It was easy to book in as the have their own facebook page administered by Steve O'Mara. The route planner suggested it was 70 miles with a 1 hour 20 minute journey. Breakfast and draw was at Bros Cafe near the dock.
I left home just before 6 a.m. and was in Port Talbot by 07:40 as I took it steady with the van running in a new DPF system. The postcode for the cafe took me to a railway siding and didn't have a clue where I was so punched in the postcode for the fishing area and phone Steve to give me directions to the cafe. Fortunately he was just around the corner and came and got me.
Breakfast was fantastic and a good price.
Soon the rest of the anglers were turning up and very friendly they were as well although at time there was a bit of a language barrier with them as well as me repeating ourselves. There were only 8 fishing but 2 golden pegs worth £100 each plus pool money.
I recognised a couple of anglers namely Ian Drisscol who has fished with Nomads and Mal Entwistle who I had met many years ago on Iniscarra Res in Co. Cork.
I was last to draw and the 2 golden pegs had already gone. I ended up on peg 18, the favoured pegs were 21 and 22 in the shallower part of the dock and they had a lot of weed in them as well but good for holding fish i.e. bream. Steve was next to me on 19 and had won the match the previous week with 66lb of bream caught in the final 2 hours short on the feeder.
The fishing area was a short drive from the cafe and we entered the area through 2 locked gates. The fishing is leased from the dock authority by a guy called Dai and if you want to pleasure fish it he can be contacted on 07886 301754. I was introduced to Dai by Steve but I have no idea what he said, i just nodded at the right time I think lol.
my peg 18
As I was setting up I could smell sea weed and as you can see in the photo there is a sea going coaster ship opposite. Indeed they catch mullet, bass and crabs here as well as roach, rudd, tench, bream, perch, hybrids and pike.
I had already tied some deep rigs i.e. top 7 to hand, 0.17 rig line to 0.15 hook length, 4 and 5 gram floats. Double bulk style i.e. 3 number 8's 6 inched above the hook which were 16's and 14's and the the olivette, serious rigs. I also had 2 feeder rods, one for 30 turns and one for 20 turns.
2 buckets of ground bait with 3 tins of corn, dead reds and a pint of caster, chopped worm was also added.
Plumbing up on the pole I had top 6 deep close in just past the old stantions that used to form the side of the dock, so top 6 to hand it would be then fishing a foot and a few inches of the deck as it was very rocky. Feeder set up was braid on one and 0.20 mono on the other, both with size12 hooks to 0.17.
I balled in a full bucket at the start half and half on both lines, the short feeder line would be fished over the pole line.
Starting off with the longer feeder line and worm I had a small hybrid first chuck and then a tidy perch. A few more knocks over the next 20 minutes but nothing positive.
I came in on the pole line with 3 maggots and had a small roach straight away. Lots of small fish on the maggot about 3 oz each. Steve suggested I fish with corn but it was very slow and I was missing bites due to the small fish simply dragging it along.
I kept having a look on the feeder lines but it was very quiet. Steve said it was fishing usually hard. All the time I spent on the feeder I was loose feeding corn as well as the odd ball of ground bait.
About halfway through I had a few lovely roach on the corn so stepped up the loose feed. Steve then had 3 proper bream short on the feeder as well as a couple of big eels but then it went quiet. I decided to stay on the pole and the roach just got better but it was too late.
I weighed 12lb plus and didn't shame myself as a first timer as you will see by the weights.
My first effort
Mal won it with 28lb plus of an end peg and golden peg picking up a tidy some of cash the other golden peg money is still up for grabs,
Winner Mal, no big bream but some nice skimmers
Organiser Steve O'Mara came third with just over 15 mainly 3 bream
Full results below....
I did enjoy fishing the dock and as we only have a practice match at Newbridge in amongst the swimmers and the boats I am returning to the dock instead armed with a bit more info and experience.
Staverton again this Wednesday.....chub peg please...
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