shore fishing east coast scotland
However, weed can be a problem. Various flatfish, rockling, coalfish and dogfish may make an appearance at other times of the year. East coast The east coast of Scotland is made up of rough rugged coastline, sandy beaches and coves and the area produces some of the best shore fishing in Scotland. Most Summer Cod fishing along the north eastern coast of England and up along the eastern coast of Scotland is done in some of the roughest tackle hungry ground, so indeed you will need some strong tackle to drag fish through dense kelp forests and over boulders. Seabed here can be very snaggy and even with rotten bottom rigs tackle losses are to be expected. Shingle beaches around this area will also produce flatfish to the usual baits. For the shore angler the choices are much the same, from spinning for mackerel to float fishing for Pollock using light tackle, to ledgering fish baits for dogfish or Conger, this loch has it all. Tackle for fishing from a clean shore (no rocks) involves the use of line of 12-18lb breaking strain (0.33mm-0.38mm diameter) and a lead weight of 5-6oz (150-175g), so your reel needs to be of a suitable size and capacity to make it capable of maximum distance casts with this combination. Over on the north shore the muddy banks of the Firth are a haven for Flounders and Silver Eels; these can be caught in the summer using Peeler crab for bait. Noted areas are Bowling Old Kirkpatrick and the Dumbarton area. Boat fishing for bass, coalfish, cod, conger, flounder, haddock, ling, mackerel, mullet, pollack, sea trout, shark, skate, tope and whiting. You could spend days just driving to each one uncovered their hidden treasures and charms. Scrabster on the north coast sees possibly Scotlandâs best fishing with cod, pollack & ling to double figures with coalfish, wrasse and dab being plentiful and occasional catches include cuckoo wrasse. The East Neuk refers to a scattering of quaint fishing villages in the north east corner of Fife. Though not as fruitful as yester year there are still areas where good sport can be found. Broughton Ferry area offers more flatfish, coalfish and the chance of cod. This sea loch has probably the most diverse selection offering the visiting angler more choice in such a small area than anywhere else. Tay Estuary also good for sea fishing with flounder caught in great numbers. Again these fish aren't as numerous today, due to over fishing with commercial long lines, but they are still about and can offer good sport, but the best marks are well guarded secrets, and will not be divulged in a hurry, after all we want these hard fighting fish to thrive one day again! Goo⦠The sandy areas of St. Andrews Bay and around the River Eden estuary can also fish very well for flatfish, especially flounders which will come in close to the shore and favour worm and crab baits. Moray Firth Catches can be varied with cod, ling, dab and plaice being targeted regularly. Cellardyke – Cellardyke Harbour and piers are a good mark for winter cod with large specimens reported, and coalfish caught as well to baits such as black lugworm, mussel and squid. View this area on Google Maps here. North of Aberdeen the fishing at Cruden Bay, Sanford Bay and Peterhead Harbour breakwaters are well known and offer excellent shore fishing. They can be caught on a variety of baits and will also take spinners and lures. This mark can be a snaggy venue, especially when casting outside the pier, but cleaner ground when casting into the harbour. View this area on Google Maps here. However, take care in bad weather as waves can sweep over fishing points. For West Coast Sea Fishing Shore Cottage West Coast â Argyll West Coast, The old Turbine House sleeps 2. Areas around the power station have been known to produce school bass as well as mullet to stealthy tactics and bread, earthworm or tiny fish baits. Tide can be very strong here making grip leads necessary, and at times tide can be too strong to fish here. Inverbervie Beach is made up of shingle and offers good fishing with a gully around fifty yards out which is certainly worth targeting. Rock marks around Kirkcaldy good for cod in winter, bass show in summer and flounder can be caught throughout the year, with the biggest flatfish again caught in autumn. Wrasse will also be caught to floatfished baits (ragworm/mackerel strip) fished close in, and there are still good summer cod around these days, although many anglers believe that peeler crab bait is the only bait worth using for this species. Cages at Arbroath Harbour also good for cod fishing and it is worth trying a big bait on a 6/0 hook to be in with a chance of catching a