Abergele & Pensarn
Last updated September 2022
Last updated September 2022
The author with a nice Pensarn Smooth Hound
A flat sandy beach with a steep shingle bank at the high water mark. You can park on top of the shingle bank and at high water almost fish from the car. Low water requires a fairly long walk and the beach has many gulleys which can fill behind you as the tides begins to flood. Be aware of this.
Summer Species
Bass, smooth hounds, dabs, plaice, dogfish and mackerel are the most likely species you'll encounter. Weavers are fairly common so be careful.
Winter Species
Whiting, codling, dabs and dogfish are the most likley species.
Guidance
Summer - Bass fishing is best from May and goes right through to late November providing we don't have to many hard frosts. Crab, rag worm and blow lug are the best baits either fished over the low water period or from around 3 hrs before high water as the incoming tide starts to fill the gullies closest to the shingle bank. Dawn or dusk are the best times if your after bass.
Mackerel can turn up almost any time from June onwards and in recent years have still be around into late October. As with many of the marks along this coast there has been quite upsurge in numbers of smooth hounds being caught. Crab is the number one bait for these and fishing the HW period on a night tide is especially good. Any time from early June through to late August when the weather is settled and the sea calm is best.
The flat fish are most likely to be caught on worm baits fairly close in.
Winter - Dogfish, whiting and codling are the main target species. It's always worth fishing 2 rods, one with a large worm and squid bait the other a 2 or 3 hook rig with fish baits i.e. mackerel, bluey or sand eel cocktailed with small strips of squid for the whiting.
The tidal pull isn't a problem so fairly light tackle can be used. The beach faces north/north west and is comfortable in all but the very worst gales from that direction.
Getting there
If your travelling west along the A55:-
- Take junction 24 off the A55 sign posted for Abergele, Rhuddlan A547
- At the traffic island take the first turn sign posted Abergele.
- Continue to traffic lights with a Chartered Surveyors on corner. There's a small finger post signed for railway station, Rhyl, Pensarn. Turn right here into West Street. West Street becomes Dundonald Avenue. Continue along this road.
- Just after you go under the A55 you come to a traffic island. The first exit off the island is no entry. Take the second exit (Don't turn sharp left as you'll end up in Lloyds Caravan Sales)
- Follow the road and turn left at junction. Continue on over the railway bridge. Just as the bridge ends take the right turn down onto the beach.
If your travelling east along the A55:-
- Leave the A55 at Junction 23a
- Take the first exit off the island (Don't turn sharp left as you'll end up in Lloyds Caravan Sales)
- Follow the road and turn left at junction. Continue on over the railway bridge. Just as the bridge ends take the right turn down onto the beach.
WARNING :- The entrance to the beach has a height restriction barrier to stop motor-homes and large vans entering the parking area.
Max height is 2m.
NEAREST POST CODE
LL22 7PR
Photo used for page header by 'Raintheone', CC BY-SA 4.0 - This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike 4.0 International license via Wikimedia Commons
Original image cropped and text added
