Fishing the Bristol Docks

The Bristol Docks used to be a port for ships travelling from afar to unload their cargo, but more recently it has only been used for recreational purposes. The fishing around the different areas of the dock can be very good at the right time of the year. The main species you will catch are roach, perch, skimmers and bream. There is an ever growing number of carp starting to show around the docks, including fish over 20lbs. One of the things that makes the docks unique is that every spring tide, seawater finds its way into the system and with it come some sea species. Mullet, sea trout, flatfish and even salmon par are caught regularly, you never know what your next bite is going to be.

There are two main techniques for fishing this piece of water, the feeder and the pole. In general the feeder is best for the bigger fish such as the bream and skimmers, whilst the pole is better for the smaller species like roach and perch. The depths in the docks vary from about 10-20ft deep and in places you can be fishing off of high walls, so go prepared with long landing net handles and long keepnets. The pole fishing is best done with floats between 1-2g and a body shape that allows you to hold the bait still if the docks starts to 'pull' when the lock gates are opened, whilst the feeder fishing is best done with 20-25g groundbait feeder and cast approx 30 yards.

The majority of the fish move around the dock system at different times of the year, depending on spawning and the colour and temperature of the water. To catch consistently it is a good idea to fish the best area for the time of the year. Every thursday evening there is a match fished by about a dozen mad keen anglers and what they catch is a good idea of what you can expect to catch and which part of the docks to head for.

Baltic Wharfe is a very popular spot with anglers, there is easy access and parking and you can get right down at water level for very comfortable fishing. the best months of the year to fish this stretch is from April until October, during the winter this stretch is very exposed to the elements and fishing can be extremely unpleasant during strong south westerly winds, catch the conditions right and you will have a day to remember.

General Hospital is an area of the docks out of the main flow and when the rest of the docks system is coloured, the water can still be clear, well worth a look if it has been raining hard just before your visit. This area of the docks seems to fish well all year round for roach and bream and is always worth a visit.

Welsh Back is the best area of the docks if you want to make a big catch of bream, the annual Docks Xmas match is usually won from here with a big net of slabs, the feeder is the number one method here. The fishing here is all off of high walls and the parking can be a real problem if you are fishing mid week, but the efforts are well worth it.

Mud Dock and Police launch, this is the best area to fish in the winter as it is also the deepest area of the docks and the bream, skimmers and roach seem to shoal up here at the coldest time of the year, it is also a good area to try if you want to catch a carp .