If you’re crazy about angling, the thought of spending two weeks on holiday without picking up your rod and line seems like torture.
If your family on the other hand wants to enjoy their holiday doing traditional things like building sandcastles, eating ice cream, and seeing historic sights, it can be hard to find a location that suits everyone.
There are however several places in the UK where shore fishing is excellent, so the kids can play on the beach while you relax and try to catch dinner.
Dorset
The best time, to fish from the shore in Dorset is the summer months from June through to September, and this is also the peak holiday season.
There are a huge number of beaches in Dorset, both of the pebbled and sandy variety, and if you know what you’re doing you stand a good chance of catching plaice, bream, wrasse, or mackerel. If you’d prefer to fish from a harbor wall, Dorset offers plenty of locations to do this too.
Cardigan Bay
This area of west Wales is a huge draw for fishermen of all skill levels and again has wide sandy beaches and interesting little harbors to keep the rest of the family happy too.
If you’ve packed your sea fishing tackle along with the sun cream and the deckchairs, the species you can expect to catch include eels, bass, turbot, and dab. For the non-fishers in the party, Cardigan castle is well worth a visit, and there are miles of interesting coastal walks.
Solway Firth
The Solway is the body of water that separates southwestern Scotland from Cumbria, and the huge expanses of sand at low tide make it very popular for shore fishing. Take care when fishing in this area though as the tide comes in very quickly and can catch people off guard if they are not paying attention.
Make friends with the staff in the local bait and tackle shops as they will know the best places for fishing and will keep you safe too. The beaches around the Solway are sandy and flat and are the ideal place for the non-fishermen to burn off some energy running around, building sandcastles, or flying kites.
Causeway Coast
The northern coast of County Antrim and Londonderry is the best place in Northern Ireland for shore fishing, and there are plenty of bait shops in small towns like Ballycastle, Portrush, and Portstewart.
Fishing from the harbor walls is also popular, and if you’re lucky you can expect to hook Pollock, eel, mackerel, or cod. Some of the best beaches in the UK are on this stretch of coast, but if spending the afternoon exploring the beautiful Portstewart Strand isn’t your cup of tea, take the opportunity to visit the nearby World Heritage site of the Giant’s Causeway, the Bushmills distillery or Dunluce Castle.
There are also plenty of local cafés and restaurants serving up some of the best fish and seafood in the whole of the UK.
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