Fylde Coast

[shacky]

This is a run down of Venues along the Fylde Coast.
Many Thanks go to Dave Kam, Big Kev & John250 in the construction of this thread.


Click on the youtube link above, for super aerial shots of the Fylde coastline.

Fishing the Fylde Coast

Fishing around the Fylde Coast really consists of, Fleetwood, Rossall, Cleveleys, North Blackpool (Bispham), Starr Gate, Fairhaven and Lytham. Starting from Fleetwood, here is an in depth run down of what you can catch at what time of year and at what tide times/heights etc.


Fleetwood

Starting at the P & O roll on roll off ferry, here in the summer on lowish tides, on the higher tides 27’ and above, you will get a lot of pull and will find it hard to hold bottom, the best times to fish here are about 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide, you can expect to catch Flounders and Eels with the very slight possibility of the occasional Bass. If you park up on the disused wasteland near to the ferry terminal and walk to the river, walk along and up over the bridge and fish anywhere along this stretch, in the Summer the best baits are without doubt fresh crab, followed by lugworm tipped off with either mackerel or “creeper” (harbour rag), in the Winter it really isn’t worth fishing here, as you will only get the occasional flounder and not much else, Whiting have been caught here in the Winter, but few and far between

Knott End Ferry – Marine Beach


Looking across towards Knott End


Upriver beach view.


Looking down the Wyre channel


Downriver beach view.


180° View

Parking is all along this stretch, but please keep the bays clear that are clearly signed “Coastguard Only”. Again better fished on a lowish tide, as the tidal run here can be very fast and holding bottom can be a big problem, ideally a tide of around 23’ – 25’ would be ideal, you are fishing off a shingle beach that steeps quickly to the water at low tide round to the “green light”, from the green light it is sandy beach all the way to where the pier was. The area up to the green light can be fished at any state of the tide and you have very deep water even on a low tide, be aware of ships coming in and out, they come very close in. The summer species to be found here include flounder, plaice, small codling, eel and pin whiting, bass, sea scorpion and the winter species are, whiting, codling, flounder and the occasional rockling. This area can be very snaggy at times and a fast retrieve is necessary at times. From the green light along to the marine beach is a high water venue, and you can expect to catch the same species and the occasional bass, it is possible to walk out along the edge of the estuary, on the lowest tides you can walk out about 2 miles to “Pete's Light” at the start of the Estuary, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are very fit and know the area very well, as there are gullies everywhere and they fill in very quickly as well as patches of sinking sand!!!



Marine Beach


Looking North towards the channel


Looking South towards Dronsfield rd

Parking is by the Swimming Pool and Marine Hall and room for loads of cars. This is a high water only venue, best fished 2 hours either side of high water on a highish tide 27’+, this is a shallow sandy beach, in the summer you can catch Plaice, Flounder, Eel and Bass, and in the winter, Cod, Whiting, Dab and the odd Flounder, distance casting pays off here as at 200+ yards at high water it will still only be 8’-10’ deep. A good blow off venue as it is relatively sheltered here



Dronsfield Road


Looking towards the Coast Guards and the Point.


Back at the Marine Beach.


180° View

Parking is in the car park opposite Dronsfield Road and walk up and over the sand dunes. Again, only a high water venue and you are fishing over a clear sandy bottom, best fished 2 hours either side of high water and is very much similar to Marine Beach.



Coastguard Station – Rossall Point




View at the Coastguards.

Parking is on the road at the end of the Golf Course and a short walk down the track, or park in the car park just before the roundabout and walk over the sand dunes and walk to your left, the coastguard lookout station is the first place you come to and if you keep walking for about 15 minutes you will come to Rossall Point. Around the coastguards, fishing in summer here can be good, with Bass, Doggies, Tope, and the odd Smoothound, but the winter fishing is better with decent codling and whiting and a few dab, but by Rossall Point the winter fishing at times is excellent, with codling and whiting, but it is a long walk to get to Rossall Point so travel light, and there is a very strong tidal pull and you will be pulled into the breakwaters if you are not very careful. Fishing along here is mainly sand and the odd bit of shingle close in, but it can be very weedy here at times



Rossall Point – Rossall Hospital


The new wall at Rossall.


