I've never fished before
Never held a rod? Perfect. Tony will guide you through the whole experience, from equipment and bait to casting and catching your first fish. No previous experience required.
Start fishing
North Wales · Shore fishing
Learn to fish the Welsh coast
Personal shore fishing experiences with Welsh international angler Tony Owen.
Whether you have never picked up a fishing rod before, want to improve your technique, are visiting North Wales or simply want a great day beside the sea, Tony will build the session around you.
Welsh International AnglerRepresented Wales 8 TimesInternational Championship ExperienceQualified TeacherNorth Wales Shore Fishing Specialist
Why Tony
Why book with Tony?
One guide, one small group, and decades of knowing exactly where the fish will be on the day.
8× Welsh international
Represented Wales eight times, including team gold in England in 2016.
Qualified teacher
Formally trained to teach — patient with beginners, detailed with improvers.
Decades on these marks
Fishing Anglesey, the Llŷn and North Wales estuaries since he was twelve.
Small groups only
A maximum of four people, so everyone gets proper one-to-one time.
Equipment can be provided
No kit? No problem. Rods, reels and rigs can be sorted for you.
Conditions picked for you
Tony reads tide, wind and season to choose the right beach on the day.
Start here
Fishing doesn't have to be complicated
You do not need expensive equipment, years of experience or specialist knowledge to enjoy fishing. Tony can help with everything.
Where to fish. When to fish. What bait to use. How to set up. How to cast. How to present the bait. What species might be around. And most importantly, how to enjoy the day.
Every experience is designed around the person or group coming fishing. Some people simply want to catch their first fish. Others want to spend time fishing with their children. Some already fish but want to improve. And some want Tony's help understanding how to fish a particular part of the North Wales coast.
There is no single fixed experience. The day is built around what you want to achieve.
Conditions first
Tides, wind, swell and season decide where you fish — not a fixed itinerary.
Local knowledge
Decades of fishing Anglesey, the Llŷn and the Menai Strait.
Built around you
Complete beginner or competitive angler, the session adapts.
Experiences
What would you like from your day?
I want to improve
Already fishing but not catching as much as you would like? Tony can look at your equipment, rigs, hook size, line, bait presentation, casting and approach and help identify simple improvements.
Improve my fishingFamily fishing
A relaxed outdoor experience for parents, children and families. Tony will adapt the session to the ages and confidence of the group and focus on keeping the day fun, safe and enjoyable.
Family experienceDiscover North Wales
Experience some of the fantastic fishing along the North Wales coast while learning about the area, the water and the species that live here.
Discover North WalesPrivate coaching
One-to-one sessions for anglers who want more focused coaching. Work on specific techniques, venues, rigs, casting, bait presentation or species.
Private sessionHelp on my boat
Already own a boat but struggle to consistently catch fish? Tony can potentially join you on your own boat to help with rigs, bait, technique and fishing strategy.
Tony does not operate a charter boat. The boat must be supplied and operated by the customer or an appropriate skipper.
Boat fishing coachingA day on the water
Dawn in the surf, North Wales
Rods out, waves rolling in and the sky changing every few minutes. This is what a morning session actually looks and sounds like — no rush, no crowds, just the sea doing its thing.
Sessions like this run at first light or into the evening, when the fish move closest to the beach. Tony brings the tackle, the bait and the local knowledge — you just need boots and a flask.
Pricing
Straightforward session rates
No hidden extras. Most sessions fit one of these two options, and group prices are worked out per person.
Half day
£160.00
4 hours
- Covers up to 2 anglers
- Extra adult £40.00 · child £20.00
- £50.00 deposit to hold the date
Full day
£240.00
8 hours
- Covers up to 2 anglers
- Extra adult £60.00 · child £30.00
- £75.00 deposit to hold the date
A maximum of 4 people per party. Rates cover up to two anglers; extra adults and children are added per person, so you always see the true price up front.
Deposit
A deposit secures your date (£50 half day, £75 full day). The balance must be paid no later than 14 days before your trip.
Cancellations
Cancel more than 14 days before your session and your deposit is refunded in full. Inside 14 days the deposit is retained.
Rescheduling
You can move your date once. Any further change is at Tony's discretion and must be agreed by him. If Tony calls the session off for weather, sea state or safety you can rebook for free or take a full refund of your deposit.
Group sizes
A maximum of 4 people per party. Rates cover up to two anglers; extra adults and children are added per person, so you always see the true price up front.
