Solway Firth May dawn haddock
Solway Firth dawn haddock windows — Metal Bridge to Allonby Bay
What's biting today (May dawn)
Metal Bridge at Annan produced 1-2kg dawn haddock bags this May. Haddock lead the run at first light, with fluke (plaice) and codling showing in the 8-12m band. Shoals sit over sandy-mud between 5-15m; prime activity occurs in the pre-dawn window one to two hours before low at most beaches, while the Annan mouth often fires 30-60 minutes after low tide.
Tide, wind and water notes
Typical May lows at Annan drop to 0.5-1.5m; highs reach 6-8m. The Solway tide streams 4-6 knots. Mornings with northerlies under 10 knots, ideally under 5mph, deliver the clean shallow windows that push haddock tight to the shoreline. Water temperatures sit 12-18°C; calm light winds mean visible takes and cleaner traces.
Gear and bait
Set 3-4oz three-hook rigs on 11-13ft beach rods with 4-6oz leads for controlled drift and throws to 20-50m. Use hooks size 2-4. Fresh peeler crab, ragworm, lugworm or small mussel baits on clipped paternosters work best. On Silloth and Kippford mornings under 5mph local anglers report windows yielding five to ten fish per hour when presentation is tight.
Where to aim
Best marks remain the Annan mouth shallows, Skinburness spits and Allonby Bay gutters where sand gives way to patches of shell. Cast to the trough edges, hold the drop and let the bait sit for clear takes. Morning tides around the 5AM UTC slot concentrate fish along the shore.
Recommended: pre-tied three-hook rigs