The beautiful beaches at Belan provide one of the best bass fishing shores in the country and feature in national angling guides.
There are also many other species you can catch here and this may be enjoyed by Fort guests without seeking further permission. Non residents however must apply for a permit before coming to fish at Belan.
Sea fishing around Fort Belan.
(written by a visitor)
If you are lucky enough to be staying at the fort, and sea-fishing is your hobby, you couldn’t be in a better place. Right on your doorstep is the mouth of the mighty Menai Straits, and the long stretch of one of the most beautiful beaches in the country,
Foryd Bay
Just round to the right of the fort, basically a mud creek, is suited to bottom fishingas the tide comes up. Expect to get flounders and mullet, as well as bass.
Dinas Dinlle
If you want to catch a bass, there is no better place, as you’re a few yards from one of the best bass beaches in the country which features in all angling guides. There are many other species you can catch here, but let’s concentrate on the mighty bass first.
Bottom fishing
Dinas Dinlle can be fished during the day, but it is essentially a night beach, and there is no comparison with how it fishes after dark. It is productive from the gates at the airport, right along to the fort itself. Everyone has a favourite spot, some prefer to be a mile or so from the gate, but you can catch bass anywhere.
Forget long distance casting. It simply isn’t necessary and you may even be fishing too far out. Bass can be taken just a few yards out, and anything from 20 – 50 yards is O.K. Use a simple 2 hook rig, 2/0 to 3/0 hooks, standard beachcaster, 15lb mainline, 50lb shockleader, and bait up with ragworm, lugworm, peeler, cockles, etc.
Best results are on tides over 26’, and fishing 2 hours up to high tide, and a couple down. It also fishes best when there is a surf onshore, resulting from a south westerly wind. One downside can be the dreaded Dinas weed. Sometimes its there, sometimes it isn’t. If it is massive clumps will pile up on your line, making fishing virtually impossible. Don’t give up, just cast closer in – maybe even do away with a leader knot. Often the problem goes away around high tide.
You’ll also catch dogfish , but not too many to be a nuisance, as well as flatties.Tope can also be caught from the beach, with fish baits and long distance casting. The beach is sandy almost up to the fort, at which point you are getting into the straits. Once over the rocky bottom peeler tends to come into its own.
Spinning
Any spinning rod will do, 9’ to 11’, fixed spool reel, 12lb line.
The best lures are those which look most like a Sand eel, which is what the bass are feeding on. Favourites are – Rapala Sliver, Rapala J13,Rapala Magnum or any similar plug. Best spinners are Dexter bass wedges, Condor bars, Krill copies, Abu Toby, or really any similar design.
You can try anywhere from in front of the fort itself, walking left (away from Caernarfon) until you reach the spot where the beach bends away to the left. Try this spot an hour before low water, and an hour or so after. Cast to the left, so you pull your lure in with the tide run. At low water, the tide starts running down towards Caernarvon, so do the sand eels, and the bass follow them. All you have to do is imitate the sand eel ! The bass will be close in, no more than feet out, and some big ones have been taken literally under the rod tip.
A good tip also is to cast out a set of shiny mackerel lures, with a bass wedge as the weight. This gives you double opportunity. It isn’t a prolific mackerel spot, but it’s not unusual to hit the odd shoal and pick up 4 hefty ones in one go. Watch what the small boats are doing - simply towing sand eel behind them them. You just do the same from the shore. Also use fresh or blast frozen sand eel if you can get them.
Bait
You’ll find plenty of places to dig lugworm on the shores towards Caernarfon. If you don’t want to make the effort there are good angling shops in both Caernarfon and Bangor, where you can buy fresh and frozen bait. The boxed ragworm works well at Dinas, and will often outfish all other baits. Make sure you buy the larger ‘regulars’, as opposed to the smaller ’juniors’
Tackle
Don’t forget to bring your tackle!
Finally, if you don’t get a bass here – it just wasn’t your day, but at least you will have enjoyed the magnificent scenery and the peace and quiet. If you do get one, remember to put back anything under 36cms. You might even want to photograph that big one, and put that back as well. They’re a slow growing fish and the big ones are usually breeding females.
