Last Updated October 2022
Dinas Dinlle
From the café in Dinas Dinlle to Fort Belan at the western end the Menai Straits is 3 miles of sandy beach backed in places by low sand dunes. The beach is a typical storm type beach and very shallow with a shingle bank towards high water line.
Fishing is best after dark on the larger spring tides. Typically you be looking to fish 1 to 1.5 hrs up to high water and then a 2 to 2.5hrs after high.
Summer Species
Bass, dogfish, plaice, smoothounds and occasional tope.
Winter Species
Whiting, coalfish, dogfish, bass and occasional codling.
Guidance
For bass the best area of the beach is considerd to be about 1/2 mile beyond the gates marked private the (entrance to Fort Belan.) you can park in the small car park and walk eastwards towards Fort belan. There's a path which runs alonsidge the beach with a fence. Most consider the best spot to be just where the fence ends right by the large pole. There was a gulley here at one time which attracted and held fish. The large gulley isn't there anymore but any small gulleys you can locate will be worth fishing. Weed can be a real problem early in the flood tide. The weed seems to be less of a problem towards HW so even if it's weedy when you arrive. Baits to use are razor clam and squid head, lug worm, peeler or softback crab and sand eel. A large tide which has HW after darkness is a good bet.
The area to the left of the café (west) is one place to concentrate your efforts if smooth hounds are your quarry. Another favorite area the other end of the beach close to Fort Belan at the entrance to the Menai Strait. Some very good tope are caught there but it's a long and hard trek!
If chasing the hounds your best baits are crab and June to September the best times of the year. Also a nice calm sea would be preferred. Durnig the winter months expect whiting, coalfish, doigfish, bass (if the winters not too severe), and a few codling.
If you plan to try your luck around Fort Belan travel light its a long walk to the marks at Eastern end of beach!
A visit at low tide is recommended to check out the topography of the beach. Walk the beach from the old gun turet up past air field right up to wind turbines. Try and memorise where the many gulleys are.
Further up by the wind turbines by the entrance to Menai Straits is a great mark for smooth hounds with crab (Aug to Sept).
Porthmadog Angler's 27lb Dinas Cod
Directions
Take the A487 from Caernarfon heading west. Approximately 2.5 miles from Caernarfon you'll arrive at a roundabout where the A487 branches left signposted for Porthmadog and the A499 is signposted straight ahead for Pwllheli. Take the A499 exit. After 2 miles travelling along the A499 you'll come to a righthand turning which is signposted Dinas Dinlle and Caernarfon Airport. Take this turning and follow the road for just over 1 mile until you reach the beach. If you’re bass fishing follow the road east along the beach to the last car parking area by the Airport and the entrance with the private gates for Fort Belan.
Then start your walk heading eastwards towards Fort Belan.
NEAREST POST CODE
Caernarfon LL54 5TW