Rossall Hospital is where the new wall starts. It ends a few bays before Rossall Point.


Click on link above, for a birds eye view of the new sea defences along Rossall.

Due to the build of the new wall at Rossall using boulders. This has made fishing at high water very difficult. Low water can be a highly successful, with the main of fish species being caught there. Wading and long casts are preferable to reach the better fish.
BEWARE! gulleys filling behind you and be absolutely vigilant at all times!.



Rossall Hospital


Looking North from the sea wall at the Hospital section.


View South from the sea wall at the Hospital section.


Rossall Slabs are the start of Rossall from the school.

Starting from the hospital, there is a car park just passed the hospital, but be careful if parking here at night, as cars have been known to be vandalised, better to park outside the Hospital itself and walk.

There is a slipway by the car park, go up the slipway and you will come to the beach. Winter nights are really the best time for fishing here, anytime from low water up, there are not many gullies and it is mainly a sandy beach with the odd rocks here and there, with shingle near the high water mark. On a high tide you will probably have to fish from the top. Species in the winter are: Codling, Whiting, Flounder, Dabs and Rockling. In the summer, it is mainly Whiting, Bass, Dab, small Tope, Sole, Plaice & Flounder. Low water can produce Smoothound and Dogfish. In winter the fishing can be hectic, with Whiting, Codling, Dab, Flounder & Rockling.



5-6 Bar Gate, Cleveleys


The infamous 5 bar gate, is now a 6 Bar


looking north from the gate


looking south from the gate


180° View

Here you have two choices, you can park up at the Hospital and go up the slipway and walk along to your left, or, you can park up by the 5 now a 6 bar gate, which is situated at the end of the Promenade, so called because of the “gate” that is at the end. Here the terrain is a mixture of sand and shingle with quite a few gullies, so be careful if fishing low water as these gullies will fill in behind you and you can be cut off. In the summer expect to catch, Smoothound, Plaice, Sole, Turbot, Tope, Bass, Whiting, Dab and Dogfish, and in the winter, Codling, Whiting, Rockling, Dab and Flounder. All states of the tide can be fished and you can catch at any state of the tide. Fishing off the beach, distance casting can play a good part in finding the fish, and trying to cast into one of the many gullies that are there.



Cleveleys - Anchorsholme

Cleveleys/Anchorsholme runs between the Five Bar Gate area and the northern end of the Gynn Wall. Basically the terrain and fishing is the same as the 5 Bar gate, though high tide is fished off the promanade.


View north from Cleveleys Plaza to the 5 Bar Gate.


Looking south from the plaza towards Anchorsholme.


The Tide's in.



Gynn/North Wall Blackpool


Click on the youtube link above, for an excellent view of the Gynn.



Bottom of Norbreck Castle Slip looking north


Looking South from the Norbreck Slipway towards Red Bank rd point.


The Infamous Power Cable.


Looking south from the Power Cable at the slipway and boating pool.


View from the slipway (Duchess dr) to the power cable and Red Bank rd Point.


Looking towards the boating pool.


View from St Stephens ave ramp at the Boating Pool, which is now a Go-Cart track.


180° View


Looking north from the bottom of Gynn Sq ramp to the Boating Pool.

(PLEASE NOTE!)
Fishing along the North/Gynn Wall is free to all, but to take your car down requires you to apply for a permit from Blackpool Borough Council. Access/Exit is limited to the Gynn Square entrance only...

To obtain a Blackpool, Gynn Wall pass. You will have to click on the link below and follow the instructions..

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residents/ ... ermit.aspx

At the time of writing this post, the fee is £35 per annum or £15 for disabled drivers (Blue Badge). The passes run from 1st september to 31st august every year.
Using your Pass (which MUST be displayed on your vehicle windscreen)..


Entry and Exit MUST ONLY! be made via the Gynn Square entrance..



The driving limit along the wall is to Red Bank Rd..

From the boat club, you have approx 2 miles of sea wall, and fishing is off the wall, some call it Gynn Wall, and others call it North Wall, in reality, it is the Gynn Wall from Gynn Square north and the North Wall from Gynn Square south. Fishing here is done mostly over high water, you can fish off the wall from 2½ hours before to 2½ hours after high water. It is very easy fishing all along the wall, with only a short cast putting you among the fish, which are the same as 5 bar gate, in the winter, 40+ bags of fish are not uncommon. Very short casts can produce Flounders and Dabs at times.



