The beginning of Gower. Mumbles Island, or the Lighthouse Island as it is sometimes known, is one of two tidal islands that together form Mumbles Head. First and foremost always excercise caution if fishing the ebb tide! Make sure you leave yourselves plenty of time to retreat: you can cross to and from the island two and a half hours either side of low water. This however can change depending on weather conditions so be careful and watchful.

Bottom fishing is hard on tackle all around the island. The seaward sides will produce fine surf conditions in all but a northerly wind. There are large areas of thick weed with the exception of the outer sound - that stretch of water that isolates the island at high water from the remainder of Mumbles Head.

SPECIES

You can expect to catch bass (frequently quite large in the late autumn), cod, dogfish, wrasse, rockling (again these can be quite large for the species) and conger eels.

You could also encounter bull huss, gurnard, some mackerel and pollack, angler fish and the occasional monkfish.

BEST METHOD: BEST BAIT

All around the island bottom fishing will produce results but for the best catches ledger with soft or peeler crab or try strips of mackerel, herring or squid on the east and south shores. Particularly try the surf along the southern shore with large, edible soft crab. Wherever you choose to bottom fish keep the terminal rig simple. Confine yourselves to one hook and use some worthless substitute for sinker (old spark plugs are ideal or a stone inside a piece of nylon tights - the latter make perfect sinkers as the nylon will tear if you snag a rock and then offers a better chance of retrieving your tackle).

Spinning is most productive in the waters of the outer sound. First light is the best time. Simple rubber eels are the best. Colours depend on the lighting and water colouration but red seems to be the most generally effective. Mackerel spinners, shads and any of the wobblers will also take fish. Always retrieve your lure against the tidal flow - and slowly. Varying the depth, by raising and lowering your rod, will encourage the shy feeders.

Float fishing in any of the many gullies that abound on the south and west sides is excellent. Soft and peeler crab or strips of mackerel will produce good quality fish. Don’t fish too deeply and allow your bait to wash around in the swill of the breaking surf. You’d be surprised how many bass feed in just nine inches or so of foaming, swirling white water.