Fishing

The island of Alderney in the British Channel Islands offers both the novice and experienced angler some of the best salt water angling in the UK. Within the rich diversity of life beneath the waves, there are numerous rocky outcrops and protected sandy bays providing protection for young marine life, enabling them to develop. Combine this with the warm water currents which travel up from the Gulf and with one of the world's strongest tides through its rise and fall, and you then have the means for a wealth of sea life which leads to a healthy population of sea birds, sea mammals and a good stock of a variety of sea fish throughout the year.

The Novice Angler.

Alderney is the ideal place for a novice to start sea angling, simply because there are plenty of fish to be caught. There are easy marks to fish from which provide comfort and have easy access. However, it is recommended that advice be taken as to where these marks are, before venturing onto any platform for the sake of safety. A small bit of local knowledge goes a long way! You can expect to catch with ease on float or lure, Pollack, Garfish, Wrasse and who knows you might just surprise yourself and others, if you manage to hook a Bass.

The local tackle shop offers a guiding and tuition service with two hour lessons for both children and adults. Longer sessions are available and start from £10, which includes bait and tackle. You can expect to learn Float fishing and Lure techniques and if you are an early riser then try a morning plugging session for Bass. General shore fishing is also taught for Conger Eels, Bream and such like.

The Experienced Angler

For the more experienced angler the variety of fish on offer is simply fantastic. Some of the best fishing is in the autumn where bigger Bass come closer to the shoreline. Double figure fish are caught frequently.

Black Bream and Thick Lipped Mullet shoal up in huge numbers in the bays and rocky outcrops as they migrate from their summer grounds in the UK. Bream to 4lb are frequently caught from September with the best fish at a staggering 5lb. Some of the largest shore caught Sole have come from Alderney’s sandy coves and beaches with fish up to 5lb.

Alderney too has a very good population of Ballan Wrasse. These colourful fish are in good numbers and regularly caught to a weight of 6lb.

Fishing through the Seasons.

Autumn brings good Conger Eel. Rays are also fairly regular visitors with Blonde Rays being the most common. Small Eyeds, Undulates and Spotted Rays are also visitors. Alderney is one of the few places in the UK where you have a realistic chance of catching Tope. October 2004 saw the current Channel Island Record caught at 50lb 8oz.

The winter fishing sees much of the same with a lull in March before the spring and summer seasons begins. It is at this time of year that the light rods come out with plenty of lure fishing for Bass, Pollack, Mackerel, and for the experts, fly fishing for Mullet and Bass from several of the forts' causeways.

Fishing with light rods, floats, spinners or lures provides much fun, seeking out these predatory fish amongst the hush and tranquillity, in the sunshine on any of Alderney's headlands flanked by one of the many sandy bays.

A touch of the exotic

Several unusual and exotic species are seen off of the rocky shores of Alderney. Regular catches of Red Mullet, Red Gurnards, Couches Sea Bream, Bull Huss, Codling, Plaice, Golden Grey Mullet and Smoothhounds. The rarer Gilthead Bream, Pandora’s Bream, Coalfish, and Triggerfish all provide an uncertainty as to what you could catch next.

Boat Fishing

For those of you lucky enough to be able to get afloat then try the local charter boat Alderney Felix, again some fantastic fishing is on offer. The boat is forty feet long and is very comfortable with an island wheelhouse so there is plenty of room. It is licensed for up to 12 anglers and is often taking last minute bookings. Fishing wise all that is mentioned before is available in good quantity and quality, but best of all Alderney has some of, if not the, best Turbot and Brill fishing on offer in the UK.

Record Breakers

Record fish are always on the cards with five Alderney / Channel Island Records broken between September 2005 and February 2006 alone.

Tackle Up

The local fishing tackle shop is well stocked with equipment so there is no need to bring masses of baggage on the light aircraft. Brands you are familiar with are stocked, all at VAT free prices. With a range of fresh and frozen baits including fresh ragworm, sandeel, crab, squid, cuttlefish, mackerel, razorfish and black lug, there is nothing more that you will need.

With so much variety and quality on offer at any time of the year, you should have a great chance, whether from the boat or from the shore, of catching that fish of a lifetime.

Shore Angling Festival

For the competitive there is the Annual Angling Festival, this event attracts around 200 competitors each hoping to land the biggest fish within the various categories or the one that got away last year, and break another British record. For more information tel 01481 823343

Click here to view or download the Alderney tide table