Bait
Bait is charged separately and usually costs approximately £10–£20 per person. What is needed depends on the location, the fish you are targeting, the tide and the weather. Tony will confirm the bait and exact cost closer to your trip.
No catch guarantee
Fish are wild and conditions change. Tony will give you the best possible chance, but no catch can be guaranteed — you may not catch anything on the day, and this is not grounds for a refund.
Meet Tony
A lifetime of fishing. A lifetime of learning.
Tony first started fishing when he was around ten years old. He would head down to his local river with school friends and simply try to catch fish. There was no mentor or grand plan. Just curiosity.
Even at that age, Tony and his friends began noticing how conditions affected fishing. After heavy rain, when the river turned brown, they caught fish. When conditions changed, so did the fishing.
Tony began shore fishing at around twelve and has spent decades fishing along the Welsh coastline, including Anglesey, the Llŷn Peninsula and the Menai Strait.
Fishing eventually became competitive. Tony has represented Wales internationally eight times, fishing championships in Wales, England, Scotland, South Africa, Tunisia, Portugal and Spain, with Sardinia also on his international calendar.
Despite that, Tony does not believe fishing is something anyone completely masters. There is always another tide, another beach, another rig, another species — and another day when the fish behave completely differently. Now he wants to pass some of that experience on.
Competition background
From North Wales to international competition
Tony was part of the Welsh team that won gold in England in 2016. He also won his zone on the second day of the competition.
Wales
Home international championships
England
2016 — Welsh team gold
Scotland
Home international championships
South Africa
World championship
Tunisia
World championship
Portugal
International championship
Spain
International championship
Italy / Sardinia
On the international calendar
8
Welsh international appearances
2016
Welsh team gold, England
Teaching
Experience is useful. Knowing how to teach it matters too.
Being good at fishing does not automatically make somebody good at teaching. Tony also has a formal teaching qualification, and previously taught in further education, primarily working with young people aged approximately 16 to 19 across a range of abilities.
That experience taught Tony how to explain things differently depending on the person in front of him. Some people learn by watching. Some need to try it themselves. Some need more time. Some want the technical explanation. Others simply want to get fishing.
The aim is never to make fishing feel complicated. It is to help somebody understand what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they can do it again themselves.
"Why do we go fishing? We go because we enjoy it."
Skills
What can Tony help you with?
Tony will not try to teach everything at once. The session should focus on the areas that will make the biggest difference to the person fishing.
CastingRig choiceHook sizeLine choiceBait selectionBait collectionBait presentationUnderstanding tidesReading a beachFinding fishChoosing locationsUnderstanding wind directionTargeting speciesFishing safelyImproving existing equipmentRock fishingBeach fishingEstuary fishingBoat fishing techniques
Tony's insight
Sometimes small changes catch more fish
One of the most common things Tony sees is anglers using equipment that is heavier or larger than they actually need. Hooks can be unnecessarily large. Fishing line can be too heavy, and heavy line can reduce casting distance.
Bait presentation can make a major difference. Sometimes improving your fishing is not about buying more equipment. It is about understanding how to use the right equipment properly.
The coast
Why North Wales?
North Wales offers an extraordinary variety of shore fishing. Surf beaches. Shallow beaches. Deep water. Rock marks. Reefs. Estuaries. Fast tidal water. Sheltered coastlines. Open sea.
Different environments attract different species at different times of year. One of the things Tony particularly enjoys about Anglesey is that variety — even when the wind becomes strong, there can often be another part of the island offering more shelter.
Knowing where those places are, and understanding how different wind directions affect them, comes from experience. That local knowledge can make the difference between a difficult exposed mark and a much more suitable place to fish. Safety always comes first.
Species
What might we catch?
The sea is a wild environment, which means nobody can genuinely guarantee what will take the bait. That is also part of the excitement.
Bass
Beginner- Season
- Late spring to autumn
- Where
- Surf beaches, estuaries, rock marks
"Bass often feed much closer in than people expect. A long cast is not always the answer."
Garfish
Beginner- Season
- Summer
- Where
- Piers, deeper rock marks, clear water
"Great fun on light tackle and a brilliant fish for a first session in summer."
Black bream
Beginner- Season
- Summer
- Where
- Reef and rough ground
"Scale the hook down. Bream have small mouths and big appetites."
Plaice
Beginner- Season
- Spring and early summer
- Where
- Clean sand and mixed ground
"Move the bait slowly. Plaice often follow before they take."