Blackpool - Sandcastle - Glitter Ball (Harrowside) - Starr Gate


View back to the Glitter Ball.


and Blackpool.


180° View

This is an area that is not fished to its true extent, it can on occasions fish very well, but, there are many times you will blank here. This is a very shallow beach, in the summer you can catch, Flounders, Eels, Bass, Dabs, Dogfish and Plaice, along with the occasional small Turbot and Sole, in the winter you can catch Codling and Whiting and the occasional Dab. Low water all the way up to high water can be fished, but do remember this is a very shallow beach and when the tide is coming in, make sure you keep an eye on the tide and any gullies behind you if you are on the beach.



Fairhaven


Fairhaven Car Park

Fairhaven can be fished at low water, but in my opinion you would have to be a very fit person as the tide goes out about 1.5 miles!!, much better fishing at high water from the car park by the boating lake. You can only fish here about 90 mins before and after high water and the baits are the same as at Lytham as are the fish.


Lytham

You will be targeting Flounder, Eel, and the occasional Bass. Lytham can fished at either high or low water, but if fishing low water be very careful as there is sinking sand in places. At Lytham low water, you are fishing into the channel and the bait to use here is without doubt fresh crab, if you can’t get hold of crab, lugworm and creeper (harbour rag) tipped off with a small piece of mackerel will catch fish, at high water at Lytham you will be fishing off a wall and a gentle lob should put you onto the fish, flattie leads work well here as you are casting onto the mud banks, it is best to fish here on a tide around 28’ or above for high water. Low water can be very fruitful here.


Now lets cover bait and tackle for all the above marks/venues..

Tackle

Continental rods, teamed up with a 8000/7000 fixed spool reel and braid are becoming more popular or a normal beach caster will cover all eventualities, summer and winter, with a 6000/ 6500 sized reel. You are mainly casting over sand and snags are few and far between. On the beach marks, distance casting will improve your chances, especially in winter, when 1 or 2 hook clipped down rigs are just the job, combined with size 2 – 3/0 hooks, depending on what fish you are after, in the summer, size 4 – 1/0 will do, unless you are after the tope, smoothound or bass, and then I would increase hook size accordingly.

Always remember to use a good quality shock leader for casting and check it after every few casts as the sand can fray the line


Bait

For summer fishing, crab, squid, mackerel, lugworm and blackworm, will all catch fish. In the estuary at Fleetwood and at Lytham, you could also use rag worm. In the winter, Blackworm, Lugworm, Mackerel and Squid are the mainstays of bait

Species we have caught in the Fylde area.

Plaice




Turbot




Brill




Dab




Whiting



Bass




Scorpion fish (Short Spined)




Scorpion fish (Long Spined)




Starry Smoothound




Common Smoothound




Tope




Rockling




Codling




Dogfish




Eel




Flounder




Tub Gurnard




Dover Sole




Thornback Ray




Mackerel




Conger Eel

Bull Huss




and the dreaded, Weaver

[Jammygit]

Absolutely brilliant post mate haven't done much fishing that way since I was a lad with my dad. Really detailed, great pictures and gives a real feel of the venues definitely going to do more over that way this winter. Thanks for posting

[GrandadT]

Well done on a great post mate. great read and pictures are spot on.

[Smuggler7]

:cheer: Well done on a great post mate. great read and pictures are spot on.

Good read I'm new to the forum and AA and this is good info as I am new to the area and haven't fish this coast yet .

[shacky]

Just edited. Changed 5 Bar Gate area to 6 Bar. Added fish caught list.

[senatorkenny]

Great post with plenty of info very usefull thank you

[riles1969]

What a great post a great read.Well done really helpfull.

[Surfblaster]

Just seen this post and as a newbie to sea fishing found this post a very informative read. Looking to join a local club to learn more and meet others..

[liphook]

Then look no further than Shacky as he runs the nicely attended BLAS sea section that you'll see posting aplenty on here

[Surfblaster]

Thanks Liphook for the reply. Printed off a membership form and noted £25 plus passport photo. When does membership run from to? 12 months from joining or is their set dates? Cheers...