This area fishes best between May and September for most species, with the peak fishing during the height of the summer.

Fish around the low water period and back up the tide, but try to avoid the first few days after a heavy period of rain because the amount of fresh water coming down the river has a negative impact on the fishing.

Marks around the quarry are best for flounder and eels with an occasional bass. Beware of the underfoot conditions at some spots because it is quite muddy, but fishing from the quarry area provides flat rocky stances and easy access.

Further down towards the caravan park at Auchenlarie, the ground is made up of boulder beaches running into the sandy channel. Most of the smoothhound and tope are taken here. Watch out for the occasional better tope, which can go to 40lb-plus. Smoothhound are on the small side, but fish to 6lb are not uncommon. Occasional 8lb plus bass and some flounder to 2lb+ and eels can be caught.

SPECIES

Bass, smoothhound, dogfish, tope, flounder, dab, eel, cod and gurnard.

BEST BAITS

Top bait will be fresh peeler crabs, although frozen can work quite well. Lugworms are a good second choice with other useful baits being sandeels, launce and mackerel for tope.

TACKLE

The bottom is made up of sand and mud, so fairly light tackle can be used when targeting bass and smoothhound. Standard multipliers and fixed-spool reels loaded with 15-18lb line are fine.

Beachcasters do not need to be too heavy, except for tope. When fishing for tope, ensure your reel has at least 200 yards of line. Tope hooks should be size 6/0 and it is advisable to use a wire biting piece or 250lb mono fished on a running leger or pulley rig.

All other species can be caught on a paternoster rig with size 1/0 -4/0 hooks.

GETTING THERE

Take the A75 from Stranraer to Dumfries. The venue is between Creetown and Gatehouse of Fleet. Parking is at the side of the road and then it is a matter of on foot down to the waterside. Care needs to be taken when walking down the paths as they can become very slippery when wet.

TACKLE SHOPS

Galloway Angling Centre, 87 Queen St, Newton Stewart, tel: 01671 401333.

The Sports Shop, George Street, Stranraer, tel: 01776 702705.

Directions : Take the A75 from Stranraer to Dumfries. The venue is between Creetown and Gatehouse of Fleet. Park at the side of the road, walk down to the waterside