double-figure fish. Whether you are a cod angler looking for a double figure fish, or a seasoned match angler, the west coast has it all. The best shore fishing is invariably after dark when fish tend to venture closer in to shore and this necessitates the use of ⦠The east coast of Scotland has some famous Cod marks, the most notable being Arbroath a small see fishing port about twenty minutes to the east of Dundee. Beaches around Montrose are great for flatfish with flounder and dab especially showing to worm baits, and there is also the chance of a good bass from this mark. The coastline is dotted with many picturesque fishing villages and seaside towns. Dundee and River Tay Estuary – Riverside Drive offers ease of access for fishing with whiting, dab, flounder, codling and silver eel, coalfish and pollock all probable catches. Winter will see cod and whiting caught on bottom fished baits in the winter with peeler crab, squid, mussel and worm baits all working well. Over on the east coast in Aberdeenshire, thereâs Cruden Bay, Sandford Bay and Peterhead Harbour, all well-known for their shore fishing for ling, conga, dab, turbot and sea bass. Founded in 1994, East Fife Shore Angling Club is one of Scotlandâs longest established, most successful and sociable clubs. Thurso – Dunnet Beach offers bass to baits such as peeler crab and ragworm, while they can also be caught on lures and spinners from the deeper water marks. Dornoch Firth also offers flatfish, bass and eels to various baits with mackerel, lugworm, ragworm and especially peeler crab producing. August until November would be the best time to fish from Arbroath to Aberdeen for cod, pollack and coalfish, with flounder being taken from the beaches to worm baits. Pennanis very small and set below the cliffs. During the summer months huge numbers of dogfish can be caught here using Worm tipped with fish, and in the winter shoals of Whiting can be located using the same baits. The Scottish record shore caught tope ⦠Fraserburgh: Fraserburgh has the Moray Firth to the north and the North Sea to the east. Moving further north the next main area of interest to the angler is the firth of Clyde. Bridge of Don; fishing at the mouth of the river Don is popular spot for flatties and you can pick up some eels, cod and whiting. Within Arbroath there are a number of different marks, depending on how brave you are. With so many species on offer here all main sea fishing baits will catch with two hook rigs with 1/0 hooks a good idea as this allows two different baits to be used. Letâs start with the tackle that you will need to target rays from the shore. Mackerel can be caught in big numbers with daylights by better sport had with spinners and light tackle. Itâs a steep narrow drive down to the bottom but youâll be rewarded with picturesque views of a town frozen in time. Shore fishing central Scotland east coast by Seant82 » 28 Jun 2017, 12:18 1 Replies 1540 Views Last post by liphook 28 Jun 2017, 13:25; 12ft 3lb Carp Rod by Moray Shore Fisher » 14 Mar 2017, 12:11 4 Replies 1229 Views Last post by billbob 18 Mar 2017, 20:55; Loch Etive 24/01/16 by sultzer » 02 Feb 2016, 14:08 7 Replies 1937 Views View this area on Google Maps here. contact@britishseafishing.co.uk, This site uses cookies and affiliate links, Additional Articles on Sea Fishing Techniques. Anstruther – There are two piers at Anstruther, the white pier (so called because it has a white lighthouse on the end), and the red pier. Although there is little space at the end of both piers there are fishable marks long the lengths of both piers. Ireland Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland. This time is also best to catch large flounder and school bass from the beaches. You may have more luck on the west coast in the sealochs, rather than the east coast, where you either have long shelving sandy beaches ( East Lothian ) or ⦠Fife fishing Beaches | South Scotland from the UK Beach Guide ... South West South East North West North East. Starting in the south, the Solway has for many years been noted for it's variety of species on offer. View this area on Google Maps here. Fishing after dark can produce the best results as fish will come into shallower water and within range of the shore angler. Areas worth trying for Mackerel include Cloch point, but any pier with a depth of water in front of it should be worth a try. Also around this time, the The many estuaries and beaches produce flounder, dab and some plaice, with peeler crab being top bait in the estuary and worm baits from the beaches. View this area on Google Maps here. Fort William
