I did hear of bass (from a reliable source) being caught on plugs from the Bristol Channel not far from the bridges. I did try it one evening a few years ago using surface poppers and although I didn't catch i did have a couple of 'swirls' near the plug. It is possible they may have been caused by mullet though. Can't be sure. Got a few strange looks from fellow anglers. Can't understand why!
A few weeks later I did try another experiment, this time with the fly rod, fishing a pool under one of the bridges an hour & a half before low water. I was mainly checking out the 'visibility' of the fly in the water. You will be surprised how 'visible' a large black deceiver type fly is in such dirty water. Two bait anglers were waiting with me for the tide to ebb so we could access the area to fish. One of them, a particularly mouthy individual, started telling me I was an idiot fishing such a dangerous area on my own, etc etc. I pointed out that I knew the area having sussed it out several times before and had spent some time watching the tide coming in and ebbing out (even timing it) where I was going to fish. Anyhow the tide cleared the bank and we went our separate ways. I didn't catch but this trip was more about experimentation than actual fishing. After an hour I ambled over to the two bait anglers who by this time were fishing on the tip of a narrow spit where the pool I was, emptied into the channel. They had caught one eel. As I lstarted to leave them the 'mouthy one' asked me what time low water was. Gobsmacked I told him the time of low water, informing him they had about 50 minutes to clear the area before the tide started to race in and they would be drowned. I went on to tell him that only bloody idiots would fish in the World's most second dangerours tidal range area without knowing the tide times".I left.
I have never been back there since but only because I live 40 miles away and it is not worth the expense of traveling there to pursue luring in the Bristol Channel but I am convinced for somebody living close by it would be worth having a go. Well that's my view but as you have probably gathered by now I am totally insane!!
I bet there were a few strange looks from people in cars traveling over the Severn Bridge seeing somebody fly fishing in the Bristol Channel.
David (Insane of Cheltenham)
