| Fishing for Bristol channel conger can be an | | | | eat just about anything mackerel filet, squid, crab |
| enjoyable day afloat, and even save a slow days | | | | are all good baits but the best are probably the |
| fishing. The eels aren't the giants of the south | | | | head and guts of a fresh caught pouting or |
| coast but with most landed weighing into double | | | | whiting or whole small cuttlefish (Just be careful of |
| figures, fish between 10-25lb are commonly | | | | the ink from these as it doesn't come off for |
| caught, 25-35lb are caught on most trips over the | | | | days and won't wash off clothes). |
| wrecks with fish growing up to around the 50lb | | | | A 30lb class outfit is THE most you'll need in the |
| mark being caught more rarely but are landed a | | | | area , with a 20lb outfit being a more suitable |
| few times a season. Although the majority are | | | | choice or even 6-10oz uptiders will do the job well, |
| only in the 10-25lb bracket they can still put up a | | | | a 7000 or 7500 size reel loaded with 30lb braid |
| terrific fight on the right tackle. | | | | and 12-16oz weights. A running ledger is the only |
| The Congers ability to put up a good fight is | | | | rig you'll need with a 36" hook length made from |
| helped by the fact that they are just as good at | | | | 150lb mono ending in a single 6/0 or 8/0 Viking or |
| swimming backwards as they are forwards and | | | | other similarly strong hook pattern one end and a |
| have tails that are almost solid muscle and can be | | | | good quality swivel the other . Crimping or |
| caught in good numbers for most of the year, | | | | knotting them on is a personal choice, I find the |
| although they do tend to migrate into deeper | | | | use of a 3 turn turl knot the best method which |
| water where the conditions are more stable when | | | | is easy to tie even in heavy mono and has been |
| the water temperature drops in the winter. | | | | used to land eels over 100lb in weight. |
| Congers live over mixed/broken ground , reefs | | | | One the fish is on board you then have the |
| and most structure's with the bigger specimens | | | | challenge of holding up a wriggling slimy eel who |
| inhabiting the numerous second world war wrecks | | | | isn't to happy for a photo, which is a challenge in |
| we have in the area. Fishing a neap tide is an | | | | itself. |
| advantage as you can anchor for longer over the | | | | Welsh Boat Record 60-14-00 |
| wrecks and generally have an easier time of it in | | | | British Conger Eel Record133 04 00 |
| the decreased tide flow they create, but they can | | | | Can be targeted March to December with |
| be targeted on the reef and broken ground | | | | September to end of November producing the |
| marks on any tide. | | | | bigger eels. |
| Congers will both hunt and scavenge for food and | | | | |