The west coast of Scotland has probably the most diverse selection of species in Scotland. Moving slightly north you will find one of the best-known sea-lochs in Scotland, Loch Ryan. Ground is mixed and patchy, with some snaggy areas and other places where casts can land clearer ground. St. Abbs Head – Great mark with some very big pollock caught on lures, spinners and jellyworms every year. Arbroath Harbour is a fantastic venue for Cod fishing. This is especially so when there is an easterly or northerly wind blowing, giving the greatest chance of catching a double figure cod from the shore. The river estuaries can produce some excellent flounder sport using fresh peelers for bait, along with the occasional bass. Orkney Islands – Kirkwall Harbour Bay fishes well at all stages of the tide for flounder, cod, dab and whiting, while Tingwall Pier good for fishing for similar species with large amounts of mackerel taken in the summer to spinners, feathers and daylights. If youâre in search of a bigger catch offshore, there are many quality charter boats available along the coast. Ground can be rough so rotten bottoms help, many anglers find this venue fishes best after dark over high tide. Lug from most local beaches. In addition you can can mackerel, wrasse, and ling. Google Map Refeence 57.177557, -2.076628 Nigg Bay: just a little way out of Torry. North of Peterhead the beaches also provide good sea fishing opportunities. Catching cod along the exposed North East Scottish coast doesnât have to go hand-in-hand with toiling through boggy fields or scrambling down cliffs. All shore sea fishing catch reports from around South Wales. St. Andrews – Rock marks around the St. Andrews area offer cod for most of the year, with biggest specimens being caught in winter. Scotland ... Map featuring Fife beaches with fishing. Similar species that are caught at Cellardyke can be caught here – cod in the winter, as well as coalfish and come very good wrasse in the summer as well as flatfish. Solway
The usual species of flatfish such as plaice and flounder can also be caught on all worm, crab and shellfish baits. This Loch is popular with match anglers and pleasure anglers alike. Huge cod can be got from areas like Balcary Rocks during the winter months and a bucket of lugworm with some frozen shellfish is all that's really needed. Sea trout also caught here, usually at dusk or dawn. Pollock also show mostly in summer around the rock marks to bottom fished baits or lures and spinners. Steve Souter says there are easier options like East Haven near Arbroath. The usual big cod baits of black lugworm, mussel and squid are the best winter choices. These will take a well presented sand-eel, or a fresh mackerel strip ledgered on the bottom, that's if the Dogfish don't take the bait first! Shore fishing is possible from local beaches, with rock fishing from Kinnaird Head. Tackle Needed to Target Rays. Covering Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire. Even mullet, if you are skilful enough to trick these fish. Dysart Harbour, Kirkcaldy and Burntisland – Dysart is a good venue with the harbour and piers providing mackerel in summer and flounder as well with best chance of a big specimen coming in autumn. Loch Ryan is known as a ray hotspot and anglers targeting this species often choose this venue, with the summer months the time to go for this species. Whether youâre dreaming of a remote beach holiday or a historic little fishing village full of charm, there are so many luxurious coastal cottages fully equipped for a comfortable self-catering getaway in Scotland. Fishing of the rocks can be good for cod but a bit daunting , for mountain goats only i'd say. Cour Bay: Cod, pollack, wrasse & coalfish, Elie to St Andrews:Cod, wrasse, strap conger & flounder, Johnsaven to Stonehaven: Cod, wrasse, pollack, & coaly, Stonehaven to Aberdeen: Cod, pollack, wrasse, coaly, flounder, dab & plaice. The east coast of Scotland is made up of rough rugged coastline, sandy beaches and coves and the area produces some of the best shore fishing in Scotland. This 1 Bedroom detached Holiday Cottage just a stones throw from a sandy beach and rolling west ⦠Firth of Clyde
