooks to start with and add other sizes as you experience/knowledge increases.
A friend of mine who lives in your area joined the club which is near Mumbles pier (I can't remember the name of it) and learned an awful lot in a short time. If you can afford it, I suggest you do the same.

Joined: Jun 28, 2009 Posts: 2

Hi thanks for the response!

I am 6ft male about 15 stone so 12ft sounds better.

what type of fish can be caught in this area beach casting?

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 10:02 pm

Bass almost certainly and especially at night. Also black bream in the summer and cod in winter. You should be able to find some spots for flatties too. Last time I visited my pal we were going to try the loughor estuary for flatties which seemed a likely spot to me but it kept piddling down and I got fed up with it - does it ever stop raining in Wales? LOL

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:55 am

hi Lost_Langland, warm welcome to the site where you are is not my area but you will probably find that someone on the site will be able to help you out and mabee meet with you to show you the ropes, all i can say is enjoy your fishing

Dave big grin

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:59 am

Hi Dai, welcome to the site, as jacko said there will be someone that can get you started, or even show you. Cheers..Mick

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:57 am

Hi lost langland/ Dai . I've tried langland once and I lost a dexter wedge throwing it inbetween some pinnacles/rocks applause

silly me. There is a teeny weeny amount of lug there (shhhh!!) which you can use for bait. I'd expect there to be crabs there in the rock pools also.

Theres a reasonably sandy patch in the middle but I have not tried this bit because even on a overcast rainy day some berk (excuse my french) was still paddling up to their knees. Next time I go here i'll walk along the coastal path half way between caswell and langland and try there instead.

I use smaller weights (1 - 2oz) when fishing rough ground /rocky areas because I don't feel I need to cast far, the leads don't snag as much and if you do loose one it's only a couple of pence.

I'm only using a 8.8 foot at the moment and i'm 5' 9". But I have had a go of a 10 foot and two 12s recently and I'll be moving in that direction.

Hope this helps

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:01 am

A warm welcome to the forum mate. Sorry I took so long to welcomming you but we have been away over the weekend at a kids sea fishing competition.

Cheers keith big grin

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:49 pm

Hi lost_langland. I'm a newbie to this forum too, so hi to everyone else too.

I live in Limeslade which is the next bay round from Langland towards Swansea, and have fished the coast between Mumbles and Caswell for many years. I'm no expert, but I have a fair bit of local knowledge winking

As a beginner, my advice to you would be not to spend too much on equipment yet, and to learn the basics from easy marks such as Mumbles Pier or Knab Rock. They don't have the exotic "man V's wild" element that scaling a 40 ft cliff and balancing one legged on a surf lapped rock may have, but in order to enjoy fishing the coastline around here, it's important you know and understand the kit and technique that you'll be using. To fish the pier, it is pointless using a 13 ft + beach caster, as the majority of fish are directly underneath your feet (but, shhhhhhh, not many people know this and that's good news for us local fishermen) I would recommend a 10 - 12ft bass or flattie rod with a 2-4 oz casting weight. These rods can handle a big fish with ease, are still capable of slinging a weight a fair old distance, and, perhaps more importantly, they are relatively light so if you decide to venture out onto the rocks for a spot of bass fishing in the future, your arms wont be popping from their sockets after 15 minutes fishing. I'd suggest heading to Basstastic Fishing Supplies at Mumbles Pier and having a look at the shakespeare rods there. Shakespeare is not a fashionable make as it is on the cheap side, but I have always found the majority of their equipment to be reliable. On the flip side of this, don't go too cheap. I suggest holding a good few rods of similar size but of different value, with the reels attached. You'll be surprised at how different they feel. I don't know prices off the top of my head, but around £20-30 should be fine. The same goes for reels. Buy a small to medium fixed spool for around the same price mark. Personally, I would avoid shakespeare for reels, as I feel it's possible to get a better quality reel for a similar price. I paid £20 for my current shimano spinning reel two years ago, and it is as good now as when I bought it.

I could write pages and pages on what I consider to be the most suitable equipment and best spots for around here, but ultimately, my advice is just get down the pier an hour before low tide with some rag worm and frozen mackerel, be friendly and confident, and observe and ask loads of questions. Most of the guys down there will love to help out and offer their advice. Feel free to message me if you want any more advice, or fancy meeting up for a fish. Also you can add me on facebook if you like. Search for Barnaby Holmes (I'm the only one, surprise surprise) and just write lost_langland, or beginner fishing, or something like that in the subject line when you add me.

All the best. happy