Anyone fished the Menai Strait (Anglesey)?

[JMikeyH]

Planned to go out to Tenby this weekend, forecast looks shite so heading up Anglesey way instead where it looks much nicer. Has anyone here navigated through the strait before? I know enough about it that it is to be taken with care but upon reading about it, seems the tide flows a little intuitively to someone who isn't used to the water. Appreciate any experiences in or about this stretch of water

 

[Kentish]

I’ve done a drift dive through it when the tide was running. It was mayhem

 

[JMikeyH]

I’ve done a drift dive through it when the tide was running. It was mayhem

Dive? As in you were swimming in it? Got bigger conkers than me if that's the case!

 

[artschool]

i have taken my boat through the straits before at high tide. it’s safe enough if you have the course on a chart.

if you don’t time it right you won’t get through. i watched the RNLI messing about under the menai bridge with a rib and it wasn’t going anywhere against the tidal current.

the tidal bar at the caernarfon end needs looking at as well.

Passage through the Swellies - Caernarfon Harbour Trust

Safely navigate the challenging Swellies with expert guidance from Caernarfon Harbour Trust. Access essential tidal information, navigation tips, and safety advice for a smooth passage through the Menai Strait.

www.caernarfonharbour.org.uk

 

[C h r i s]

Its worth taking a look at the section between the bridges at low tide first, its horrific. Last year I got a load of seaweed around the prop, and the 100hp engine suddenly felt like a 5hp as we fought against the raging currents, scary!

 

[hendrix's rifle]

Absolute dog fest down there at the minute was down there a couple of days last week on that side and after catching 20+ doggies in a few hours and nothing hitting lures, I gave up

 

[Kentish]

Dive? As in you were swimming in it? Got bigger conkers than me if that's the case!

Yeah I used to dive off a charter boat from Menai bridge (Scott waterman / endeavour). When the weather was good there was some ok diving round there, when it was bad we’d sometimes dive in the strait itself.

 

[finnbear270]

I’ve done a drift dive through it when the tide was running. It was mayhem

Me too, had fun chasing Butterfish on a drift, loads of artifacts around the Naval college, but not for the faint hearted.

 

[finnbear270]

Yeah I used to dive off a charter boat from Menai bridge (Scott waterman / endeavour). When the weather was good there was some ok diving round there, when it was bad we’d sometimes dive in the strait itself.

Did you drop on the HMS Conway?, I picked up a five pound copper rivet / bolt, lump off it.

 

[Kentish]

Did you drop on the HMS Conway?, I picked up a five pound copper rivet / bolt, lump off it.

Is that the one in the straits that’s visible at low water? If so then I think we did once. Other highlights were the Norman court, and diving in the outflow off wylffa (not with Scott that time though, there was another guy who owned a wreck round there that they’d salvaged a lot of cool stuff off. This was all ~20 years ago now

 

[JMikeyH]

i have taken my boat through the straits before at high tide. it’s safe enough if you have the course on a chart.

if you don’t time it right you won’t get through. i watched the RNLI messing about under the menai bridge with a rib and it wasn’t going anywhere against the tidal current.

the tidal bar at the caernarfon end needs looking at as well.

Passage through the Swellies - Caernarfon Harbour Trust

Safely navigate the challenging Swellies with expert guidance from Caernarfon Harbour Trust. Access essential tidal information, navigation tips, and safety advice for a smooth passage through the Menai Strait.

www.caernarfonharbour.org.uk

That link has exactly the information I was looking for, many thanks!

Absolute dog fest down there at the minute was down there a couple of days last week on that side and after catching 20+ doggies in a few hours and nothing hitting lures, I gave up

I don't mind the odd dog and if they're a decent size, target species for me is going to be bass, pollack and maybe some bream/mackerel if it's warmed up or not. I've never fished it before, is it too early for the summer species to have arrived there yet?

 

[Essexsussex]

If you get on small boat fishing forum on Facebook, there are lots of lads with boats based there. Very helpful too.

 

[Essexsussex]

Tope tastic up there too

 

[hendrix's rifle]

That link has exactly the information I was looking for, many thanks!

I don't mind the odd dog and if they're a decent size, target species for me is going to be bass, pollack and maybe some bream/mackerel if it's warmed up or not. I've never fished it before, is it too early for the summer species to have arrived there yet?

Some of them were tiny little things. And bloody greedy, they knackered 4 rigs in a couple of hours

Mate of mine is Almwch yesterday and caught a couple of mackerel and a small pollock. I've never caught bream from Anglesey.

Bass are always knocking about, it's finding them thats the hard bit!

 

[kenbro]

I think there are Smoothounds to be had at Anglesey too.
Kb.

 

[kenbro]

Did you drop on the HMS Conway?, I picked up a five pound copper rivet / bolt, lump off it.

HMS Conway with broken back.
Kb.

 

[Kjf]

Not sure on navigating a boat thru the straits , but for shore fishing see below ( Hendrix rifle)

Park at the GwestyCarreg Bran hotel ( Anglesy side of btitania bridge, and follow ya nose till you get undetr britannia bridge ,) fish undetr or to right and left of bridge in the swellies

Had bass from there in the past

Kjf