Across the Firth of Forth the fishing towns between Anstruther and St Andrews are steeped in angling tradition with boats busiest during the summer months, particularly in June when Scotland's largest boat angling festival takes place out of the finest areas for summer codling from the shore and the piers of Dysart, Anstruther and Crail also have a great reputation for large winter cod. With curious winding streets, ancient stone harbours, and original white-washed fisherman's cottages, they make the perfect place to stop, breathe in the sea air, and perhaps grab a refreshing cup of tea or coffee. Crawton rock marks offer great cod fishing in the winter, and pollack, bass, mackerel and coalfish all going for lures throughout the summer. View this area on Google Maps here. With the two points at Cairnryan being probably the most fished in the Loch. Cockenzie Power Station offers mackerel fishing as well, and is a great mullet fishing venue with light freshwater-style tackle, size 6 hooks and bread or earthworms worth a try. The Harbour. Remote Seaside Holiday Cottage on Argyllâs West Coast. Species available are mackeral, cod, ling, conga, plaice, dab, turbot, sea bass & sea trout. Click on pins to view beach details The beach guide has 11 fishing beaches listed in Fife. During the summer months shoals of mackerel patrol the shores looking for food and if located will produce good sport on light tackle. View this area on Google Maps here. View this area on Google Maps here. Dornoch – Brora beach offers dab and flounder through the day will bass also a possibility, nearby Embo Beach is a flatfish hotspot with flounder, dab, plaice and turbot all possibility. This can also be a very snaggy venue. Worm baits and fishing at night tend to produce the best results. Other rock marks less accessible but can offer good fishing, but as always, safety is paramount. During the summer months some fresh Mackerel, frozen sandeel, and if you want some Rag-worm, will catch most species from the shore including the beloved Dogfish. Marks such as the Isle of Whithorn, Abbey head and Borness all have more than their fair share of these fish, but can become very busy during matches. The last port of call is Ft William and it's numerous sea lochs, which are in the surrounding area. Float fishing a mackerel strip or sandeel in the summer can produce wrasse and possibly pollock as well. A word of warning here be careful of the ferries as a back wash is produced as they pass and there has been a few rods and tackle washed out so don't set up next to the water stay back. Scotland has a wealth of places to enjoy fishing, from lochs to evergreen rivers, the region is a hub for fishing in beautiful surroundings. Many of the rock marks here are difficult to access and care must be taken, as even light rain can cause rocks to become slippery and dangerous. These are only a few marks and areas offering a basic insight to what's on offer on the west coast of Scotland. Arbroath and Montrose – Rock marks around this area such as Rumness and the cliff marks will produce cod, with rougher seas attracting the bigger fish within range of the sea angler, but be great care is needed and some marks are too dangerous to fish in bad weather. There are a number of different marks along Riverside Drive with Tescos and Rail Bridge two of the most popular. Note you have you east and west crossed over as Oban is on the West Coast, with the Forth Bridge on the east. Wick – Longberry rock marks offer coalfish, pollack and wrasse to baits and lures, plus good cod fishing in winter – fairly accessible as rocks are flat but can be slippery so take care if it begins to rain when fishing there. The usual species of flatfish such as plaice and flounder can also be caught on all worm, crab and shellfish baits. Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay can produce dogfish to worm tipped with fish or plain fish baits. This mark is best avoided in anything other than good weather. Coalfish can also be caught on daylights/spinners, although small coalfish can reach pest proportions in summer months. The Berwickshire coast is within easy reach of Edinburgh and offers productive sea fishing for cod and pollock from a boat close to the shore. The sandy beaches around Newark Bay area offering similar species as well as the chance of decent bass when there is surf running. Stranraer â Loch Ryan is located between the top of the Rhins Peninsula and the Scottish mainland. View this area on Google Maps here. From June until mid August, you would expect codling and wrasse from the roughest kelp grounds with peeler crab being the top bait. Gourdon Harbour fishes best at high tide for big cod and coalfish all year round with a rough, choppy sea churning up the seabed and providing the best conditions but bear in mind that it is unsafe to fish here when weather is very bad. Email us: From June until mid August, you would expect codling and wrasse from the roughest kelp grounds with peeler crab being the top bait. View this area on Google Maps here. Made up of just a handful of seafront houses, East Haven is a tiny village neighbouring Arbroath. For the small boat angler there are plenty of slips to launch from and with the huge shoals of mackerel there is a lot of fun to be had during a summers evening. 