Fishing at Cleveleys

First of all, we know very little about the sport of fishing here at Visit Cleveleys! Now we’ve got that out of the way, we’ll tell you what we do know about fishing at Cleveleys…

Fishing at Cleveleys

Our first question is how it always seems to be a lovely, sunny morning when the beach is lined with fishermen! You’ve got to wonder whether they have a direct link to the heavens and put their order in for nice weather. All year round they seem to manage to drop on the nice days. We wish they’d share their secret with us!

Fishing Competitions

Cleveleys is a popular place for beach angling competitions. In particular the shingle beach at Rossall Beach is a good spot.

There are regular beach angling matches held here, with entrants not just from the Fylde Coast but from all over the country. Each person pays an entry fee, with cash prizes for the winners. We’ve got no idea who organises them or how you enter. You’ve be best asking one of the entrants, or pop into one of the Fylde Coast fishing tackle shops.

Yellow Fish Markers

If you’re a regular visitor to the beach you’ll have seen the yellow metal fish stuck on the sea wall. Do you know what they are? They’re what’s known as fishing ‘pegs’.

Apparently different spots along the beach provide different fishing experiences. Some are better than others – the best spot being at the Five Bar Gate near Rossall School. So that competition entrants don’t argue, their names are put into a hat, drawn out at random and allocated a number. From their number the fisherman walks out to the sea in a straight line – and they are also evenly spaced out for the match too.

The fish shaped ‘pegs’ were put in place after the new sea wall at Cleveleys was built. Before them the markers were squares of yellow paint.

Seasonal Fishing

Throughout the year, the types of fish vary. Whiting, dabs and dogfish; skate cod and bass are all caught off the Fylde Coast, depending on the season.

Catching Bait

The day before a match, they go out at low tide ‘pumping’ for worms. They collect black worms and yellow tails from the sand. Sand eels, mackerel and squid make good bait too. These fish usually come from the tackle shop – unless you know a fish merchant!

Shrimping

From time to time you’ll see men in long waders, with the huge, triangular shaped shrimping nets. They push the flat end of the net along the sand where the small shrimps swim. The sand filters through the net and the shrimps are caught in it. It looks like hard work!

Regular Fishermen

Along with the match competition fishermen, here at Cleveleys there’s a regular community of local beach anglers too. It’s not just a Sunday morning sport to enjoy in good weather. Regulars go out in all weathers, night and day and at all times of the year. Apparently fish are more confident at night and move further in to coast to feed. Which is why you see the little lights bobbing up and down on the beach, while our local guys enjoy their sport.

Some of the fishermen go out in canoes. They carry them to the beach on roof-racks on their cars and then set up on the promenade. These little boats carry a surprising amount of kit!

Like we said, we know nothing about the sport of fishing. If you do and you’d like to add anything to this article, please get in touch or leave a comment below!

Boat Angling

Wyre Boat Angling Club is based at the side of The Venue. Members take their boats down the slipway onto the beach for a day in the water, to catch fish like Mackerel and Tope. When the slipway at The Venue is impassable for whatever reason, you’ll see boats being launched from the slipway adjacent to the Five Bar Gate.

More about Wyre Boat Angling Club

The club has around 100 members. On a nice day you’ll see twenty or so boats at a time, enjoying the beautiful waters just off Cleveleys.

Some of the benefits of the club include:

• A good launching beach and the ability to launch and retrieve at any state of tide (weather permitting).
• 5 well maintained tractors, including 2 4WD tractors.
• Low membership fees and no restrictions on who can fish from your boat.
• Large well equipped tractor store and car park.

Find out More

Wyre Boat Angling Club website

Email the Secretary David Lynagh, davidlynagh@hotmail.com

Fishing Litter

The vast majority of fishermen are responsible and care for the environment in which they enjoy their sport. Many of them collect and re-use any lost hooks, floats and weights. It’s unfortunate that they sometimes lose equipment, hooks, floats, weights and line. Please, if you see any of this litter on the beach, pick it up and pop it in a bin.

You will also see pieces of thicker nylon rope, often with knots in it. This rope is usually discarded from fishing trawlers. Would you like to help to look after this beach? Why don’t you join Rossall Beach Residents & Community Group.

Beach and Watersports

We know as much about sport as we do about fishing… but we do know that Cleveleys beach is very popular with kite surfers, kite flyers and other sports. Find out more on this page here.