Flounder
Beginner- Season
- Autumn to winter
- Where
- Estuaries and shallow beaches
"The perfect first sea fish. Tony's own first fish from the sea was a flounder."
Bull huss
- Season
- Autumn to spring
- Where
- Rough ground and rock marks
"Bigger baits genuinely help here — but the hook still needs to match the bait."
Tope
- Season
- Summer
- Where
- Deeper marks with tidal flow
"A shore tope is a serious fish. Preparation and fish care matter more than distance."
Conger eel
- Season
- Summer to autumn
- Where
- Rock marks, piers, harbour walls
"Sort your unhooking gear before you cast, not after."
Wrasse
Beginner- Season
- Late spring to autumn
- Where
- Rock marks and kelp
"You rarely need to cast far. Wrasse live tight to the rock at your feet."
Mackerel
Beginner- Season
- Early summer to early autumn
- Where
- Rock marks, piers, harbour walls and deep-water beaches
"When the shoals push in close on a summer evening, a string of feathers from the rocks can fill a bucket in minutes. Only keep what you'll eat."
Pollock
Beginner- Season
- Summer to autumn
- Where
- Deep rock marks and reefs
"That first savage dive downward is the best bit. Keep the drag sensible."
Memories
It isn't always the biggest fish you remember
Ask Tony about memorable catches and one of the first fish he mentions is his first fish from the sea. It was a flounder. Not enormous. Not rare. But at the time it meant everything.
Over the years there have been plenty of bigger fish — excellent plaice when he was younger, including fish that became club records from Bangor Pier and just offshore, good shore-caught tope, large bull huss, conger eels and several very good bass, including one weighing over ten pounds.
But part of fishing is that a small garfish on the right day can still put a smile on your face.
The coastline
Sometimes the best part is just being there
Fishing gives you an excuse to spend time somewhere you might otherwise never stop. Standing beside the sea. Watching the water. Collecting bait. Seeing the coastline change with the tide.
Watching birds. Seeing dolphins or porpoises offshore. Talking. Learning. Waiting. And occasionally watching the rod suddenly come alive.
For Tony, that is a big part of why fishing has remained part of his life for so long.
"A good fish is a bonus. A really big fish is the cherry on top."
Guest stories
Sometimes one day can start something bigger
From a first fish to a new hobby
Tony recently took a father and his young son fishing. The boy was around eight years old. They caught fish and he loved the experience.
Afterwards, because freshwater fishing was more accessible close to where he lived, he started fishing there too. Tony later saw photographs of him holding a carp weighing around eleven pounds. Big fish. Huge smile.
For Tony, that is exactly what helping somebody discover fishing is about.
From asking questions to representing Wales
Tony has spent many years fishing alongside another angler who regularly asked questions and wanted to improve. Over time she continued developing as a competitive angler.
She later went on to represent Wales Ladies, and eventually they travelled together to compete at a World Championship in Tunisia.
For Tony, watching somebody improve and achieve something themselves is one of the most satisfying parts of sharing fishing knowledge.
Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews are only accepted from completed bookings, so every comment comes from somebody who has actually fished with Tony.
Beginners
Never picked up a fishing rod?
Good.
You have nothing to unlearn. Tony genuinely enjoys taking people who have never fished before.
Equipment can be provided by arrangement. Tony can help with:
- Setting up
- Holding the rod
- Casting
- Baiting
- Handling fish
- Understanding the water
- Staying safe
You do not need to buy loads of equipment before deciding whether fishing is something you enjoy.
Book my first fishing experienceSimple
How your experience works
- 01
Tell Tony what you want
Tell us who is coming, how much fishing experience you have and what you would like from the session.
- 02
Tony looks at the conditions
Tony considers your preferred date alongside tides, wind, weather, season and the type of fishing that suits you.
- 03
Tony recommends the plan
Tony recommends an appropriate area, fishing style, time and approach.
- 04
Meet and go fishing
Tony brings the knowledge. You bring your enthusiasm. Equipment can be arranged where required.
Your first fish might be closer than you think
Whether you have never fished before or you have been fishing for years, tell Tony what you would like from the day. He will help work out the right type of fishing, the right location and the right approach for you.
Catch fish. Learn something. Enjoy the day.
Fishing doesn't need to be complicated.
Tell Tony who is coming, what experience you have and what you would like from the day. He will help take care of the rest — the conditions, the location, the fishing, the equipment where required, and the knowledge to help you enjoy it.