840 likes. Thurso â Dunnet Beach offers bass to baits such as peeler crab and ragworm, while they can also be caught on lures and spinners from the deeper water marks. Crail is one of the most popular areas on the East Fife coast, both with tourists taking in its unspoilt appeal or anglers hell-bent on finding the cod that lie along its coast ⦠Peterhead Pier offers good general sea fishing, especially for cod, with dab, coalfish and wrasse all also caught with any mainstream sea fishing bait worth a try. View this area on Google Maps here. An hour's drive from the Clyde brings you to loch Fyne. High tide the best time to fish the white pier. North of Aberdeen
Mackerel are caught from piers using feathers, daylights or spinners in summer. The beaches at Castletown and Keiss also offer flatfish to worm, crab and shellfish baits and the chance of a decent bass to ragworm, lugworm or peeler crab baits. It is worth fishing quite far up the Dornoch Firth for flatfish, with flounder in particular venturing inland well past the Dornoch Bridge. Scrabster Harbour also offers good fishing opportunities for flatfish such as flounder and dab as well productive lure fishing in the summer and will also produce some decent sized cod and whiting in the winter. View this area on Google Maps here. There are many different fisheries in Scotland and, if you are hoping to catch fresh fish that you wish to cook, the region has some of the best areas to do just that! TACKLE. This is a world famous Geological site, where Dr James Hutton discovered the theories of conformity by studying the amazing rock formations on the coast. Dunnet Beach © Phil Williams. There is so much sport to be had and too many marks to go in depth about, so it is advisable to join a Club or the Scottish Federation of sea Anglers, which will unlock more of the secrets and the wealth of sport on the west coast. Burntisland Breakwater produces summer mackerel to feathers, daylights and spinners over high tide in the summer, with pollock and wrasse going for float fished baits as well. Edinburgh/Musselburgh – Granton Breakwater/Harbour for general fishing for cod, coalfish and wrasse, with a range of baits from ragworm and lugworm to peeler crab and squid all producing. Cod are here throughout the autumn and winter with double figure fish a real possibility. Stranraer
East Fife Shore Angling Club. Bass are also here in numbers but are often all schoolie size. These lochs hold good numbers of Pollock which will readily take a float fished Rag-Worm, and fight like Demons, or if you like, try for the Thornback Rays which inhabit these waters. Aberdeenshire – Mouth of the River Don holds flatfish, especially flounder which will go for worm and crab baits, with other species such as cod, whiting and silver eels also picking these also caught on these baits. View Fraserburg on Google Maps here, and Peterhead here. From the deeper rock marks, Pollock can be found and can be caught using light spinning outfits, with float fished Rag-Worm or a freshly spun Sand eel for bait. East Coast of Scotland. Or you could free line a frozen sand eel down the side of a drop off for hard fighting Pollock. November through until mid February is when cod fishing is at its best, all the way up the coast. View this area on Google Maps here. Even anchor up for a chance of a Conger or two and, if you are lucky enough, you may even catch a Haddock! Winter Cod fishing â Rough Ground fishing on North East Coast â Cod fishing is almost a religion with some sea anglers. Fishing on the pier and other marks can be dangerous on a big tide or bad/stormy weather so take care and stick to fishing these marks in calm weather and safe conditions. Flatfish such as flounder and plaice can also be caught in the sandy areas and mixed ground, while both school bass and some larger fish can be caught here as well from spinners and plugs worked over rocky ground. Plenty of mackerel also make a summer appearance and daylights can get a full house on every cast. A few of the lochs still hold a small number of spur dogs, which can be caught using fish baits. Fraserburgh and Peterhead – Piers and Breakwater at Fraserburgh offer codling in winter and wrasse and in the summer pollock will show and beaches flatfish, with chance of a bass to baits. CRAIL is an east-facing area which fishes extremely well for cod in summer and winter, with fish into double figures on the cards. Here John fishes with a great friend of his, Tom Rowe, on a rough ground rock mark on the North East Coast. Calmer summer conditions will see coalfish and pollock going for lures in these areas.